@capenor - who knows if they are offering it to every ED1 deferred . . . others will need to weigh in on that one. I guess a couple of scenarios come to mind: 1) a wink-wink to certain EDI applicants because they just missed some cut but appear strong enough that UChicago wants them to think there’s a good chance of admission in the next cycle; or 2) they offer this to EVERYONE deferred (EDI and EA) simply in order to have top pickin’s during EDII. Makes me wonder what the EDII pool has looked like in the past LOL. I think UChicago is being (because I guess it can be) a tad “grabby”. They know some great candidates would otherwise bail for EDII elsewhere. The only question is whether it truly will result in a higher chance of admission for the applicant who opts to stay, or would he/she be forgoing better fits elsewhere? Only UChicago knows what the pool actually looks like, and UChicago comes out ahead regardless, simply because it will have totally maxed out the number of possible applicants for this pool.
@capenor This was a wise decision. Straw poll on a different website seems to indicate that around 15% of ED 1 applicants were deferred. Now the applicant profile on this website is very competitive in general but It still would be unlikely that these applicants would get any significant boost in admissions by pledging their loyalty again to UChicago. Chicago had already seen their files and decided to pass despite their willingness to make a commitment. Good luck to your daughter. I hope she gets her good news from Middlebury
From “A Message to our Applicants” on UChicago’s website. The link was also published on 17 December on social media. I am more than a little thankful that my D went through this three years ago when there was just EA and RD.
"Defer: We are not able to offer you a place in the Class of 2023 at this time, but we will reconsider your application and give you a final decision during the Early Decision II or Regular Decision round. Please complete our defer response form available in your UChicago Account by January 15, 2019.
Deferred applicants may elect to move into our binding Early Decision II application pool by contacting your regional admissions counselor and completing the Early Decision II Agreement form. Students who previously applied in the Early Decision I round do not need to resubmit this form if electing to be considered in the Early Decision II round."
^@NorthLeftCoast - I remember reading that same blog post a couple weeks ago and don’t recall seeing anything mentioning EDI going to EDII like it says currently. Did I skip over that, or was it added later?
OK - yep - I thought so. That last part was newly added to the admissions page:
“Please note that our deadline for decision plan change from Early Action to Early Decision I is November 15th. Our deadline for deferred Early Action candidates or students who previously selected Regular Decision as their decision to change to Early Decision II is January 15.”
https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/apply/first-year-applicants/first-year-application-plans (scroll to bottom)
^^ And that means it’s everyone deferred who can now roll over to EDII. They must have like ZERO new applications to EDII this year LOL.
@capenor, your D was probably wise to move on. The pool will look huge - at least on paper.
I do think it’s a little disingenuous to call some thing early “decision”, and then not decide anything. Sounds like ED1 is just another version of EA. The only reason I can think they would do this is because of a predefined number of admits slots and once those slots are filled they may still have exceptionally qualified candidates that they want to look at with the ED2 or RD pool. Still not a decision at all unless your admitted.
@CU123 - EDII should result in a waitlist if not admitted. Although - who knows? This year definitely has more of a “free for all” feel to it. Some ED1’s are given merit, others are deferred to ED II . . . It’s like they are really EA. Very odd.
If my calculations are right, roughly 47,500 kids applied ED/SCEA to the Ivies+Duke.
About 8,200 were accepted (Assuming Columbia accepted around 800 kids). What are the other 39,400 going to do now?
Even if 10% of that number pivots and applies ED 2 to Chicago, that is still 4,000 kids plus some of the deferred EA and ED 1 kids. I can’t see how this round is going to be any easier than the previous ED round
@surleyhuman - not sure it’s intended to be easier. The more competitive the pool, the better the odds that UChicago will be able to choose top kids. Who are committed to UChicago.
Some of those 39,400 are going to shoot lower because they were rejected as opposed to being deferred. They may apply UChicago EDII but they are not very likely to be competitive. But there will be LOT who are. Right now the pool is probably overwhelmingly stacked with very strong candidates deferred from elsewhere. Perhaps UChicago feels that if someone was deferred from Columbia or Penn ED and can apply EDII, why can’t some of their own EDI’s? They have the inside scoop so will pick only those who have a chance. The EA’s might be another story because UChicago has deferred so many of them in the past . . . if they were a bit more discerning this year then those candidates who have switched might be quite strong as well. Uchicago has inside info. on two of the three groups in this pool, and those just coming in might well be at a disadvantage unless they have something about their app. that makes them a sure fit. It’s fair to say this will be a very tough pool, and that you should only be in it if UChicago is your clear #1. Which is kind of what UChicago has been saying the entire time. Those in there just to increase their chances of being admitted to a top school might find themselves waitlisted in droves.