ED loophole?!?

Applying to College
1

<p>I was just randomly thinking about this this morning, but aren't minors not allowed to legally enter into a contract? And couldn't the early decision agreement be considered a contract?</p>

<p>Therefore I am just wondering if you are under 18 when you apply somewhere and you get in, are you able to get out of the binding agreement by saying that the contract was never valid in the first place? </p>

<p>Please let me know if I am wrong, but I think this could potentially be a loophole around the ED process...</p>

2

<p>Guardians are also required to sign the ED agreement.</p>

3

<p>Also your guidance counselor, who has responsibility for future ED applicants, isn’t going to abide by anyone’s scheming. They will suffer the consequences and won’t assist either.</p>

<p>Now go outside and play nice.</p>

4

<p>Technically you are correct that a person under 18 who enters into a contract such as one for ED can legally void that contract (it is not an invalid contract but just one that allows the minor to choose not to have it enforced). That is why colleges usually also require your parents signature (and counselor’s signature) under which they agree to make sure you will comply which are binding agreements. In the general scheme of things, the agreement is a “moral” commitment that you are expected to follow but colleges generally allow students to back out of ED particularly if it will be too much of a financial burder for the parents. Overall, most students are honorable persons not looking for a way to game the system.</p>

5

<p>ok haha. that all makes sense. I’m prob not applying ed anyway, but i was just wondering. thanks everybody</p>

6

<p>ED is an honor system agreement; nothing legal is involved. It’s not a contract. But there can be consequences if you renege for other than financial reasons.</p>

7

<p>If you’re trying to find loopholes in the ED agreement, then you’re probably missing the point of ED.</p>

8

<p>Can’t you renege on the ED contract if there is no way you can pay to attend?</p>

9

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<p>Yes, but technically you’re only supposed to apply to a school in a binding agreement if you know that you will be able to pay for it.</p>

10

<p>“Yes, but technically you’re only supposed to apply to a school in a binding agreement if you know that you will be able to pay for it.”</p>

<p>Nonsense; where have you ever seen that? Here’s the part of the Common App ED agreement that deals with financial aid:

<a href=“https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/docs/downloadforms/ED_Agreement.pdf[/url]”>https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/docs/downloadforms/ED_Agreement.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>How can anyone applying for FA know that they’ll get enough? The calculators can help, but there’s no way to know for sure. That’s why this release exists; you say thanks but no thanks, and apply RD elsewhere.</p>

11

<p>The most common reason for students backing out of ED is the parents’ recognition that even with the financial aid provided, the cost is still too much. The reason most colleges usually provide a financial estimate at or shortly after issuing the ED decision is to allow that financial decision to be made so the student can back out of ED and accept elsewhere if it is inadequate. So colleges anticipate that they may have to release the student if it is not affordable and do not discourage applications based on the aaplicant’s assumption that it will be unaffordable.</p>