ED or EA? In regards to merit money

Paying for College
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<p>My child is quite interested in a particular LAC that is not a reach for him. His ACT is 2 points above their average range, GPA is above as well. He has been offered an 'early read' and came back with decent merit dollars. This is based off of ED app. </p>

<p>However, he is also interested in a few other schools, with equally good programs. Not reaches either.</p>

<p>Question is, why would one apply ED to a non reach LAC? I would just like him to have the full rest of the year to do some accepted student visitations, and be SURE that this is where he wants to be.</p>

<p>Is there any reason, in regards to MERIT AID, to apply ED? Will that package be more than EA?</p>

<p>He is planning on a MD path, and resources need to be used wisely. </p>

<p>Thanks so much for any thoughts on this!</p>

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<p>Generally, ED merit aid is less; you are guaranteed to come. Schools will use merit money to lure students with good stats to their incoming class.</p>

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<p>Your question confused me. I only know of a few schools that offer both ED and EA, it is usually one or the other. Some schools that offer non-binding EA require/strongly suggest that the student apply early to get merit aid. A couple that come to mind from our previous experiences are Boston College and U of Rochester. Schools with rolling admissions often give merit aid with acceptance, so it is important to apply early to those. It doesn’t sound like your child needs to apply ED if he is well qualified and has several schools he is interested in.</p>

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<p>ED and EA are different.</p>

<p>For EA accepted students, you still have until May 1 to accept the enrollment offer AND you can continue to apply to other colleges too.</p>

<p>For ED, you will be given a very small window of time to accept (or not) that ED offer.</p>

<p>You mention that finances are a significant consideration. That being the case, I would suggest your kiddo apply RD to all of his schools…EA to any that have this option, and not ED anywhere.</p>

<p>Simply put…when you get that ED offer and the ED financial aid offer, you will have to say YES (or no) within a very short time. The ED offer could be the best your student will receive…or it might be the worst. You won’t be able to compare to see because you will have to make that decision based on ONE offer only.</p>

<p>I’m not hearing that your kiddo loves one of these schools far and away more than any of the others. Usually ED applicants apply ED because that school is the one that is at the tippy top of their list.</p>

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<p>The common wisdom is that there’s no reason to waste merit money on a kid who’s already committed to attend (the ED applicant).</p>

<p>You want the best merit offers you can get? Apply ASAP to any rolling admissions schools on your list, make sure you don’t miss the early deadlines for any endowed scholarships . . . and then wait for the results in April!</p>

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<p>dodgersmom, yes, being from a sales background, i concur, why waste merit $ on a kid that is committed, and I am sure the financial package that makes it reasonable, or however they determine the financial ‘out’ on a ED is probably pretty extreme. and thanks for the scholarship tips.</p>

<p>thumper, at this point, this LAC is the top of his short list. I would hate to assume anything, with college apps. He SHOULD be an easy admit, but who knows. Financial is a part of the decision, I would NOT say the deciding factor, unless we are looking at instate public vs. private with no merit aid. ($20 vs. $50) One would have to consider that difference. I would hate him to NOT get in based on not doing ED, as “offered” through the early read by his admissions person. Altho I would think these people have goals to meet, percentages to keep of their own. It is all sales.</p>

<p>mama, it is odd that it has ed and ea, but that is true. I don’t know quite how this is all played, as I said above. This IS his number one choice, altho still early in his senior year, and a recent visit to another school did impress him (and me!). Much more affordable, good campus vibe, etc. But, I would hate to have him not get accepted. I just think so much can change during a senior year, when the reality of college is not glossy mailers, but down and dirty moving to a new place, etc. And would like him to be able to attend an accepted students day at a school or two. But, without being a reach, I can’t understand why it makes sense, unless for some (odd and illogical) reason, merit aid is better to ed than ea. Some kind of ‘reward’ for those truly committed. At this point he would do ed to just be done with it all, but I just don’t see the logic.</p>

<p>mamainva, yes, my logic exactly!! </p>

<p>Thanks all, really appreciate the input. I have just heard TOO many stories of kids changing their minds in the spring of senior year and want to stay a bit closer to home. So, I gather I am correct in saying that, in GENERAL…“no reason to do ED for a match school … merit money is generally better EA or RD than ED.”</p>

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<p>bump, any other thoughts?? we got a small package, but at an in state public, which sure makes that a deal!!! visiting another generous private LAC this weekend, so that will give us an idea of his competitiveness with merit aid at privates. interesting business, this college ap stuff</p>

