Would you ever advise your child to apply ED with no visit (and the schools under consideration are far from home)? Schools not open for visits. We live in state where we are required to quarantine when returning from many other states. It just seems like such a big risk, but given the admissions process is going to be so subjective this year, wondering if ED is just that “something,” that could aid with admissions. Any thoughts?
My D opted not to apply ED anywhere even when it was safe to visit. IMO, you really, really need to know that it’s your favorite, and affordable. I don’t see how you do that without visits.
I admit, I did it decades ago. The academic fit was flawless. The social fit was all wrong. I stuck it out, but my advice to my younger sibs was to visit first.
With that said, you may be able to pick up on the vibe of school if you review social media very carefully. Go beyond admissions’ pages. Teams, Greek life, public posts, etc.
It’s a tough call for sure. It probably depends on how much you need a perfect fit vs how adaptable you are.
As the other posters have said, it’s a VERY personal decision. From my own experience, I applied ED to Brown without having ever visited, mainly due to distance. However, I took advantage of any and every resource I could to learn more about the school, especially given that I didn’t know any alumni: virtual tours (YouTube videos are beneficial, as they tend to provide a pros AND cons to the school,) admissions website, and reading through thread after thread of students’ views of the school. While no school’s ever going to be perfect, I fell in love with the academic freedom posed by the Open Curriculum (as do most Brown undergrads) and the city itself was very similar in-nature to the PNW. However, the city and the curriculum (for context, my HS was extremely laissez-faire when it came to choosing courses, likely due to it being a HUGE public HS) aren’t for everyone. Some questions to ponder are: Apart from academics, will I fit in with the social life here (some schools, such as Vanderbilt, are famous for the large participation in Greek life, though the overall trend at selective schools has been to move away from it,) would I enjoy living in this city for the next four years (see: New Orleans vs. Rochester,) does this school have opportunities and strong advising for graduate school?
If after further research your kid decides that they LOVE a certain school, then I would highly, highly recommend that they apply ED, especially if it’s a selective, private undergrad, as they tend to fill ~1/2 of their class ED. However, you should only do so if ALL of the following are true.
- Your kid LOVES the school and would 110% attend if admitted.
- Your kid's extremely confident that they can present a well thought out and crafted application by the ED deadline, which is typically November 1st.
- You and your family can afford the school if admitted (run the financial aid calculators if applicable.)
Hope that helps! Good luck with admissions!
People used to apply sight unseen all the time in my generation. It was the norm, not the exception. Now there are tremendous resources to aid in the decision. Financial calculators, live info sessions and so much more. You do what you feel comfortable with.
I think personality and attitude make a difference in this decision. Are you generally a “bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” type of person? Or a “should’ve, could’ve, would’ve” type?
Do you believe the biggest factor in a successful college experience is the college or the student themselves?
In my experience, ED works best for those who don’t tend to second guess their decisions, and do plan to seize the day and take advantage of everything college has to offer. If that’s you, I’m not sure an in-person visit is necessary, as long as you’ve gathered as much alternate info as possible.
D20 applied ED to a school she visited 4 times (2 official day-long visits, an interview, and a football game). She was going back and forth with another school that she also visited 4 times. On paper, the schools looked pretty similar and in person, they felt very similar to her. We were just under 3 hours away from both schools so visiting wasn’t terribly difficult and all were day trips. We were just insistent that she be absolutely sure. Both schools were reaches (academically she fit but they have low acceptance rates and we needed FA) but she was able to make meaningful connections with her admissions reps and we felt like she would have a great chance at either one.
I guess that is a long winded way of saying I wouldn’t recommend applying ED somewhere you couldn’t visit. There are such subtle details that can make a difference and you have to be sure it is the right place. You also have to be ok without knowing what would have happened somewhere else. That is the hardest part for us because she had to withdraw her other applications and we will never know what the results would have been. She is really happy with her decision so it was worth it!
Not so long ago, many kids applied to college, got accepted, and stepped on campus for the first time when they moved in.
