My best friend was pressured by her college counselor into applying Early Decision Round 2 to a school that she really wasn’t sure about. She was accepted, and now she’s a mess b/c she really doesn’t want to go there. Is there any way for her to back out? Has anyone heard of anyone backing out? Please help her…
<p>I have heard that if a student doesn't receive the financial aid that they need/want/require to attend a school that a student can back out. I imagine that if a kid was pressured into applying early decision and can prove that was the case this might be a way of backing out. But I would definitely have the student and parents discuss this with the head counselor at the school or with a private counselor--immediately.</p>
<p>Even if she was pressured by her college counselor, she still signed the ED contract, which probably says something like 'you agree to enroll in our school unless a financial circumstance puts the family in a difficult condition in paying the tuition'</p>
<p>Unless her family cannot afford the school, I doubt she would be able to break the ED contract.</p>
<p>well technically, u can break the ED contract, yet, if other colleges find out, they might withdraw ur acceptance</p>
<p>There are several threads on this subject around. Does she have other options at this point? I have heard that the only way you can break the contract is if the school does not meet your financial need. Thus, if they fill your need with loans, you are still required to go.</p>
<p>Just an aside: The other respondents are probably correct but let me add a slight wrench into this situation: You said the girl signed the contract? How old is (was) she when she signed the contract? If she is under 18 it is possible that the contract isn't valid......On the other hand, if, as you say that other colleges might withdraw acceptances then that is a problem. I think a meeting with head counselor and parents is in order...fast.</p>
<p>when you apply Ed, you are stating that if admitted you will attend. Some ED's agreements are very specific that they will only release you fromthe agreement to attend your local univeristy. </p>
<p>will the ED school make her go any where she really does not want to attend? Of course not. However she has not made it good for her self or other students who may be applying there RD this year or applying period in the future because it kind of gives the GC and the school a bit of a black eye. They can block her admissions to other schools.</p>
<p>Colleges are not in the business of 'stealing" other school's students, but the world of adcoms is very small and you will find that many adcoms especially at schools which may directly compete with one another do know one another and share information especially lists of ED students.</p>
<p>If you check the archives, there have been many discussions concerning ED.</p>
<p>It is a little surprising that a college counselor would pressure a student into applying ED in any case; as other posters have noted here adn on other threads, backing out can make everyone look bad, including the sending school, which then has a negative effect on future applicants from that school.</p>
<p>I have never seen an ED application myself, but isn't there somewhere on the papers that parents have to also sign? I would hope so. Otherwise the parents of a 17-year-old who chose not to discuss it with their parents, and did not fully understand the implications, are now liable to face the consequences?</p>
<p>That's a really weird situation as most guidance counselors tell you that you shouldn't apply ED</p>
<p>she is 18, and was at the time of signing the contract. We attend boarding school, and her parents are 6 hours away so cannot have a meeting. Our school does put a lot of pressure on us to apply early, thus how this decision was made.</p>
<p>She was old enough to make a decision (pressure or not) and now she needs to meet her commitment. She should tell her parents if she felt pressured and her parents should have a word with the counselor and the dean of your school and then she should make plans to live up to her commitment. </p>
<p>Perhaps the college will listen to her story and realize they don't want a person who doesn't respect her commitments and looks for other people to blame instead of taking responsibility for her own actions. What kind of signal would that send to future applicants, and how would that devalue the ED process for the next few years.</p>
<p>If she doesn't go, the college may get her blacklisted from other schools for this year and it may take punative actions toward her parents and your school. I would hope the school will take her actions and those of the college counselor under consideration when future applications come from your school. A class in personal responsibility and character development may be in order.</p>
<p>Was I vague about my belief that people should live up to their commitments?</p>
<p>a boarding school? I assume she can't plead financial difficulty. </p>
<p>I think the only thing is to accept and then transfer out as soon as possible.</p>
<p>The contract is not legally binding, just morally binding, technically she does not have to attend,as a matter of fact, students do back out of these agreements all the time. The problem arises if her other schools find out (and if they share info they will) then they may choose to withdraw their acceptance. But she doesn't have to go if she really doesn't want to.</p>
<p>Since she is already 18, backing out on ED she and her school will blacklisted. My school for e.g. has been blacklisted by Brown and Stanford. Its sucks big time for future applicants.</p>
<p>Yes, that's true, they may blacklist, Iknow MIT did that at my school for 3 years.</p>
<p>Backing out of JHU because of murder in dorm-</p>
<p>I was thinking of applying ED to JHU, but decided against it because of the high crime rate. I wonder if the school would permit ED applicants to back out of their contract if hey are too scared to attend because of this latest murder; the second one in 9 months. I know this would scare the **** out of me.</p>
<p>Don't be scared, because it wasn't a murder... Police are leaning towards a suicide...
Just remember that if you act smart you will be safe. If you are stupid you will be the target of crime. Just remember to lock your dorm. Walk with others. If you think someone else is following you just call security and go to a well lit area.</p>
<p>Assuming the GC didn't threaten this girl in some way, to some extent she did this of her own free will...</p>
<p>It will definitely tarnish the school's reputation with the college if she tries to back out.</p>
<p>If it was on her list for RD, then presumably it is a school she likes/d to an extent. She needs to get her head around the fact that this is where she is going, and get on with it. If it had been on her RD list and she DIDN'T get in anywhere else, she would be going to this school...</p>
<p>As for the Hopkins issue, it is a reality of college life that suicides occur. It is a reality of city life that there is some risk. Neither Hopkins, nor any other school we visited (and we visited many, including Hopkins) deinies these issues, they just try to deal with them as best they can. It is your job, as the student or parent, to decide to what degree you are risk averse, and go from there. It is not their job to guarantee what they cannot guarantee... Anybody sold enough on Hopkins to apply ED should have had a clear image in their mind of what the environment was like- it is blatantly obvious..</p>
<p>By backing out of ED you take the chance of being blacklisted at schools that share admission information with your school. As well, students from your school who apply in future years could be denied admission - partly because the school will no longer trust your college counselor's competence if you push the 'I was coerced into applyling ED' story, and partly because they just don't want to take the chance it could happen again. </p>
<p>If you have applied for financial aid, the school establishes what the expected family contribution is. If your parents say they can't afford the school after the fact, the school will probably just offer more loans. It would be difficult to later show you couldn't afford it, if you were to accept a similar offer elswhere. If you are at a private boarding school, this is probably not even an issue. </p>
<p>You made a serious committment when you signed the form. It would be sad, indeed, if the college counselor - never mind the committment form - had not made that clear to you. You must have thought highly of school when you applied and signed the committment form. I'm sure you will be happy once you're there. Your counselor obviuosly thinks it is a good fit and you did at one time. Just go, and it will probably turn out to be the best decision you ever made. You will be able to look yourself lin the mirror, as well.</p>