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<p>If that is true, scottie, why on earth does Princeton feel the need to compel ED admits to attend? </p>
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<p>i could just as well ask you, why on earth harvard now feels the need to forbid <em>its</em> early applicants from applying anywhere else early (especially in light of the fact that it had let them do so for many years). "if harvard is that desirable, it should not be necessary to prevent all those kids from applying elsewhere." </p>
<p>as for princeton, there's little financial reason for it to "compel" its ED admits to attend. it is extremely above-board on matters of aid, as exemplified by its pioneering early estimator (to which, according to chris lincoln's "playing the game," other ivy coaches direct <em>their</em> recruits). anecdotally, i've never heard of a single ED admit dissatisfied with his princeton aid package. the biggest motive for compulsion is, as much as anything, enrollment management. it's a lot easier to "shape" your class in the regular round when you know who, exactly, from the early round is already "in the bank" for the fall." of course, this "banked" quality to early admits has proven too good for adcoms at princeton and elsewhere to resist, leading them to take hugely disproportionate numbers of less-qualifed early applicants, and thereby screwing more numerous and better-qualified regular ones. so, that's about as far as i'll go to defend the practice. you know my position on early admissions well, as i've aired it many times in previous posts.</p>