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<p>Doesn’t sound like your child needs to apply ED to this school…it’s not a reach.</p>

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<p>thanks, mom2…it was just their ‘early read’ financial merit offer that said based on ED. But I am with you, and he is not 100% on this school. Still number one, but he realizes his goals can be met a number of ways. (schools). thanks.</p>

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<p>besides, with the tight window on an ED response, we couldn’t compare offers. I just learn SO MUCH here, thanks all!!</p>

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<p>we got a small package, but at an in state public, which sure makes that a deal!!!</p>

<p>What are your hopes for “net cost” after merit? I know that you have a younger child who will be going to college in a couple of years and may not get much/any merit. So, are you looking to minimize costs for S1 because you think you might be full or near-full pay for S2? (not a criticism, I know that some families do have to strategize like this because of the realities of different children’s merit capabilities)</p>

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Because it really truly is the students #1 choice to attend? Not all ED apps are put in with the intent of increasing admission chances. </p>

<p>That being said, if budget is an issue I would not recommend ED. And I understand the logic behind statements that ED FA offers are probably lower but I haven’t seen any data to prove that.</p>

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<p>mom2, yes, you are right on the family size issue. Cost and VALUE are the issues, why pay 50 to 60 IF YOU DON"T HAVE TO for college, and he is a kid who could be happy in a number of places. no special needs. premed, so no specific major needed, could choose from a variety. and, I am not really trying to get S1 in cheap as S2 will not get merit aid. But am aware of medical school costs in addition for him, and hate him/us to be saddled with mounting debt due to this long term picture. I don’t have a $ goal in mind.</p>

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<p>erin’s dad. I think right now it IS his number one choice, altho he wants to see another LAC soon, and will spend a night in the dorm, etc, at a state school he is interested in, this fall. the thing about ED, too, is the date is so early to make that decision, november, and he is still considering options as of september. I will say this, however…if LAC #1 is not moderately discounted ($20k -ish), then he will most likely opt for the instate public. $200,000+ for undergrad PLUS another $200,000 for med school is NOT in the cards for D1.</p>

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<p>Cost and VALUE are the issues, why pay 50 to 60 IF YOU DON"T HAVE TO for college, and he is a kid who could be happy in a number of places. no special needs. premed, so no specific major needed, could choose from a variety</p>

<p>I totally understand. My S2 took a near full ride for undergrad, so we’re paying for his med school (although we lucked out a bit there, too, since his med school surprised him in July with a merit scholarship that covers half of tuition). We didn’t want him to have a mountain of debt, either.</p>

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<p>But these schools definitely exist – Dickinson, where my D1 attended, is one of them. She applied in the EA round and was accepted with merit, ended up attending and having a great experience.</p>

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<p>My son will be in a similar situation. </p>

<p>Are there any actual data to show that aid offered to the regular decision admit is commonly higher than the amount of aid offered to the student admitted ED?</p>

<p>Not what makes sense intuitively, not conventional wisdom. Data - even if it’s anecdotal.</p>

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<p>I’ve always heard that too here, but have never seen any real data. My S applied ED and was awarded the highest scholarship his school offers, but the website lists the scholarship levels and the criteria are clearly defined - test scores and class rank. It seems many schools have some mystery to the scholarship awards, so no one can really know how they are awarded.</p>

<p>Interesting, intparent. Elon is the other school I have heard of that had both.</p>

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<p>Snowdog…</p>

<p>There really couldn’t be accurate data available, because each student has a different financial situation.</p>

<p>It may be that more affluent students apply ED because FA isn’t a concern, and maybe a good number of poor students apply ED because they know they’ll get great aid.</p>

<p>Maybe more “in the middle” students apply RD because they need to compare pkgs.</p>

<p>Logic suggests that a school would be less likely to give merit to ED students because the school knows that they’re the #1 choice. Schools don’t give merit to be “nice”. They do it as a marketing tool.</p>

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<p>That’s my point. What logic suggests is sometimes disproven (or confirmed) by research and facts. </p>

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<p>We are talking here about merit aid. There certainly are data, but they are not generated by student applicants. Do you really think college admissions and aid officers do not know whether they are offering ED or RD students the same aid, or not? I know there are finaid officers active on CC. I doubt any will divulge this information but I would love to know if the conventional wisdom dispensed on this topic (the “why should the college buy the cow if it is getting the milk for free” logic - how dated is that) is in fact accurate.</p>