<p>I'm sure this has been discussed before, but I could not find it. Does applying ED II give a student the same edge as applying ED I? I realize it will depend on the school, but in general, where does an ED II applicant stand? I know many school take a loarge percentage of their freshman class from the ED canidates, but I didn't know if that would include the ED II applicants.</p>
<p>Pokey, b/c ED is binding, applying ED, whether I or II, indicates that you are committed to attending that particular school if accepted. For some students, perhaps they weren't ready to apply EDI to any school due to the early deadline (fall athletics, for example), and for others, they may have been rejected by their EDI school and decided to apply EDII to their second choice.</p>
<p>The biggest advantage of ED is the binding nature which allows the college to have a good start in KNOWING what kind of class they are going to have. So in that sense ED2 is as advantageous as ED1. The schools who have come up with an ED2 program want it because they want more stability in forming their class and want to improve the yield numbers. The one disadvantage of ED2 is that you lose that "empty room" syndrome that ED1 can have. Adcoms need to fill rooms. When you start with an empty room, your job is to fill and there is a tendency to accept if there are no flags at the beginning of the admissions cycle. As the room starts to fill, you need to compare each candidate with who is already in the room. Since you want diversity in that room, you start becoming less generous with those types already overrepresented. You have only so many science spots, engineering spots and the first violinist and competition level pianist becomes old news after the 1000th one. You may start getting nervous that there are too many east coaster or New Yorkers in the room. Too few of certain other types. So in effect, there comes a point when each subsequent candidate is compared to previous ones. Can't kick out what is already accepted, so you limit types coming in. As the admissions cycle hit its peak, the job changes for admissions officer to rejections officer at the ultra competitive schools as the there are so few spots available. So in that sense, the earlier you apply, the better of you are in most situations. Occaisionally, you can luck out , when a shortage is noticed in an area and your app seredipitously is opened at that moment and you fit that bill. Doubt they are going to sift through the reject pile to compare. To rehash would make the job endless.</p>
<p>Jamimom: your empty room concept is perfect. It also applies to those schools with rolling admissions.</p>
<p>Re ED2: Although it is ostensibly structured to allow kids more time to make their ED choice, I think it also serves the purpose of being a second ED try for those who don't get accepted to their ED1 school. Since not all schools have ED2, it can't be used as a strategy across the board. I believe that schools include both ED1&2 figures in their admission statistics and that they view both equally, except of course, as Jamimom so aptly describes in her "empty room" concept, if they've already covered a specific need. My son was a good example of this. His ED college hadn't accepted a student from his high school for several years. Son applied ED and was accepted. A truly outstanding boy from his high school also applied, but RD. This kid has it all -- grades, sports, scores, EC's, languages, talent -- a shoe-in everywhere. He got accepted, of course. But I often think that had son applied RD they wouldn't have accepted both even though they have very different personalities and talents. If your child is sure about what s/he wants (and if you can afford to gamble on financial aid) then I heartily endorse ED1.</p>
<p>I asked this question on several LAC visits last year. Answer was always ED I and ED II confer the same advantages and applicants are viewed similarly.</p>
<p>reidm,
That's what I was hoping to hear. My daughter was not ready to commit to ED I; she just didn't have enough information on all her school at that time. Over the holiday, she was able to give each school on her list a hard look. We spent a good bit of time doing the pluses and minuses of each school before she really knew which school was for her.</p>
<p>I know she would have been admitted to this school EDI; I'm hoping the same will happen ED II.</p>
<p>Pokey - I know there are fears that the ED II pool at certain schools is a more qualified group than the ED I pool, as unsucessful Ivy/AWS applicants lower their sights slightly. That may be the case, but I believe the only outcome is more kids accepted ED. Some Northeastern LACs fill 40% of their classes with ED (I & II) applicants.</p>
<p>Jamimom's post just down the thread should be archived into a "Best of CC" thread.</p>
<p>Yes, agree. Along with Jamimon's 'college is a halfway house for kids, somewhat like Disneyland before adulthood' post.</p>