Ugh, I hate the idea of a “dream” school. That would be my advice to future applicants. Avoid it. There are plenty of great schools out there.
It’s like trying not to fall in love; sometimes it just happens!
My advice remains to avoid it if you are unsure of finances.
Okay, we’ll roll with your idea of “dream school” for this one:
Obviously, if it’s your “dream school” that matters more than everything else, you’d want to appeal. No?
This runs with the above, seeming to refute your earlier point. However, I would continue to recommend that applicants not overlook schools of similar academic caliber that may be less of a financial burden for the sake of a “dream school” (which I have seen change in people many times).
Unless you want to appeal; and why wouldn’t you, given your concept of “dream school”?
A fair point; I shouldn’t have said you waste time/money, as it would be similar under RD in that respect.
You quite possibly wasted chances at applying EA that are restrictive of applicants applying ED elsewhere; furthermore, ED applicants often don’t work as well on other apps while waiting for decisions (they should, and some do). Plus, the aforementioned appeal process could further mess with RD deadlines.
Many schools have begun giving up ED, as it is unfair to lower income students. Rather than being able to compare financial aid offers, they just have to guess at what others might be (and where else they might get in), and make a judgement call on that. A lot of people get screwed over. It’s just something else to keep in mind.
I took your “argue with the Financial Aid Office” to mean trying to get out of the commitment; that’s not a problem. Most anyone would likely want to appeal to their dream school, but arguing won’t work.
“Many schools have begun giving up ED, as it is unfair to lower income students.”
Not because it’s unfair, but a few have done so because low-income students are not applying ED! The unfair part is spreading this myth to low-income students, and telling the well-to-do that ED is intended for them. Instead, applicants should read the financial aid pages of schools encouraging low-income students to apply ED to their dream school. We hear from plenty of low-income students here for whom ED has worked well.
That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard
This is a SCHOOL, not a PERSON. Sure, no two schools are quite the same, but there are lots of really good schools out there and there are lots of good fits for each person. Getting your heart set on a dream school is kind of setting yourself up for disappointment and heartbreak and early decision only encourages that.
A top school is one thing, and in some cases ED can be practical, because after all it’s the old “A bird in the hand…” idea. If you really HAVE to apply ED to a top school, I would recommend finishing all backup applications before hearing back from the ED school. Even if it ends up being a waste of time. I speak from the experience of having to drag a friend out of his misery and convince him to fill out apps to more than just his safety after his “dream” school rejected him.
Low income students have greater financial burdens on them; if they buy into your “dream school” idea, they are forced to make a choice regarding whether or not they received enough financial aid before seeing the aid package of any other schools. Perhaps one outcome amongst their other schools would convince them that their “dream school” wasn’t worth X amount of debt, while another outcome of admissions and financial aid might convince them otherwise. By not being able to compare financial aid offers, it is inherently harmful to those having to rely upon financial aid.
But this is an advice thread, not a place to bicker over ED. If you do not like my advice, then so be it. You have repeatedly registered your complaints and arguments where readers can see them. I would appreciate it if the thread reverted to its original purpose.
Falling in love with a dream school may indeed be ridiculous, but it sounds like that’s exactly what happened to your friend. 
Indeed it is, but sometimes that one school above all others emerges, even if you didn’t want that to happen.
Excellent advice for those with that one school above all others. And if you don’t have a dream school, don’t apply ED. Don’t do it just to increase your chances; it’s a long time from November to September, plenty of time to change your mind.
“if they buy into your “dream school” idea, they are forced to make a choice regarding whether or not they received enough financial aid before seeing the aid package of any other schools.”
My only ‘“dream school” idea’ is the advice that only those with a dream school should apply ED, but that needing financial aid should not be an issue. Advice: anyone who wants to compare financial aid packages should apply EA or RD. Advice: even if you have a dream school, think very carefully about applying ED, for all the good cautionary reasons given in this thread.
“If you do not like my advice, then so be it.”