My D attended a selective LAC and there were a number of ED applicants who never visited campus. Among them, her current boyfriend, who lives about six hours from the college, several international students, and various other friends who just knew they wanted to go there.
These days, with so many resources available, if a student does their homework, they are going to have a pretty clear idea of a school being right for them. Most kids bloom where they are planted.
I am sure it’s really hard to make a decision without visiting, but, there is no guarantee visiting is going to be possible in the spring either. If it’s a very selective school, I do think that this coming season will be super competitive because many kids won’t be submitting test scores and will have curtailed EC’s. The adcoms will have a harder time deciding who gets in, and I think students will submit more apps this year to hedge their bets.
If I were a student, I’d be reading the Fiske Guide, which I still believe is the single best resource for capturing the essence of a college. I’d be looking at Instagram and Facebook, YouTube, Niche and Uni Go, College Data, and of course, anything official that the school offers in terms of virtual tours, virtual info sessions, interviews, QA sessions, and the whole shebang.
No Ed for either kid. They wanted to know all their options first then select a college.
@SchoolNews: With all of the information available to students and parents on the internet & in publications such as the Fiske Guide To Colleges, EDing for an admissions advantage is fine. After all, even a visit to a school campus can create an impression that may change after matriculating.
Part of growing up is learning to adapt to different and often unexpected developments.
Applying ED may give a more significant advantage this admissions cycle because it is the strongest indicator of an applicant’s interest in a particular school since visiting is currently difficult.
@SchoolNews So which school is it?
I wouldn’t have any problem with it if it were truly child-driven AND I knew my kid were adaptable and had an optimistic outlook on life.
Agree with @murray93 and @3SailAway that if your kid is the sort who can bloom anywhere, assuming you are either full pay or full need, ED without a visit makes sense. If fit or finances aren’t simple, I wouldn’t ED.
Or if a kid really isn’t sure, or feels they want options, don’t ED. Neither of my kids did because neither of them was sure about a particular school.
How old are folks who didn’t do any college visits back in the day? I’m 50 and at my school, we all did college road trips. I vividly remember going with my mom to visit schools. There was only one school I applied to that I didn’t visit because my GC told me I should add another school and we couldn’t fit it in.
OP- I would research the heck out of the school if ED’ing without visiting. Analyze the 4 year course curriculum with a fine tooth comb. What does first year look like? What’s the advising like? Ease and timing of declaring a major? If you don’t declare a major until later, what is the impact on club participation, jobs, research? How is the career services office? How many companies recruit on campus? What does the first destination survey look like for the intended major? Try to find videos of the facilities.
Then dive into campus culture - read the student newspapers! What clubs are the most active? % of students in Greek life? Impact of sports on campus life? How’s the food? Read Reddit, Niche, and watch youtube videos. Read the school specific forum here on CC. Ask admission to put your student in touch with current students.
You can also delve into a school’s financial position. What’s the endowment? Moody rating? Read the school’s annual reports. Where are they spending their money? What new buildings are going up on campus? Are they expanding or contracting?
I say all this because if my D had applied ED to her number 1 on paper, she would have made a terrible mistake. She HATED the school after the visit. It would have been a horrible fit.
Why did she hate the school ?
Why would it have been a horrible fit ?
I ask because I am curious & because I know of others who experienced the opposite–although not in ED situations. (Loved the school during & after a visit, but strongly disliked the experience after matriculating.)
I didn’t visit any colleges before applying. I am 60 years old, but I was also low income and first gen. I think the last two factors were more important than my age. I was one of those who didn’t step foot on my college campus before arriving in the fall.
I think the internet makes it so much easier to research colleges than it was back in my day, All I had to go on was the one guidebook and the course catalog. Now you can do virtual tours, read the online school newspaper, even do google walks through the surrounding area. If you do your homework, you should be able to pick a school without seeing it. This year, with so many schools being remote or having only half of the students back, and restrictions on student gatherings its probably hard to get a very good feel for a school vibe even if you were able to visit.
I PM’d you @Publisher
Thank you for the thorough & convincing response via PM !
I was first gen too, as were the majority of my friends, but we were not low income. I think you are right @me29034, that it would make a difference.