<p>mallomar: </p>
<p>avoid the stress, and don't apply SCEA....the advantages are clear for ED, but much less so for SCEA, IMO.</p>
<p>Agree with the other posters: if Bacow wanted to stand on principle, Tufts would drop ED and go with EA, or offer EA in addition to ED (ala Tulane).</p>
<p>macnyc:</p>
<p>You could be correct, but don't forget, many ED pools also include legacies, recruited athletes and other hooked candidates who would be accepted in RD if ED did not exist.</p>
<p>More than two thirds of the kids from my kids' highschool applied early and ended their process right there. Even more applied early if you count early action and rolling admissions, without the final decision made upon acceptance of those early schools. More than two thirds of those who applied early were accepted in the early round, a better stat than for first choice schools applied ED. The numbers are deceptive because of multiple EAs, rolling, and ED/EA situations. The counselors there have said that there is no doubt in their minds that early apps, in general, give most students a better chance. They are very uncomfortable with binding ED, because there has been sufficient fallout from that situation. Kids do change their minds, things do happen during the year. Kids strategize using the ED in ways that just may not be to their best advantage. Kids have decided to "settle" for a school because it will end the process early, and they have a good chance of getting in, which may exclude them for chances in schools they may really want. This fear of rejection does come hand in hand when picking an ED school. It makes this whole process even more one of gamemanship. I believe that kids should have a bit of the "shoot for the stars" attitude at that age. If they are qualified and a match for their dream school, only made a super reach because of the sheer number of apps it receives, they should take a go at it. Parents also get involved and pressure their kids to strategize in ways that only ED allows. There are also kids who apply ED thinking that they have a much better chance of getting into the school, when they are clearly not in the running. That kind of rejection can bring kids to a depression. ED's purpose is to give those kids who truly have a first choice school to express that through commiting early. The other advantages of ED really tend to be for college yield and class planning.</p>
<p>Marite, I agree with SCEA really forcing kids to think harder and yet, it allows them to change their mind regarding fit and to compare financial packages if they so wish. I would prefer that schools just had SCEA (choosing one school early), rolling and RD admissions and drop all together ED/ EA where you can apply to a string of schools.</p>