<p>ugh, no easy answer. If you can get fa prereads, do them. If not, do the calculators. Then pick up the phone and call the fa officers. They can tell you how close the calculator result is likely to be, and if they will consider a request for appeal if the fa offer isnt enough. Based on this info you might feel better about ED, esp if the schools have similar results with the calculators.</p>
<p>Some schools match others, although only the Ivies told us this directly.</p>
<p>I think it comes down to how much of a reach these schools are for your kid. If you need lots of coach support you may have to give up one kind of security for the other.</p>
<p>I do not mind the “hijacking” at all. Any discussion that can help someone is good.</p>
<p>Just to clarify the ED/EA question, here is what I found out and I believe it is correct:</p>
<p>ED schools allow you to apply EA elsewhere</p>
<p>EA schools are then divided into three groups:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Those with SCEA (restrictive “single choice” early action, like Y, P) prohibit you from applying EA or ED elsewhere with some exceptions (e.g., they allow you to apply EA to your home state college)</p></li>
<li><p>Those EA schools which allow you to apply EA and ED elsewhere.</p></li>
<li><p>Those EA schools (e.g., Georgetown) which allow you to apply EA elsewhere but not ED</p></li>
</ol>
<p>So, depends on the EA school, it is possible to apply both EA and ED “legally”.</p>
<p>To answer Lioness’s question - some D3 schools are much more competitive academically than D1 schools.</p>
<p>yes, some d1 are not as competitive but the ivies are --the top lac’s (academically) are as tough or tougher than some of the ivies but being an athletic recruit at an lac is more powerful statistically</p>