<p>One of my senior friends EDed to a top 10 school, intending to use it as a back up. He did not apply for financial aid to the school, saying that if he got in to better schools RD, he would attend those, citing financial constraints at his ED school. He did apply for aid at his RD schools. I thought he'd get caught or whatever, since schools supposedly share these lists, but he hasn't been caught yet, so I'm thinking maybe they don't? This sounds like a pretty fool-proof idea, and I'm a little bit tempted to try it as well next year. How do schools enforce their ED policies and how do they even find out?</p>
<p>Would you not be F'ed financially though at the one you apply to ED? And could u even use financial problems as an excuse, if u get in, as a reason if u didnt even apply for finaid?</p>
<p>Hm, okay well (throwing aside ethics, and purely hypothetically) what if you just flat out told your ED school that you weren't planning on attending, and if you didn't tell them where you're actually going? What could they do?</p>
<p>Well at the one I just looked at, if u get admitted to ED you are forced to withdraw your applications to other colleges in mid January, before you would ever get the chance to hear from any RD school you applied to. If you do not accped the ED by Jan 15, I would assume they reject you. So if you apply to ED to this place (Harvey Mudd I looked up) if you get admitted ED you would never be able to see you RD decisions before making your commitment choice.</p>
<p>And whats wrong with EA exactly? nonbinding is always good.</p>
<p>This was posted on another thread:</p>
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<p>Wise up students, it's the information age. Many colleges also use an automated system for scoring and awarding "points" to applicants, the system then divides the applicants into yes consider and no sections, based on specific criteria that each college sets up. Although AY is a software program, like peoplesoft, it can be customized for each customers (colleges) specific needs. Some will then go through by hand the yes pile for review and consideration (MIT does this).</p>
<p>The SAT is administered by "college board"... who do you think owns or controls this organization... a collective of colleges. How do you think College board gathers their stats and information.. from their members.<br>
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<p>So the short answer is Yes, schools really share their lists. And just because your friend hasn't been caught (at least not yet), doesn't mean that what he did is a good idea. Many people have not been caught driving drunk, but I still wouldn't advise it. What's the risk if you or he is caught? You won't be able to attend the school you want to attend, and maybe no school that you've applied to. Is it really worth it?</p>
<p>I don't know if I'll do it, but the school I'm talking about it has some weird policies (they place alot of weight on ED). And it's not an Ivy. I don't mean to sound like I'm following the pack, but it seems like others are doing this too. As much as I'd like to play fair, it looks more and more like I'm only putting myself at a disadvantage admissions-wise if I don't do it, especially if they're not using AY next year.</p>
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[quote]
As much as I'd like to play fair, it looks more and more like I'm only putting myself at a disadvantage admissions-wise if I don't do it
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Attempt to game the system by applying ED and RD, you mean? They can find out where you applied in other ways (like through the PROFILE), and I can almost guarantee that you'd be caught and blackballed- possibly putting your school's reputation at risk too. Don't be stupid.</p>
<p>Quite frankly, I have trouble believing your friend's story. ED admits are required to send in deposits or plead FA long before RD decisions come out.</p>
<p>you say he applied to the ED school and did not apply for FA -- therefore, he is saying that he does not need financial assistance to attend the school and is capable of being a full-pay student. How would he claim inability to pay as a way to get out of the bargain? He would have know that cost at the time of application.</p>
<p>^^^Exactly. That is a very stupid, even unethical, plan your friend is using. He better pray that he doesn't get accepted (has he already?) because he should not rely on being allowed to attend one of his other schools. Colleges most certainly notify other schools of their ED lists, especially their close competitors so I hope for his sake that the other schools on his list aren't similar to that top ten school. What I don't understand is the benefit of this plan. Why would he risk his ability to pay for college in order to get a slight chances bump at a school that isn't even his first choice anyway? I'm tempted to think your friend isn't that bright.</p>
<p>It is my understanding that the ONLY reason a student is let out of their ED obligation is in order to go to their state school fro financial reasons. A student will not be relieved of their ED obligation to attend any other college/university. ED is a bin ding agreement that can cause other schools to rescind their RD acceptances.</p>
<p>I'm not sure how it is handled at all high schools, but at my sons' school, the GC keeps track of each student's applications and the status of each. While she will send out initial packets to RD schools for a student applying to one school ED, when she receives notification of a student being accepted to the ED school (and she does, from the accepting college, not from the student), she will no longer send out application materials in support of the RD applications UNLESS she and the students' family have previously discussed the finanacial aspect and the ED school's financial aid package was truly unworkable. </p>
<p>From what I understand, it is this way at many schoools. A student might not formally withdraw his other applications, but the applications might not get completed (eg., 7th semester grades, etc.) and thus the ED contract is upheld by the GC and the high school.</p>
<p>Does applying ED in the manner described by the OP demonstrate a lack of integrity? Yes. Do colleges share ED info? Yes. Will other colleges honor that ED admission and not accept the applicant or withdraw an acceptance? Many won't, particularly many state colleges who won't even pay attention to it. Even one fairly high ranked, USC, has a stated policy of not honoring the ED admission of another college because of USC's stated belief that the ED system is a bad system that should not exist.</p>
<p>I don't think our GC does anything like that, and he didn't fill out his profile for the school. Plus wouldn't they notify him if they'd found out?</p>
<p>Has anyone's decision actually been rescinded because of this? Or does anyone personally know someone who has? Or is this just another myth in the college world?</p>
<p>Look at the featured discussions at the top of the college admissions forum, and you'll see a thread where a student's application to another school was withdrawn by the school after they were informed of his ED commitment to another school.</p>