<p>Ok I'm about 2 go Nuts If I don't Decide on an early Decision by this November; The Top three schools that are driving me crazy is Columbia, Amherst, && NYU. </p>
<p>Similarities
-all has My Major
-all are elite</p>
<p>Heres My benfits of each school</p>
<p>Columbia
-Ivy League Education <em>sweet</em>
-Will Open many doors in the Corporate world
-Fixed Campus (meaning its not scattered all over the place like (NYU)
-I love being around the Best
-Job opportunity being in New York</p>
<p>Amherst
- Small Liberal arts school
-<em>Best</em> Liberal arts school
- away from darn Parents<br>
- did a peer tutoring workshop there acceptance <em>boost</em></p>
<p>NYU
- Did Economics Pre-college there
- easiest to get into out of all three
- Stern's school of Business is one theeeee best
- Job opportunity being in New York</p>
<pre><code> Downfalls
</code></pre>
<p>Columbia- Not affiliated in anyway; atmosphere is fully of cocky students (according 2 what I heard)</p>
<p>Amherst- The setting extremely bores me; nothing but suburban area; home sickness will definitely <em>occur</em>; its a big transition from city 2 suburbs; scarce jobs; No excessive shopping malls, trains etc.</p>
<p>NYU- Now getting over-rated; extremely large student body <em>shivers</em>; Campus is scattered all over Greenwich village (kind of annoying && Unattractive)</p>
<p>Ummmmm can you vote which college will best suit me; If those are the only 3 schools in the entire planet; which will you go to?....Thanks</p>
<p>I'd say it's more of Columbia/NYU vs. Amherst. NYU and Columbia are both larger Universities, while Amherst is tiny compared to them. If you aren't completely sure about the #1 place you want to attend, then I wouldn't suggest ED.</p>
<p>I would say Columbia</p>
<p>btw, NYU may not be the easiest to get into if you are applying to Stern</p>
<p>If you're about to go nuts, you probably need to stop and think. If you check these boards you will see that applying ED is only recommended if you don't need to consider the relative costs of attending colleges. Most of us humans do need to look at that, and so might your parents.</p>
<p>The idea of a Columbia core bothers me.... I'd definitely pick Amherst.... If it were close to a city that is :)</p>
<p>"if you don't need to consider the relative costs of attending colleges"</p>
<p>-I don't know why people are so scared of applying ED... as if a college could actually force you to attend if you're accepted.</p>
<p>hmmmmm
the thing about my Early Decision "Decision"....is because I want to make sure that I already got accepeted into a college && not spend January, Febraury, && March in miserbale anticipation.......I'm actually leaning more towards Columbia!..
&& ummm KK19131>>When you get accepted toearlty decision; its mandatory that you matriculate; im not scaredofthat actually; im scared of the fact that i could've went to a more offering and better school..........college selection is one of the most annoying things a student can ever deal with.......(((shakin my head)))</p>
<p>+</p>
<p>just don't get too set on anything
because Columbia, even ED, is really a crapshoot, esp. you don't have any affiliation with it.</p>
<p>plus your other two schools really are amazing, and even though amherst might bore you you should recall that there are tons of other schools in the area. plus getting away from New York could do you good.</p>
<p>just don't commit yourself to a school and risk rejection too badly, no matter what shot you've got at getting in.</p>
<p>btw i know some really rad people going to Columbia and I would go just to meet their friends.</p>
<p><em>thinkin</em>.....I concur with you that Amherst && NYU are amazing schools but then again the transition from city 2 almost country is kind of scary;
I mean there are other schools that I am applyingto but those three are the only elite schools that are on my mind..............I might consider Brown in the future....<em>wow</em>........A School that doesn't give grades........</p>
<p>"ummm KK19131>>When you get accepted toearlty decision; its mandatory that you matriculate"</p>
<p>Nothing is 'mandatory' ... no college can make you attend. A school can't make you take on debt, it can't make you withdraw your other applications, and it by no means can make you attend. ED is ONLY an honor system. There is nothing 'mandatory' about it (at least not for you). </p>
<p>"im scared of the fact that i could've went to a more offering and better school"</p>
<p>-You could STILL do this. If you feel the school has shafted you on financial aid, say so, and request more- if you are denied more DON'T ATTEND.. that is your right.</p>
<p>hmm....well I geuss with the whole debt thing; its believable; i mean i don't know, they really made it seem like you have to withdraw alll other applications without learning whether you were accepted or denied; And then they stated that you have to enroll......</p>
<p>As CC clearly states</p>
<p>"Upon notification of acceptance, most Early Decision applicants are required to make an enrollment deposit in the range of $200 to $500 or more. They are also directed to make no other college applications. These agreements can be broken, but it is costly. Some students change their minds about enrolling at an Early Decision school where they’ve been accepted. They go ahead and pay the enrollment deposit to assure their place in the class, then go ahead and make regular spring-decision applications to other schools.</p>
