<p>What if I applied ED to UCLA, and let's say the University of Georgia. How on earth could they find out? I know they can't. What's stopping people from doing this?</p>
<p>Do either UCLA or U of Georgia have ED? Isn't the most important thing to do to first look up what admission application schedule each college has?</p>
<p>MS, a college who has an ED applicant decline to attend may contact the high school guidance office to get the GC's story on what the problem is. The GC can't be expected to lie for a student, as doing so could jeapordize his/her credibility and perhaps even future admits from that HS. In some cases, GCs sign the ED commitment.</p>
<p>There are no absolute answers here. Will School X absolutely know if you broke an ED commitment with School Y? Unless the colleges are close peers, perhaps not. You can't guarantee they won't find out, though. In addition to GC issues, a classmate who got rejected might notify the college just for spite.</p>
<p>Best approach: if you aren't absolutely sold on one school as your first choice, don't do ED. The marginal improvement in odds isn't worth the risk of having to decline a school you would prefer to attend.</p>
<p>jeez kk calm down there</p>
<p>"a college who has an ED applicant decline to attend may contact the high school guidance office to get the GC's story on what the problem is. The GC can't be expected to lie for a student, as doing so could jeapordize his/her credibility and perhaps even future admits from that HS. In some cases, GCs sign the ED commitment."
THAT is why you don't break ED, because your college counselor is not going to cover for you and possibly jeopardise his credibility or future graduates from you HS, just so a student can try to game the system. If a college finds out, they will most likely talk to your counselor, who most likely tell them where else you applied. And then you're screwed.</p>
<p>So far all the anecdotes in this thread that I recall report that a student can get into a state university without an early admission round even if he declines an ED offer. But big deal. He could get into that kind of college if he had never applied ANYWHERE in the ED club. It does seem that breaking an ED commitment enormously reduces your chances of getting into any other college that is part of the same enrollment standards association (e.g., the Ivy Group) or that also has an ED program or even an EA program. That's risk enough.</p>
<p>You can get your acceptance rescinded at any college for a number of reasons, academic nonperformance only one of them. Ethical and moral reasons can get your acceptance rescinded or deferred. Reneging on an ED contract is reason enough for your counselor who may have signed off on that ED app, to let your other schools know what you did. Now if you go to a school that just does not care about these things or have a counselor who does not care, sure, you can be home free. But you had better believe that the admissions office of ANY college is going to take your counselor's report very seriously. That is, if your counselor even sent your mid year reports for you to get accepted to another school or confirm your acceptance. Every college I know caveats acceptance with that final transcript and if it is accompanied by a counselor's note that you have deliberately broken an ED contract and refused to comply with his instructions, you are probably going to be in trouble. </p>
<p>I knew a young lady who had to rescind her ED acceptance because of some tough issues at home. It was a good reason not to go out of town. But I remember the school and her family as well as her, sweating out the apps, even though the student, parent and counselor specifically sent letters to the other schools explaining the ED. A couple of those schools did get the ED list, and it's often very automatic that your app is just not considered if you match up with the list. It really is not worth the risk because of all of the problems that could arise. </p>
<p>I have never heard of a school that was turned down going after a student in any way; they have better things to do at that point, but I would hate to be the one that, say Harvard, or other top school decided to make an example. Unless you thrive on this kind of controversy and mess, it is not wise to renege on ED. Yes, you may get away with it. You can get away with many things. It's how daunting the consequence could be if you get caught, regardless of how small the chance it happens that would take precedence here since I cannot see how important it is to break that ED agreement. If the reason is good enough, you can legitimately get out of it. If not, what is the big deal? You really want to fight with your counselor, highschool, and colleges when you know you broke your word on something clearly stated and signed by you?</p>
<p>let's discuss this further.</p>
<p>Bummmmmmpp</p>
<p>Review what was posted above. </p>
<p>token, there is another breaking ED thread on the parents forum by the above poster.</p>
<p>And here's the answer that has been posted in similar threads before (thanks for the notice of the thread on the Parents Forum). </p>
<p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/education/edlife/strategy.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/education/edlife/strategy.html</a> </p>
<p>
[quote]
Many colleges rescind acceptances if they discover bad faith. "If we find that you lied to us and applied to our regular action process holding an admission from an early binding place," says Marlyn McGrath Lewis, admissions director at Harvard, "we would either not admit you or we would withdraw our offer."
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I read, therefore I obey the rules.</p>