Early Decision - does it give any advantage?

College Majors Musical Theater Major
1

I see that there are a lot of posts out there re: ED, but most are several years old, and I didn’t want to necro an ancient thread.

I’ve watched all of CAC’s YouTube videos, one of which suggests that you apply to your “target” school last, after you’ve been through several rounds of auditions and have gotten comfortable with the process.

That makes a whole lot of sense, but what if the “target” school offers ED auditions before most other schools on your list offer regular auditions (or before Unifieds)?

Does auditioning ED (i.e., a strong firm commitment to the school very early in the audition season) really give any appreciable advantage in terms of admissions? Or are you better-served waiting until later to audition to your target school, after you’ve gone through several auditions and are “warmed up”?

In short, how much advantage does auditioning ED give you, if any at all?

I know that answer can vary based on the student, or a specific set of facts, but I am wondering what the general consensus is.

Thanks!

2

@squirk. D auditioned ED but she auditioned earlier at other schools so the targeted school was not her first. And, those initial auditions helped calm the nerves. ?

3

Thanks. I have a few years to worry about the issue, but I still wonder if ED really does give you any kind of appreciable advantage.

Did your D get into her target?

4

It was an an advantage for D since she got in. ? But, seriously, I don’t know numbers for ED acceptances vs RD acceptances. I am sure there is a more knowledgeable parent that can lend insight on percentages.

5

My D applied and was accepted ED to Syracuse for acting. It was a blessing to be done and committed by December 17th. She received a great scholarship/ grant package too. I don’t know if ED had any real advantages but it was worth it on our end.

6

@squirk My DS didn’t do ED at any schools so I don’t have personal experience, but here’s what I think. (I don’t really know - not sure any of us really knows unless they work at one of the schools.) Anyway - schools seem to want to accept kids that really want to be there. When you apply ED, you are committing to taking the offer if it’s given. I think there may be a stipulation on finances, but generally - if offered, you can’t consider other college offers. It is the ultimate show of desire to be at the school and commitment to saying yes to their offer. As a result - that seems like a point in your favor. Of course, it still comes down to audition and admission criteria.

7

Yes, my understanding of ED is that you are committed to attending if an offer is extended to you unless the financial aid package isn’t sufficient.

It makes sense that making that upfront commitment would only work in your favor. But does auditioning for your target school last (as part of RD) work more in your favor? You won’t have the advantage of ED, but you will have the advantage of being far more experienced with the audition process and far more comfortable with your material.

I guess with sufficient coaching and mock auditions in the spring and summer before senior year, you can be quite comfortable walking into an ED audition in October/November.

I really never dreamed the MT application/audition process would be so complex…

8

I don’t know if it gives you a competitive advantage per se. But it is certainly advantageous from a logistical standpoint if your kid has a dream school and gets in early. My S applied to Tisch ED and was over the moon to be accepted and to not have to go through the rest of the audition season was a huge relief.