<p>Not going the ED route here either. Now on #4, DS is possibly considering SCEA but knowing him its not likely. His older sibs didn't ED either and the range in packages from the numerous schools varied up to $15,000 per year.</p>
<p>Not taking into account grants vs. loans vs. higher expected family contribution. Which can happen at the "meet 100%" need schools.</p>
<p>SCEA would impede some of his other school choices of regular EA but wanting a more specialized program/school vs. univeristy acceptance.</p>
<p>He figures he can make anyplace work (no falling in love with a school here, he's just not the type) and since he can make it work, he'd like to make it work for less out of his pocket!</p>
<p>But I can see the definite benefit for having decisions sewn up early and no more waiting. But hey, if we didn't have chaos up to the last minute it just wouldn't be our family.</p>
<p>Even DD#2 (kiddo #3) didn't ED as a D1 recruit, even when expressely asked to by several coaches and admin staff. Her apps were in early (which probably didn't help the situation) but she just wasn't going to do that.</p>
<p>I really think it is up to each different student and their very individualized needs.</p>
<p>As to having second thoughts and staying closer to home, DD and DS would need to APPLY to a school close to home or even in our STATE. But NOOOOOOOOOOO, she had to go 2500+ miles away. sniff, sniff.</p>
<p>Hopefully, DS will send his app to UNC-CH and Duke. I hope he does.</p>
<p>Good luck everyone and especially the kiddos!</p>
<p>There was absolutely no way I could take the financial risk on ED. Not getting the SCEA bid did add some stress, but it turned out for the better, both in school choice (she declined her SCEA school after weighing RD acceptances) and in FA.</p>
<p>Seems to me that EA was designed for you. Lets your D express interest without the risk of second guessing yourself for the next 6 months. I don't know your D's exact stats, nor Earlham's exact criteria, but I definitely got the impression that a well rounded application plus a strong desire to attend were the keys to gaining acceptance. We did visit Earlham and it seemed like the perfect place for the kids who wanted to be there.... if that statement means anything!</p>
<p>We just visited several schools in the northeast earlier this month. S's number one choice is still his number one choice and he plans to apply ED. Especially for his sport, the coach(es) really would like to see the commitment. He does have a great safety lined up that he loves, but his chances of playing his sport at that school are far less likely :( . Let's just hope ED will be kind to us!</p>
<p>dstark, sorry :o<br>
The schools we visited are all ones which I'm sure have been written up a zillion times (MIT, Tufts, Dartmouth, Columbia, etc). </p>
<p>I did do a thread on Gonzaga (couldn't find one already in existence) a couple months ago :)</p>
<p>I thought it was OK. Actually, I liked it just a little bit less than I thought I would. But, I'm not the one who would be going there ;) . S did like it a lot, and will probably apply there if he doesn't get into his ED school. </p>
<p>Funny story: our student tour guide said he was from Dallas (allegedly), but I thought his accent sounded more like JFK ;)</p>
<p>For what it is worth, my S1, who is leaving for Brown on Wednesday, revealed the other day that he has second-guessed himself EVERY DAY since May 1!! I just hope and pray it will all be well, and I keep reminding him that even though it will not be PERFECT, as no college is, it will be good, and he will be glad of his choice. And then I tell him, honey, if it doesn't work, you can transfer.</p>
<p>This is so hard, especially as kids begin the process of breaking away. You are fortunate and wise that your DD did explore the world of Earlham this summer, and will have a clearer sense of what she is doing as a result. EA sounds like a good plan to me right now!</p>
<p>
[quote]
Just OK! Why would anybody go 3,000 miles for just ok? Is your son being recruited?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>As I said, he thought it was better than OK :D . I just meant for me, I liked some others better. But I would be happy if that's where he ended up going. </p>
<p>The purpose of our trip was twofold: S also went to a showcase camp in NJ and was seen by many coaches; 4 of them were from schools he was interested in. After visiting campuses, he's tossed 2 of them from his list, but 2 remain (Tufts is one). And we did speak with the coach at Tufts. :)</p>
<p>momofthree: As a parent of a Brown grad, I'm curious about your son's misgivings. Did he get in ED, and/or will he be far from home? Or are there other issues that have made him have doubts about his decision?</p>
<p>My daughter is determined to apply ED to her (highly selective) first choice school and not apply to any others unless she gets rejected or deferred. Last week, I was at a meeting at her school (she had a golf match and couldn't attend) where they said all apps need to be in the college office by 11/15. Of course, I am happy about that because I know it is the practical way to go. She said she's going to talk to her GC, because "why should we waste all that money on application fees?". Hmmm, she's never been concerned about spending money before...</p>
<p>The way we (and others) handled this issue was to give rec forms to teachers and GC but asked them to hold onto them until after we'd heard the outcome of the EA application. We did not make out any check except for the EA application and one more which was due on the same day we heard the outcome of the EA application.<br>
Most of the rec forms are the same and much of the information should be filled out by the applicant. The teachers can append their narrative to the forms, and chances are they will write a single narrative for multiple recs for the same applicant, so they have that on file on their computer from the ED/EA application. When my S found out he'd been admitted EA, he told his teachers and GC to ignore the rest of the rec forms he'd given them. The only expense (besides time spent filling out forms and addressing envelopes) was the stamps.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice, but my daughter is not really concerned about the money (she is applying to a $43K/year school with no possible aid). She is just trying to get out of filling out the apps. I would like her to have them ready "just in case".</p>
<p>Donemom, I think it is nothing about Brown, but more about the fact of leaving to go to a completely different kind of environment: we live in a small southern town with an LAC. I'll PM you with details.</p>
<p>Audiophile, understood. Still, it's nice to be able to save a couple of hundred dollars in application fees.<br>
My S filled out the rec forms in one go. Several used the Common App, so he filled out one form online and printed out several copies to give to teachers and GC. He had everything done in October for the Nov.1 deadline (except the essays fo RD applications). When my older S applied to colleges RD, one of his teacher warned the students that she would not write recs if the request was made after Thanksgiving.</p>
<p>Good point. I'll tell her if she's so concerned about the $, we'll hold off on sending the checks until she hears from the ED. If she's worried about her school's $2/transcript fee, I'll tell her to skip a couple of Starbucks trips on the way home to cover it. ;)</p>
<p>I am not a big fan of ED's because I think they are misused so much...people think that it will give them a huge advantage and it doesn't always..which can make Christmas a little less fun. I prefer programs that give you an opportunity to either get an early reading or are not as severe of a committment. I also think the advice last year to get accepted by a safety school with rolling admission does take the edge off of Winter. You have raised a child to be a critical thinker...don't try to out guess, just be their to support their decisions. your pal.</p>
<p>My S's close friend applied EA to her beloved first choice, and was accepted with big merit $$. On a lark, she then applied RD to a top Ivy, and also got in, only was offered even bigger $$. If the $$ had been the same, she would have chosen her first love, but she decided on the Ivy. She had real buyer's remorse for quite awhile (didn't think the farther away Ivy was as academically challenging as true love college), but as the summer progressed she became much more pleased with her decision and is quite excited now. If it had been ED instead of EA, she still would have been happy, and the angst period before and after deciding would not have been there, but neither would the opportunity to make a choice. It seems there are pros and cons to all routes, I think most kids can handle it whichever direction it goes.</p>