<p>This practice is viewed to be unethical. It does happen, though. If the student is accepted at another college from the spring pool, the enrollment fee is sacrificed and the student enrolls at the other institution. This causes a number of problems for both schools and applicants, not to mention the parents who have wasted the enrollment fee. Don’t apply Early Decision unless you intend to enroll if offered admission."</p>
<p><a href="http://www.collegeconfidential.com/dean/archives/000041.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.collegeconfidential.com/dean/archives/000041.htm</a></p>
<p>Hey... 'unethical' is subjective.... All I'm saying is you don't HAVE to attend a school just because it says so. That doesn't make any sense. If worst came to worst, you could go to a different school. A huge downside is that it could hurt future applicants from your high school....</p>
<p>hmmm geuss so.....so you spoiling your early decision binding can make an impact on your high school....<em>wow</em></p>
<p>I disagree kk. ED is a binding contract. Except in extreme cases (such as an unexpected financial situation), you have to attend that school. If you don't attend that school after an acceptance "just because", there are serious consequences and you might not be able to attend any school that year.</p>
<p>"I disagree kk. ED is a binding contract."</p>
<p>-ED is not binding.... You should watch what you say; there are high schoolers around..... </p>
<p>"Except in extreme cases (such as an unexpected financial situation), you have to attend that school."</p>
<p>-No you don't. A college can not MAKE you take on debt. This is simply absurd. I don't know why people believe ED agreements are binding just because the colleges say they are. ED agreements are honor system agreements, nothing more. Moreover, a college can not force you to withdraw other applications, nor can it make you attend just because you applied and it accepted you. Further, colleges have better things to do than trying to "force" individual students to attend. If a college decides to give you $0 in financial aid, you don't now have to come up with $200,000 or not go to college, Come one, what sense does that make.</p>
<p>"there are serious consequences and you might not be able to attend any school that year."</p>
<p>-The only way there could be consequences is if other colleges somehow knew that you're not attending your ED school. It is HIGHLY unlikely that all schools share ED lists and look at how many of those admitted are committing- in fact, I don't even think that's legal. </p>
<p>The biggest problem I see with not committing to an ED school is that it could hurt future applicants from your high school.</p>
<p>Ummm kk; Thats exactely what snoopyiscool said </p>
<p>"Except in extreme cases (such as an unexpected financial situation)"</p>
<p>Basically Debt like you keep reiterating.</p>
<p>Of course no college will force you to attend if you can't afford; I mean Duhh! I think this is common sense by now; but then again when your in a financial situation it is also common sense to look for scholarships, grants and loans. There are also some colleges Like ((ding dong)) "Amherst" that will work with you to make sure you are able to afford && eventually go there. Overall, there really shouldn't be no excuse for a person not to go to their early decision. YOU Signed a promising contract, therefore you should abide by it; It also goes for any contract that you sign. You can be signin away a business contract for 3 million dollars and get yourself into some hot water. People have to be real smart && scrupulous when it comes to these things.</p>
<p>"YOU Signed a promising contract && you should abide by it"</p>
<p>Sure one SHOULD abide by it, but what one SHOULD do and what one HAS to do are, two (largely) different things. I'm not going to argue about this with a high school student who clearly doesn't know what he's talking about. However, let me add that most people in high schools are underage and can't even legally sign 'contracts'....</p>
<p>"Overall, there really shouldn't be no excuse for a person not to go to their early decision."</p>
<p>-Picking a college is usually quite a difficult time for most students (you included) and everyone can't be expected to commit completely to one school as early as November/December of his senior year. I'm not saying that breaking an ED agreement is the best thing to do in the world, but if you want to believe that you have to attend a school simply because the school says so, then so be it. However, if you want to know what the FACTS are, then read what I wrote and stop guessing. </p>
<p>If you decide that school X isn't for you and that you committed too early (maybe before you had all the facts about the school) then you by all means can attend another school. Early Decision is more a way for schools to protect their yields than a 'promising contract'. </p>
<p>Consider this: schools (if they so choose) can deffer an ED applicant until regular consideration.... So a school can pretty much lay aside a person's ED application (not give him a definitive 'yes' or 'no') until a later date, but if accepted, an applicant HAS to attend said school? What sense does this make?</p>
<p>But again.... I'd pick Amherst over Columbia.... :rolleyes:</p>