<p>What b@r!um said above would not happen...we would never penalize students for the actions of other applicants. </p>
<p>If you apply ED, you sign an early decision agreement, which is, essentially, a contract. No school would take legal action against you if you broke it - that's just absurd. However, schools do send out lists of their ED acceptances to peer institutions - schools they usually share applicants with. NESCAC does it, I <em>believe</em> the Ivies do it. Many LACs do it. If you are admitted ED somewhere and do not withdraw your <em>completed</em> application from other places, you could risk getting decisions from all schools rescinded. </p>
<p>Most colleges and universities respect the ED agreements of other institutions and take the agreement seriously, but there are some schools that ignore them...not cool. </p>
<p>Also, if you are admitted ED to an institution that has an honor code, not respecting the ED contract could be in direct violation of it...</p>
<p>One thing to keep in mind about ED...you are bound to the institution if admitted, and you need to have a VERY ligitimate reason for breaking your agreement. Finances/financial aid is certainly the most common one. However, if you have applied ED to, say, an Ivy or another school that is need-blind and meets 100% of each student's need, you really shouldn't have anything to worry about - these schools are pretty clear to applicants about their financial aid calculations and if, for whatever reason, you think they missed something about your family's financial circumstances, you can always ask them to consider whatever it is you think they've missed. These schools are serious about their commitment to making their campuses affordable for all and will work with you.</p>
<p>You should also estimate your EFC and see if you are comfortable with that amount because when you apply ED that likely determines the finaid package you will receive.
A lot of people apply ED, then check out finaid and say they cannot afford their EFC and so they must back out. In that instance I do not think it would be a valid excuse. If your EFC is too high for you then you should not apply ED and rather apply to some similar schools and compare packages.</p>
<p>Many most selective colleges - like the NEASCACs, Ivies, and other LACs - don't just look at the EFC from the FAFSA...most also require the CSS Profile, which provides the colleges with a much more detailed picture of your family's financial situation; the Profile asks questions about home equity, mortgage payments, outstanding debts, etc...,. In addition, a lot of places will also take into account the cost of living in your area with respect to your family's income. </p>
<p>Looking at EFC can give you a ballpark figure, but depending on the schools you are looking at, your family's contribution can vary greatly (or not...). Your best bet is to call the school you are interested in applying ED to and ask detailed questions about how they determine your family's contribution to your education. Some schools will work very, very closely with you and your family if you have any questions, concerns, or special circumstances that can affect your ability to pay for college. Don't be afraid to call schools you are interested in and ask questions about their admissions and financial aid processes!</p>
<p>I fully understand the ethical and moral and perhaps legally-binding nature of ED. But, back to the OP's question: given the nature of federal privacy laws and sometimes more restrictive state privacy laws (such as in California), how can NESCAC share the ED acceptances unless the applicant signs a piece of paper approving of such sharing? (I sure don't remember any such document in the application file....)</p>
<p>My understanding of the federal and state privacy laws that currently apply to the sharing of information of applicants only applies to their personal information - gender, race, address, phone number, etc... - it does not apply to the decisions schools make. As there is no sharing of personal info, I do not believe this practice is in violation of any such laws...in addition, none of the information is being shared publicly. Is there a specific law you are thinking of?</p>
<p>I spent some time crusin the web for definitions of privacy. I found this definition -- </p>
<p>Privacy is the expectation that confidential personal information disclosed in a private place will not be disclosed to third parties, when that disclosure would cause either embarrassment or emotional distress to a person of reasonable sensitivities. Information is interpreted broadly to include facts, images (e.g., photographs, videotapes), and disparaging opinions.</p>
<p>I am not very legally savvy but I think sharing this type of private info could constitute violation of the privacy laws. </p>
<p>Assume you are a recruited athlete You apply ED to school #1 and RD to school #2. -- you have spoken to the coaches at both schools. You do not tell the coach at school #2 you are applying ED to school #1. </p>
<p>You receive admission to school #1. (Assume we are talking ED#2 and the sport is a winter sport). Assume you are busy with school and your sport continues to advance in the playoffs. Assume the coach at school II is also busy with playoffs. </p>
<p>With both schedules, you are having a hard time getting hold of the coach.<br>
You reach the coach at school II a few weeks after you receive your ed II letter. He already knows your are going to school #1 because of the info sharing. Under the listed definition, wouldn't this constitute a violation of the privacy laws.</p>
<p>FERPA is very restrictive regarding release of data of any sort. In that vein, (I believe, since I am not a lawyer) I can request to my university to keep all of my data private, to the extent that the school can not even confirm to a 3rd party that I attend or that I even have a database record of any sort. Moreover, they have to give a reasonable amount of time for me to request this prior to releasing any public data.</p>
<p>Now whether this applies to admissions I dunno. My guess is that so many universities do ED/EA that their lawyers would have raised red flags at some point if there were a problem (since admissions offices tend to be very legal-conscious, for good reason)</p>
<p>There are numerous discussion about ED here. Many people have argued that if a student breaks the ED contract by applying to colleges after being accepted, with his/her guidance counselor's knowledge, future students at the high school who apply to this college could be "punished." </p>
<p>However, Ad Officer did confirm that colleges do share names of accepted students, another oft-repeated and questioned practice.</p>
<p>Thanks again for your imput, Ad Officer. It really is great to get this information from someone in the trenches.</p>
<p>In general, what concerns me is how many students seem to want the "benefits" of ED without its drawbacks, and so look for a way to get out of the contract. If all students applied ED with the intent of not abiding with its rules, then it wouldn't take long for colleges to abandon it. If you don't like the rules of ED, then don't apply. </p>
