<p>Is the acceptance rate for Early Decision II applicants the same as Early Decision I? Or is there a major/slight difference?</p>
<p>^I don’t know for sure, but I think it’s about the same. One of the more qunatitatively inclined Smith posters probably knows 100% for sure.</p>
<p>I saw the numbers at one point but don’t recall them precisely…and as CD’s observation about STRIDE numbers leads one to conclude, numbers sometimes change…but ED I and ED II were pretty close.</p>
<p>TheDad, quantitatively inclined</p>
<p>If I apply early decision to Smith can I still apply Early Action to any other schools?</p>
<p>I’m applying Early Decision!!</p>
<p>Yes, if you apply early decision to Smith, you can apply early action to other schools, provided that Early Action at those schools is NON-BINDING (i.e., you aren’t bound to attend if accepted). Early Decision at Smith is binding, meaning technically you are legally bound to attend if you are accepted (though, if you really wanted to raise a fuss, they would probably let you out of it. It’s cheaper than a lawsuit).</p>
<p>“meaning technically you are legally bound to attend if you are accepted”</p>
<p>No, Early Decision is an honor system agreement; there’s nothing legal involved. Just try to imagine a school filing suit to force someone to attend who doesn’t want to. Great publicity! ;)</p>
<p>Well I agree, but they say in the materials that it’s legal if I remember correctly. I mean, you sign your name to an agreement to attend, I guess that’s the honor system if you want. </p>
<p>Of course, no school would ever force a student to attend that didn’t want to just becuase they signed an Early Decision agreement. Like you said (and like I said) it would be stupid to cause such a stink and incur such cost for a little thing like losing one student.</p>
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<p>Big loophole.
↓ ↓ </p>
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<p><a href=“https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/docs/downloadforms/ED_Agreement.pdf[/url]”>https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/docs/downloadforms/ED_Agreement.pdf</a></p>
<p>My understanding is the ED agreement is legal unless the student doesn’t recieve enough financial aid to afford to go to the school. Also, it makes your high school and college counselor look really unprofessional if you lie and say you want ED and then try to get out of it for some stupid reason, “I decided I don’t like it.” The purpose of ED is that specified school is your “clear cut first choice.”</p>
<p>In ref. to the FA questions. Our older daugher applied ED to Princeton and was later admitted regular so we had Haverford, Wellesely, Brown, Vassar to compare and honestly they all came in about the same. P. was maybe $1500 higher and when our daughter went for her April hosting at P. she just went in with all her FA awards and said can you match or beat these and we got a letter within a week and P. beat them all by $2000. I really think someone had screwed up her initial FA app. numbers. Our son on the other hand applied ED to Pomona College in Claremont, CA got in and we didn’t have any other packages to compare and it worked out equally as well. So I wouldn’t worry about comparing FA packages if you are from a middle-income family. Of course if you are from a wealthy family you might want to wait to look and see what merit based aid you get and compare those.</p>
<p>Well, I’m actually from a pretty low income family which is why I’m worried.</p>
<p>^ I wouldn’t neccessarily be worried. It tends to be students more in the “middle income” or “upper middle” that have some troubles with tuition and loans. For low income students, LACs like Smith with major financial aid muscle can be a really good opportunity. Since your need is greater, and Smith meets 100% of documented need (as THEY calculate it), you’re likely to get a better package. At any rate, it’s not really worth worrying about. You can’t control your financial aid and you wont’ know it’s final details until it arrives. Just make sure you have backups in place (i.e. regular decision or early action applications in at other schools) so if the money aspect doesn’t work out, you still have options.</p>
<p>@natashashah81–I still say if you are lower or middle income the FA package will be excellent and enable you to afford Smith or any other college you get into. My husband always says, when these stupid people say to us, “how can you afford Princeton or Pomona?” “That’s not the question to be asking.” The question to be asking is “How do I help my kid get into these schools?” NO ONE, unless they can afford too, pays retail to go to these schools. At least that has been our experience and Smith’s FA seems very similar to the two colleges we have experience with. So don’t worry about it and apply. Good Luck.</p>
<p>But isn’t Smith not need blind? I’m afraid its really going to hurt my chances.</p>
<p>^ It’s possible, but should be irrelevant; you can’t do anything about it, and it shouldn’t make you want to apply ED any less. If you’re accepted, it didn’t matter, and if you’re rejected, you won’t know why.</p>
<p>@natahsahah - Smith is need-blind in over 90% of cases. It’s not 100% need-blind, but usually your need is irrelevant (for American students. For internationals it’s different). I don’t think it’s likely to hurt your chances. And as vossron says, you can’t do anything about it. FA is something you really don’t have a lot of control over. Your need is what it is.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the advice! I’ve made up my mind and I’m going to apply! I’m really excited 
I hope things work out well!</p>
<p>just applied! 
</p>
<p>and now begins the long wait until December.
who else applied?</p>
<p>Me. Ughghghhghhh forgot about all of the financial aid stuff, so now I’m sending the photocopies of the 2009 income tax and W-2s and Smith Fin Aid app express mail tomorrow and I’m freaking out. Like a lot a lot a lot. Because they’re technically due the 15th…</p>
<p>I would forget the most important part of the application.</p>