The issue is when that advice is based on what appears to be an erroneous assumption, here in the ED context: How sure am I that I can afford this school? That’s how this got started, with my response in post #6.
This isn’t advice, but info for applicants: Colleges use ED for two reasons, to lock in money from full list payers, and to lock in top students. When they accept students at ED time who need financial aid, schools really, really want the student, accepting the financial “loss.” If only students applied who knew they could afford the school, it would be only the well-to-do who applied. This is why the Common App “release” is there, to let applicants know that they don’t need to know in advance that they can afford the school.
So… To rephrase, an applicant should ask himself/herself how sure he/she is on finances before applying ED. Hmm, sounds familiar…
Nope, the rephrase is different. These are usually two distinct groups, those with a single dream school, and those who want to compare financial aid offers. Applicants with a single dream school (whether ED or RD) just want to know if they can afford it, but don’t need to know before applying (ED or RD). If they apply ED and can’t afford it, they apply RD elsewhere, as if they hadn’t applied ED anywhere. Applicants who want to compare offers won’t (or shouldn’t!) apply ED, knowing they can’t compare.
Hence why I urged potential ED applicants to consider finances. But your points still lack quite a bit.
There isn’t a binary college finance system where it comes down to “can afford” and “cannot afford.” Most students have to take out loans of some sort. Thus, there will likely be debt for the average student. A student who relies upon financial aid may receive a package in which their “dream school” requires a large amount of debt. Without seeing the packages of other schools, such a student has to guess at what they will receive elsewhere in order to make a decision.
Sure, their “dream school” may be above all others in their eyes, but maybe it wouldn’t be worth $20k/year in debt if their #2 gave them a big scholarship; or maybe it would be if the best financial aid package was from their safety. So for students relying upon financial aid, ED is not the best option; those students need to compare offers, and your own post said that students who wish to compare offers should not apply ED. Otherwise, a student may have to choose between taking on a lot of debt without seeing other options or turning down their “dream school” without seeing other options. Both are undesirable outcomes.
If your family makes half a million dollars a year and you can pay for wherever you go, sure, ED for a “dream school” isn’t a financial problem; however, it is for those who will be relying on financial aid. This was the claim made by Princeton and UVa when they dropped their ED options, and it is an accurate one.
Hopefully others will not be discouraged from posting questions by this argument.
^ I agree with these cautions about applying ED needing financial aid, and if heeded with eyes open, my advice is that ED need not be only for the well-to-do; schools that meet full need with no more than Federal loans can be attractive.
great advice! also:
“Christopher McCandless and I might disagree, but there is merit in this for a lot of people.”
nice ITW reference 
Thank you, I do my best.
Lovely advice.
This thread receives my golden stamp of approval.
Great advice, is here.
so where did you get accepted?
Well, I applied to a very large number of schools, due to my need for financial aid and my very unbalanced credentials.
2280 SAT, 800/790/760 SATIIs, NMF, 3.65 GPA, Top 6% rank.
Admitted
University of Notre Dame
Fordham University
Loyola University New Orleans
Tulane University
University of Florida
University of Miami
Catholic University of America
Seton Hall University
St. Mary’s College of Maryland
Loyola University Maryland
All gave me significant merit scholarships, except for Notre Dame, of course. I was also invited to several honors programs. I remain convinced that I only got into Notre Dame because of my essays, which were probably the best of any school’s I wrote.
Waitlisted
University of Virginia
Boston College
Denied
Georgetown University
I was deferred from Early Action at Notre Dame, Georgetown, BC, and Tulane.
I am happy the way things worked out. I will not be pursuing my BC or UVa waitlists. If you want to know where I end up going… Well, I’ll tell you in a month.
I think my story ended well, and I have several great options, where a decision will be very hard. I hope my advice helps people. I certainly could have used it earlier on; but I might not have listened, haha.
^ You ended very well. I give you the the best wishes for your career after college.
Have fun man
Thank you. Also:
“I think careers are a 20th century invention and I don’t want one.”
— Chris McCandless