Curious how many this app cycle plan to apply EDI to just that ONE school and wait for that decision/outcome vs just applying to every school they are considering at the same time as applying ED?
Hopefully very few, since that’s a bad strategy. One can certainly wait to submit (unless there are earlier scholarship deadlines) but it would be folly not to work on RD apps in the interim
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S24 is applying ED1 to one school and EA to several others. There are three schools that have scholarship application deadlines in November and December that will be submitted before their deadlines. Otherwise, he will not send in any other applications until the ED decision comes in, including deciding on an ED2 school. There is no reason to pay for application fees that may not be necessary.
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Bad plan. ED acceptances will likely not come out until January. Smarter to submit all your applications, and if you get accepted ED, just withdraw them.
And especially if there are earlier deadlines for scholarship or honors college considerations!
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January?
What schools release their ED decisions in January?
That’s too late, no, when you take into account how RD2 deadlines are in early January.
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Most schools release ED in December, before break, then you have a month or so to finish regular decision. S24 will have his started but will not submit RD applications to Ivys and other LACs until necessary.
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My D sent in a few EA/rolling applications to match/safety schools along with her ED application to her top choice. IMO having an acceptance or two by December takes a lot of pressure off the rest of the process.
ETA: She held off submitting to RD schools until she got a decision from her ED school.
She also had some other supplemental essays ready to submit in case her ED didn’t work out (she did get into her ED school 
so never submitted those).
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@Mwfan1921 perhaps can contribute.
This year with the delay in the FAFSA being released, it is very likely that ED 1 decisions will not be released in December.
Many ED schools are CSS schools and have read that they will be using that to create their aid offers which accompany December EDI decisions as a result of the the FAFSA delay. I see the delay falling on the end of when an EDI deposit needs to be sent vs the delay in the EDI decision. We shall see.
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I would check the schools. Some may fill the programs of interest on a rolling basis or others that have RD and EA will substantially fill up during EA leaving crumbs for RD.
This strategy may also have housing implications. Check the schools.
You can do what you’re doing but it depends on the remainder of your list.
It’s risky if you ask me. Paying app fees etc is just a part of the overall college investment or at least find some schools that are free or have a free app week.
Best of luck.
Never said this was the approach being taken.
Asking to get a feel for the landscape of those applying ED and their management of how they plan to approach the process.
Sorry. I wouldn’t allow my kids to apply ED but if I did those would be considerations.
In theory applying to one school is fine if it’s an assured (and affordable) admit.
Good luck.
The schools are all stating on their websites that ED decisions will be released in mid December, what does FAFSA have to do with it? If you are applying ED you have run the NPC or have a financial preread or are willing to pay, right?
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It is not only the fees but the multitude of essays that are required. S24 will start this but if he will not spend hours on perfecting essays (and videos!) that may not be needed. Some of the highly selective schools on his RD list have 3 or 4 essays, it is nuts.
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yes - some apps have so so many additional requirements I just can’t imagine the stress to possibly get that all in order come 12/15 to meet an early January deadline. Solid essays and videos take time and should not be rushed.
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What does the FAFSA have to do with this? Some colleges use the Pell Grant as part of their need based aid awards. Until the FAFSA has been finalized, they will be using their own calculations from info on the Profile, or a school form to help determine Pell eligibility.
I think the best thing we can say is…we shall see.
But regardless of when ED decisions are released, it is my opinion that all other applications should be submitted. If accepted, you just withdraw those applications. But if denied acceptance, your other applications will already be done.
So i just looked at the webiste for one school and they said that they will not require FAFSA and will go by the css. Do not require FAFSA until May.
That’s fine then. Like I said…regardless of when ED admission results are sent out, I would suggest having the other applications done.
I can’t think of anything worse than getting rejected at your ED school…and then having to complete your other applications.
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I have not heard any college with ED say they will delay admission results because of FAFSA late release.
Those that don’t use CSS Profile might not have FA packages right away tho, but that’s not many ED schools.
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Totally reasonable to do ED1 and EA to others as allowed, for schools that give you an answer by mid Dec, as many EDs do, and hold off on submitting the others. This was my kid’s strategy, and it worked. Kid got into the ED1, and the EAs tthat notified in time, and just withdrew all the other apps, never submitted the rest. Had they needed to do the other private ones, they’d have had a busy Xmas vacation getting the extra essays for them done, but it was definitely do-able.
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