Son is still waiting on 1 EA decision. He also submitted 4 RD applications. For the 2 schools that he was deferred from for EA - he is working on showing interest to one. We see now, that it was a big mistake not showing more interest early. The other he realized he is not especially interested in attending.
The instate school he was accepted to is a solid choice, so it was hard to consider adding many more schools to the list. All options we considered seemed to be on the same level - but much more expensive. As we will have 3 in college next year ( and one still in PEA) this issue has moved up in importance!
My daughter applied to 16 schools!!! Even she finally admitted it was a bit much. What was really a bit much was my credit card bill after all the application fees and test reporting fees and CSS Profile fees and artistic supplement submission fees. Ouch. Good luck to everyone’s kids!
Are BSs giving any indication if this is expected to be a tough year for college admissions or on par with previous years? Heading to Chimneykid 2.0s first college counseling event in early Feb and curious what parents have been told? I know from my college sophomore that her special program at her southern university (ranked in top 25 by US News) had applicants increase by over 40% for the 2nd year in a row, dropping its admit rate below the university proper’s for the first time. Applications across the board were up as well but not by a crazy amount.
DS was rejected at his ED school, deferred at 2 EA schools, and waitlisted at another EA school. Every single one stated that this was a record year for ED/EA applications. Not sure if that’s true, but that’s what they are all telling him…just thousands more applications early than ever before. He’s dispirited, to say the least.
Kids were being told they had to do ED/EA/SCEA for the advantage. If everyone is being told to apply early, a big chunk of the advantage goes away. I would like to see the whole early round go away. I see how it benefits colleges, but it is way too hard on most applicants and adds unnecessary time and complexity to the process.
Anecdotally, I’ve heard of a slight shift in ED strategy from other parents. It used to be that ED was the chance to “reach for the stars” and go after the most competitive school on your list. But over the past couple of years, kids have been advised to use ED for their more realistic 1st choices, if that makes sense. So, if there is a school that you love that’s a match or high match for you, apply there ED. Because that match may become a reach in the regular round, and the odds of winning the high reach lottery, ED or RD, are just too slim.
@GMC2918: That makes a lot of sense to me. While I know that ED admit rates are better than the RD round, ED is getting extremely competitive at the more selective schools.
A non-sequitur but related point (that I may have already made) is how different the “to consider/to apply” pool is once you leave the BS side of the forum.
But @SevenDad , it’s not really clear that ED rates are meaningfully better after you adjust for athletic recruits and legacies given that the rest of the ED pool tends, on the whole, to be somewhat stronger than the RD one because while some may reach, few want to just take a flyer. There is some advantage, probably, in part because if you are the first cello playing boy from Kansas applying who is qualified and they accept you ED, the second male cellist from Kansas may not be so lucky.
So I think @GMC2918 's guidance is aligned with that. Of course, the downside is that when it works, there may be some “should I have shot higher?” second-guessing.
I don’t think ED at very selective schools is particularly fruitful for the "average excellent " kid without a hook, though.
@gardenstategal: I recall reading about one selective school’s ED/EA round and the non-hooked (athlete, etc.) admit rate was still a multiple of the RD round. I think for many of the most selective schools the actual RD rate (and not the average of the EA/ED and RD) is in the low single digits.
It’s so hard on students who see their peers get in ED to an ivy or other elite college, when they don’t get into their top choice. They constantly wonder, “What’s wrong with me?” When in truth, the answer is “nothing.” Elite colleges just can’t take all great students, not enough spaces. And yet those students submitted just as compelling apps–some might argue no, but I’ve seen it with two boarding school classes up close and personal-like. It’s hard waiting those 3 extra months that seem like eternity, but in the end, great students are always presented with a few great options. Good Luck students and parents of BS Class of 2018. It will all be okay. Believe in your students and let them know how wonderful they really are. If they haven’t gotten in to a school yet, they really need to hear that they are just as good as those who have!
This is anecdotal as well, but my son reported that his class did quite poorly with EA in the ivies this year. There were only a handful admitted where in the past there have been a good chunk. Also, many rejections as opposed to defers. I know that at least a few of the admitted were “hooked”.
Emory’s ED 2 application deadline dates coincide with RD - you get the extra credit for promising to enroll if admitted but the university can see all the RD tuba players applications at the same time as your ED2 application. Decisions are released by Feb 15 for ED 2 vs April 1 for RD
Good news here today. DS1 was accepted at all six of his EA schools, just heard today from the one that we thought was a significant reach. I’m so incredibly relieved as it is one of the CC top universities and states that they will meet full need. He’s wanted to go to this school since he was little and idolized a very famous professional basketball player. He still has ten more applications in the RD pool, will have to wait for those as well as financial aid packages before we can make a final decision.
Days like today are tough to have him at boarding school. We talked briefly over the phone when he gave me the news, but I want to be with him to celebrate. I could hear him in the gym at school celebrating with his friends. Will have to head out for a visit soon, winter long weekend can’t come soon enough!!