<p>Hi guys,
I am heavily considering applying to two schools Early Decision. Let me explain. This is NOT ED I and ED II. These are both ED I. I understand what ED is, so there is no need for explaining there. The following is a true scenario. I'm getting the info from collegeboard. </p>
<p>Johns Hopkins University's ED application is due November 1. They promise to notify applicants of their ED acceptance/ deference/ rejection by December 15. </p>
<p>The ED application for College of the Holy Cross is due on December 15 (and will notify applicants of admission by January 15). My question is:</p>
<p>In this situation, can I apply, Early Decision, to Johns Hopkins first, and then, when I don't get accepted (which I'm assuming I won't), can I apply to Holy Cross ED? I ask this because the ED dates don't overlap. Also, I think Holy Cross requires Early Decision interviews. How would I go about this? Schedule an interview despite having applied to Johns Hopkins ED, and then cancel it if I were to get accepted to Johns Hopkins? Or, assuming Johns Hopkins doesn't get back to me by the date of the interview, would I just do the interview and then cancel my actual application to Holy Cross after? Do schools usually send out admissions responses way before the listed final date that they promise to get back on the admissions decisions? Sorry, I just don't want to get in any trouble. Can this be done?</p>
<p>I would suggest submitting both applications early, applying ED to JH and Regular Decision to HC. If you get in JH great! If not, I would immediately email HC admissions letting them know you had discussed with your parents and would like to change your application to ED. You could then go to your counselor and email or mail the hard copy ED form. HC may get the form a day or two late, but would have your email by the 15th. I believe they most likely would accommodate your ED request. As for an interview I believe HC would try to fit you in or maybe do a phone interview. With the winter break you may need to be very flexible in setting up a time.
Good luck to you.</p>
<p>I was going to say you could just submit both as ED because of the decision dates, but because of what Holy Cross is doing, you can’t do that. Holy Cross is doing a combo ED/Rolling Admission plan - they give you a decision 3-4 weeks after you submit your application. So if you submit early, you will cross dates with JHU. Which means you really need to be deferred/rejected by JHU before submitting to HC if you wish to be in compliance with everyone’s ED rules.</p>
<p>So here’s the plan. Submit ED to JHU. They actually announced on Dec. 13 last year, expect the same this year. You will certainly know by some time on Dec. 15, giving you a small window.to submit ED to HC, but more likely, you’ll have a few days. Have everything ready to go to HC. Do an interview even, there’s no rule that says you can’t have that out of the way either, even for RD. Get your JHU decision Dec. 13-15. If it’s not an acceptance, hit the submit button to HC.</p>
<p>As for deferral - the hard won lesson there is if the girl doesn’t say yes the first time you ask, you don’t sit around waiting for her to change her mind. Ask another girl. Same with ED - treat a deferral as a no, as painful as that may be. Deferrals are free to the school, they cost them nothing and may be issued for political reasons, even if they have no intention of accepting you RD.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for the responses. I wasn’t sure I’d get this many due to the fact that this is a hard question to respond to. And yes, getting deferred would be rough, but I probably would apply ED to Holy Cross anyway. Special thanks to funfatdaddy and MrMom62. I will probably go with something along the lines of your plans. MrMom62, I like your analogy about the deferral and a girl not saying yes the first time, haha. I like the plan you layer out for me, thanks so much. </p>
<p>Another option…You may want to apply ED to JHU using the Universal App and if the decision is no or a deferral ED to HC using the Common App as they are Common App exclusive. Last year the Common App was very buggy and was down for two days after my DD submitted her ED application. There were stories of folks having difficulty submitting EDII apps because they had submitted ED apps earlier. Not sure it the Common App will allow you to submit back to back ED applications as they may not pick up on a rejection or deferral with only a few days between a decision and the second ED application.
Good luck to you. Both are terrific schools.</p>
<p>I don’t think the Common App is set to filter out things like that. Schools tend to use the GC to make sure only the proper number of ED applications are filed, since the GC has to sign off on it.</p>
<p>Also, the Common App shoulds have all the bugs worked out this year. Last year was the new rollout, this year should be pretty much bug free.</p>
<p>I’d talk to your school GC and see what he/she will allow you to do. I agree that @funfatdaddy has a good suggestion but it seems like it will only work if the timing works out just right. What it seems to come down to is that you would have to hear from JHU before school is out on Monday in order to get the ED form completed and signed by the GC to allow you to apply to HC by the deadline that day (the GC at our school would definitely not sign off an an ED form if a decision at another school is pending). A lot of schools let you know decisions via email in the evening so I’m not sure how/if the timing will work out. But I would certainly go ahead an do an interview at HC. </p>
<p>Thanks so much guys, I know it’s been a while but I wanted to give an update. I ended up just ED-ing to HC and got in! So I’ll be going to Holy Cross :)</p>
<p>Awesome! Congratulations! HC is a terrific school with great alumni connections. Always liked the Jesuit schools. Good luck to your Crusader years.</p>