<p>This is my first post and very likely this question may have been asked many times over in this forum, but I couldn't find it, so here it is : As a parent of the only child getting ready for college admission, this Early decision dilemma is daunting - Asian, middle class, child is National Merit semi finalist, ACT of 35 & SAT of 2290, ranked 2/465 in a public school that regularly sends at least one kid to Ivies and U Chicago, etc. S is not athletic, but active in debate , MUN etc, very decent Extra curricular over 4 years..College Counselor says S has a very good chance at ED at North Western or Washu ; he is also been receiving e mails from senior students in Harvard and Yale, encouraging him to apply, etc..Very confused about applying early decision and foregoing other opportunities / comparing financial aid vs. applying early and possibly lock in a spot at North Western (if S is lucky, of course) in the uber competitive admission process - what are the pros and cons I should be weighing in as a parent? Please advise. Thanks</p>
<p>I think ED should be considered ONLY after developing a by-far number one choice above all others, if that ever happens; it’s a loooong time from November to Aug/Sept, plenty of time to change one’s mind. But if there IS that one school, getting the whole process over is December is a BIG plus, assuming acceptance.</p>
<p>Ditto. In my mind, ED should only be considered when the student 100% knows that this is the school for him/her above all others – and honestly, our guidance counselors state that if the family needs financial aid, they recommend NOT applying ED because otherwise you limit your chances of negotiating financial aid. A current college freshman we know got into both UofChicago and several other top schools. Did not apply ED. She maximized this because UofC ended up coming back to her several times with more and more merit money to beat out the other schools. In the end, the financial incentive of UofM sealed the deal. Your son’s numbers are very, very good and unless he has his heart set on one of the two you mentioned, I would think leveraging schools for merit aid might outweigh applying ED.</p>
<p>Because schools that accept an ED FA applicant really, really want the student to attend, they may well try harder if the ED FA offer is declined by the applicant. No data, just a theory!</p>
<p>This is the first time I have heard vonlost’s theory about FA packages for ED being more generous.</p>
<p>Far more common is the theory that schools are less generous with FA for ED students. These FA packages cannot be compared against other firm offers. These are also students who have declared that the school is a clear first choice, thus implying that they might be willing to pay more for the opportunity to attend.</p>
<p>My impression for both Northwestern and WUSTL is that, although both commit to meeting full need, neither has a reputation as being overly generous with FA.</p>
<p>OP’s son does not have a clear first choice and FA is a significant concern. These two critical factors should preclude applying ED.</p>
<p>“This is the first time I have heard vonlost’s theory about FA packages for ED being more generous.”</p>
<p>No, sorry, that is not my theory, and is not what I said. I did not in any way mean to compare ED and RD offers. I meant something like: If an ED FA offer must be declined, don’t be surprised if you get a message from the school to talk it over, because they wanted you strongly enough to want to lock in a kind of financial loss for the school. Schools love applicants who love the school. The school may want the applicant just as much at RD time, and could improve the offer in the same way on request, given additional information.</p>
<p>I apologize for my misunderstanding of the post.</p>
<p>My experience with students who have rejected ED acceptances due to finances is admittedly small (a grand total of three), but none of them were contacted by the ED school trying to sweeten the offer. I would think this approach could open Pandora’s box if students heard that, during the previous year, the ED FA offer was simply an opening bid.</p>
<p>I agree that schools love applicants who love the school, but I would expect this to be reflected in loosening admissions standards marginally.</p>
<p>Agree with prior posters. Do not apply ED unless student is absolutely positive that the school is a clear favorite. The possible advantage is not worth second guessing the student will do if s/he is accepted ED then later wishes s/he had had the option to choose a school.</p>
<p>I strongly feel that unless the student would easily walk away from all other offers on their admissions list, no matter FA or merit, with no regret or second thought then ED is not the right choice. </p>
<p>I would not in the least be swayed by contact from schools suggesting the student apply. Marketing. You’ll hear of students denied in ED still getting such emails, letters, calls to apply. Obviously the right hand has not communicated with the left and it’s very painful for some. ED should never be used as an admissions strategy; I’ll have an easier time getting in during ED/I might not get in otherwise … Although with good merit from school XYZ I might go there instead. FA packages vary drastically from total amount, loans, grants, work/study, so your total COA could be very different at schools with the same sticker price, or even lower at a higher cost school. ED locks you in and you can not compare offers. Frankly, I have never heard a situation where an ED school improved a FA package.</p>
<p>I disagree that an ED school should be a clear favorite - rather, it should be a school one would have no regrets getting in to and going to. In my own situation, D has two clear favorites. She’d be very happy at both. (Her parents would be very happy as well.) All other schools on her list would be compromises, though acceptable, and in the end she’d be happy there as well.</p>
<p>So, when the list is down to two, how do you decide? In our case, FA is not a consideration, and there’s no point in applying. D says of her ED2 school, that if it weren’t for her ED1 school, the ED2 school would be ED1. The ED1 school is very selective and applying ED gives a definite advantage, even if some of those spots are going to athletes, which no one really knows. Her best shot at getting in to one of her top 2 schools is to go ED1. On the other hand, ED2 is also very selective, but more of a match. ED2 would give her a bit of a leg up into one of her Top 2, so it’s worth doing. </p>
<p>So why not make ED2 her ED1 school? Because D has said that getting into ED2 without taking a shot at ED1 would always have her wondering if she could have gotten into the other school. Not so the way she’s got it structured, she wants a straight up or down decision from ED1, so she can move on. In other words, deferral from ED1 is the nightmare scenario - then she doesn’t know what to do. Discrete phone calls will have to be placed. But apparently deferral is going to be rare in her case, there’s nothing more to be learned from waiting.</p>
<p>MrMom - I don’t see an issue in what seems a well thought out plan. Your D will have no regrets walking away from ED2 if selected ED1 (and FA is not a concern) then there’s no conflict. I do see the hiccup if ED1 comes back a deferral and not a clear decision. I’ll hope for one or the other so your DD can be done or move on to ED2.</p>
<p>Financial aid offers are rarely black or white. They are more likely to be varying shades of gray: School A offers more aid, but a higher percentage of loans; School B offers less aid, but doesnÂ’t require loans; School C offers less aid, but includes a very generous work study offer; School D doesnÂ’t include work study. And the list can go on and on!</p>
<p>And you may decide that your student likes School X enough that youÂ’re willing to take on some financial hardship to make it possible, even though the offer at School Y was much more generous.</p>
<p>None of this comparison is possible if your student applies ED. If the offer your students gets is generous, well, then, no problem. But if it’s not . . . well, what do you do? Take a chance on saying “no” and waiting for a better offer in April? What if it turns out the ED offer was the best one you got?</p>
<p>And the other advantage to April is that if two comparable schools come up with wildly different offers, you might be able to use the offer from School R to convince School S to be more generous. No guarantee of success . . . but itÂ’s not something you can even attempt when you only have one offer on the table.</p>
<p>In general I agree with dodgersmom although I would soften some positions. Most (all?) ED applications allow for concurrent applications to public colleges and rolling admissions. If an applicant has an acceptance from a safety in December, and hopefully even a merit scholarship as well, it can help put the ED offer in perspective.</p>
<p>Still, if FA is a major consideration, the decision to apply ED becomes far more complicated - and less appealling.</p>