The Caltech statement seems a bit misleading. I don’t think any UC has EA or ED. So, the UCs are not actually an exception. Publics with EA would be.
Caltech doesn’t mention EA. It just says fall application deadline - so any non binding admission plan with a deadline between September and December should count.
Back to OP - I assume you got your answer. Apply REA to Caltech, UCs and EA to the public schools.
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The comment was specifically about Caltech restricting EA and ED applications:
Schools without EA or ED are not exceptions unless they mean to restrict RD also.
I’m not sure why you feel it’s misleading or confusing. From Caltech’s perspective, REA restrictions apply only to colleges with their application deadlines (regardless how they’re named) that proceed the announcement date of Caltech REA decisions (i.e. applicants are free to apply to any college after the announcement of REA decisions). Since UC’s application deadline is Nov 30 (before Caltech’s REA announcement date), an exception need to be made.
It may be back to the confusion I had.
If you didn’t have a merit deadline and you had an EA and an RD, I’m not sure you could apply EA - even non binding.
In OP’s case, it doesn’t matter as they’re applying to Purdue and they have a merit deadline.
Others specifically say any public EA but this didn’t.
But OP is good - so what else matters?
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That’s why Caltech made an exception for those applicants who need to apply for merit elsewhere prior to Caltech’s REA decisions.
This is still confusing to me. You never need an exception to a rule that doesn’t apply. Are you saying that it does apply?
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Yes you can, because they say “Any public institution that has a non-binding admissions policy with a fall application deadline”. So EA counts regardless of merit/non-merit.
They’re just using different terminology instead of saying “EA”. Probably because they want to include schools like the UCs that don’t have EA/RD.
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The rule may apply to some early programs at public universities (e.g. UVA’s ED program). Caltech singles out UC probably because a significant number of its applicants also apply to UCs.
This is accurate. Can we please stop rewording and confusing the situation? The actual info from the Caltech website is posted above. Scroll up.
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It’s all how you interpret it. If I was a parent applying to a school with an EA and RD and merit wasn’t only avail, EA I’d call for clarification. Because I read it if EA and RD are both offered with no merit impact, then maybe it’s a no.
But back to OP, they have it covered with Purdue where they need to do by Nov 1. I have no more kids and if I did they would not be applying there. So all good.
Seems OP has a very sound and well thought out strategy and has their answers confirmed for their situation.
Please move on from discussing Cal Tech’s REA policy. Per the school’s own information, as long as a student is applying to a public university that has non binding EA, it’s fine to apply.
If a family has any confusion, they should contact Cal Tech admission.
Any further posts will be deleted.
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So my theory is if you can apply early. Do so. If anything it does show early interest for the schools that track that. Plus lots of schools fill their freshman classes in EA. I have known many kids that got in engineering that never thought they would Stat wise. If your deferred then you send in grades etc to help your cause or if denied at least you know your situation and can move on with your life. For MIT etc unless your school has a strong relationship in some way just put it in your very far chance of ever getting in and have some real safeties that you would want to really go to. Never have a list of schools if you would be disappointed getting into any of them
The last few years many have gotten into their 3/4 school on their list. This is why you gotta love them all or don’t list them.
Good luck.
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