<p>Or, how would you feel if you were accepted ED and then the college writes you a letter in March that said, "we have so many great applicants applying this year that are better than you, we've decided to rescind your acceptance so we can take one of them instead." That would be breaking their part of the ED agreement. Why is it OK for you to break it and not them?</p>
<p>I am a lawyer, and to the best of my knowledge, the names of students attending or accepted to a particular school is not confidential. Privacy laws protect your personal, confidential information. Your name, and possibly even your address, are not confidential.</p>
<p>One of the most stringently applied privileges is the attorney-client privilege. Attorneys cannot be compelled to reveal things their clients tell them (absent a few special circumstances). However, and contrary to most television programs, the fact of representation and the identity of the client are not privileged and can be disclosed in all situations, and disclosure can be compelled.</p>
<p>My guess would also be that there is something in the ED election that permits release of the names of accepted students.</p>
<p>There are many schools today that have very clear policies on financial aid if your family earns less then a certain amount. In those cases, applying ED should be "safe" because if you fall within those guidelines it is pretty much guaranteed. However, many families are in that "other" category where it really matters and may vary wildly. In those cases I know my school strongly suggests that you do not apply ED. </p>
<p>There are other ways to let a school know it's your first choice other then ED, and I think that a good conseler can explain that you would have loved to have applied there ED but were genuinely concerned about the aid. Colleges respect and understand this, and if they want you they may make that aid package better. If your school doesn't get that involved, you can always send a first choice letter, and explain your situation. Schools do hate to be burned by ED admits who withdraw, because they are counting on those numbers.</p>
<p>The issue really is not the requirements for accepting place for early decision but just how much info is shared between colleges and the rights of the student.</p>
<p>Regarding regular decision -- do colleges also share info regarding receipt of deposit money?</p>
<p>One of the schools we looked at that had a binding ED contract informed us that there are students, of course, who try to play the multiple ED game. This school, which also has a law school, dental school, med school, pharmacy school (get the picture?), told the kids at the admit meeting ... don't expect to get into any of these at their university if you break the ED contract. They take it very seriously.</p>
<p>I already posted this on the first page, but:</p>
<p>If I remember correctly, my matriculation card had on the back a list of 30 some top private colleges that are in an agreement where once you send a deposit check to one, you cannot send a deposit to another school. The other school will not accept it (basically to prevent someone from locking in with Cornell as a backup while waiting on Harvard's waitlist). I guess the only way to do this would be to share where you send your deposit.</p>
<p>Just want to clarify: If you are on a waitlist, you are free to send a deposit to any other school that has accepted you while you wait for the waitlist news. (In fact, you SHOULD deposit elsewhere). After you get off the waitlist, notify the first school immediately.</p>
<p>However, you are not allowed to send two deposits to other schools under circumstances other than being waitlisted while you "make up your mind." Many schools take double-depositing very seriously, and can/will rescind your admission if they find out you've done so. So, it's not a good idea.</p>
<p>If, for some reason, you absolutely can't make up your mind by May 1 - say, for instance, you're waiting on a financial aid appeal from one school - contact the schools on your list and ask for an extension of the deadline. Many will give you one. But, don't double deposit!</p>
<p>Or, how would you feel if you were accepted ED and then the college writes you a letter in March that said, "we have so many great applicants applying this year that are better than you, we've decided to rescind your acceptance so we can take one of them instead." That would be breaking their part of the ED agreement. Why is it OK for you to break it and not them?
</p>
<p>Exactly. The posters here want to get of ED while stilling enjoying the benefits of it. They want all the benefits but none of the drawbacks; even citing legal loopholes lol. Does this seem fair to the ED colleges?</p>
<p>On the other hand, my child applied and was admitted to one school ED. She loves that school and a few days later wrote to the other schools to which she had applied withdrawing her applications. One school, which accepted her on a rolling admissions plan before EA decisions were released, still refuses to acknowledge that my daughter wrote and emailed them that she is attending a different school. This school keeps bombarding our whole family with promotional material and invitations; it seems as though the school is trying to convince her to go there and deliberately ignorning her commitment. Two other institutions only last week changed their "Check Your Application," web pages to show that my daughter has withdrawn her applications. </p>
<p>My daughter is still a little nervous that somehow the ED school will get information suggesting she is unethical this way; her guidance counselor said she should not worry. ANyone else have this problem?</p>
<p>I think you're daughter's OK (particularly if she's kept a copy of the letter withdrawing the other applications). This happened to a friend's d last year - she withdrew her applications. One of the schools from which she had withdrawn sent her an admissions letter anyway, and awarded her merit money and financial aid! And kept after her to come to that school. I don't think they were actually asking her to break her ED commitment; I think more than likely the withdrawal slipped through the cracks.</p>
<p>There was no problem. My friend's d sent in the postcard rejecting the admission, and is happily finishing up her freshman year at her ED school.</p>
<p>Your d may want to send the rolling admissions school their own form declining the offer of admissions, and get it over with. And keep a copy of that form. (Of course, that doesn't mean that the school won't still keep sending you stuff!)</p>
<p>You actually have two potential sources of the info of an ED acceptance being provided to another college to which you applied: (a) colleges sharing ED acceptance names, and (b) your high school (usually your counselor) informing colleges to which you applied that you have been accepted ED at a college.</p>
<p>Privacy laws generally prohibit information in your file from being shared with others but there are exceptions for revealing basic identifying info such as name and address and whether you are a student at (or have been accepted as an applicant to) the college, i.e., colleges can share ED admittance lists.</p>