@CU123 --I’m smart enough to understand it’s a pipe dream and that’s why i wrote it in my comment. What i don’t agree with is your underlying assumption there’s an even playing field of information/understanding at the student/parent level. Most students don’t fully understand ED and neither do most parents. Counselors are usually working with 100+ kids in most public HS so they don’t have the bandwith to explain it either. ED is completely stacked for the affluent, well informed family and the institution itself. This site is for the well informed and skewed heavily against the real world. On top of that, i would argue vehemently that most 18yr olds are not equipped to make a $300,000+ decision that will impact the rest of his/her life, especially in the brutally short time frame given by most colleges to do so. Every person should have an equal opportunity to participate in the future, in theory. I know that’s not reality; however, our educational system could provide a beacon of light in that direction if it so chooses–which it doesn’t. Eliminating ED and moving up notification deadlines (and making them universal) would provide more time for families to more fully assess their options without feeling pressured to make a life altering decision within 30 days. That’s just my opinion as someone who’s gone through this process with my children and who also works in the Education sector.