Does it look bad to change the application status on the Common App from ED to RD?
No, it doesn’t look bad. Some colleges may nudge you to change it back to ED because it helps their numbers and yield, others won’t give it a second thought. The colleges that make that attempt to nudge you might take this as a sign they aren’t your first choice, but when all is said and done, they’re doing what is good for them, and you have to do what is right for you. If directly asked (which is unlikely), just say you are very much interested in their college, but unfortunately you need to compare financial aid offers.
No. It does not look bad. Students do it every year for a variety of reasons.
Thank you so much, I was getting super stressed. Is it better to change it sooner or later? Should I remove my current ED selection and add it back when I am 100% sure?
Without knowing why you want to move to RD, it’s hard to advise when is best. If you think you might change it back, wait. If you know you won’t change it back, let the college know sooner rather than later.
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Okay, got it, thanks! Would it be considered bad to switch it, for example, the week before the ED deadline? The college I end up EDing to won’t know what was previously selected, right?
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It is totally OK to switch the week before the deadline. And no, the other college will not know.
I would not wait until the week before ED decisions are due to switch to RD… sometimes decisions come out early and you could be stuck.
OP asked about switching the week before applications are due, not the week before decisions are expected.
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I’m pretty sure that someone on another thread said that the Common App only allows you one chance to select ED, meaning that if you select ED and then switch to regular, you may not be able to switch back to ED (or choose another school for ED.) Before making any decisions, you should confirm that the technology allows you to make the switches you’re considering.
The higher the tier, the less you mess with their minds or process. Once you submit, you don’t know how early they might start reviewing your file. (Only that they’ll have an answer by whatever decision date.)
OP previously mentioned T10. It behooves kids applying to top tier colleges to make their considerations before submitting. Don’t leave them thinking you’re a confused sort.
That said, if it’s a legit reason, fine to switch from Early to RD. Once. It happens. But none of this uncertainty, betting on some gaming or non-existent advantages is going to look good re: your thinking.
Luckily, I did not submit. Haven’t even written my supplement yet!
I was worried about looking like this “confused sort”. I think I will be REA’ing now because of personal reasons, so I hope I don’t look “confused” to them, because they are one of the top colleges on my regular applications list.