<p>This forum has some very knowledgeable posters who shed a great deal of light on the admissions process.</p>
<p>One area that remains a mystery to me is the advantage gained by applying ED to a top school. </p>
<p>Some posters point to the relative admission rates for ED and RD and say that the impact is huge.</p>
<p>Others say that the advantage is illusory. They argue that one must discount the ED acceptance rate to account for the admission of recruited athletes, legacies and developmentals, and then factor in the relative strength of the balance of the ED applicant pool. </p>
<p>What is the reality? Does the necessary "discounting" of the ED admission rate bring the true rate all the way down to the RD rate? Have there been any studies done that weigh all these considerations? </p>
<p>Such a study would have to include scores (at least) of all those who applied in each round, percent admitted, etc.</p>
<p>Because it is indeed double edged process. Some less qualified students will apply ED thinking they have a higher chance, but at the same time strong students will also prefer to go ED. So it pretty much averages back up to the RD round stats.
The REAL edge of ED comes with geographical diversity. Two good students from the same school have greater chances getting admitted if applying ED to different schools, then they would have if applying RD to the same ones. In the latter case, chances are the better student will get accepted everywhere (or most places), while the other will be left out.</p>
<p>I know this pretty much will break friendships and stuff, but so it goes. Last year I had to part from my 4 best friends, because we all ED at different schools, to increase our chances.</p>
<p>Well applying ED means you're committing to the school, which means a smaller applicant pool, and colleges LOVE to increase their yield numbers and stuff and also ED is a HUGE way to show interest in the school...I mean come on you're legally contracting to go if you're accepted. And in the RD round there are more people and they're limited by the number of spots left over from ED...I mean if a college wanted to fill the entire class with ED applicants they can. Look at NYU for example. There's 3000 ED applicants, out of which ~1500 are accepted vs. 34000 RD applicants and ~8000 accepted (to get about a 37% yield to fill ~3000 spots). And if NYU felt like it, they could accept all 3000 ED applicants, but most schools don't really do that.</p>
<p>At schools that have to worry about yield, ED can be a big boost. At ivies and other top schools, IMO it's not a boost for the unhooked. It's when they take kids they know they'll compete with better schools for in the Rd round, athletes, legacies and development candidates.</p>
<p>Suze, If my s knows he is applying ed to a certain school, should he tell the coaches of other schools who are recruiting him?They have sent emails asking things like are you going ed to your first choice? This is all division 111.
I worry if he doesn't get into the dream school that he will have burned bridges else where.but he needs to answer the emails.</p>