Hi, my daughter is hoping to use ED to increase her chances at UMiami, Tulane or SMU. If you are using it for reach schools Is the best strategy to use the ED1 for the most desired school or the one with a more favorable chance? Do these colleges admit more in ED1 or ED2? is it better to make a safer bet with ED1 or go with your preference and try ED 2 if ED 1 doesn’t work out.?
Thank you!
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Tulane’s 2020-21 CDS indicates that roughly half of their class comes from ED. That is, 922 ED admits * 95% assumed yield out of 1801 in the entering class = 49%. There’s a 23% acceptance rate in ED vs. 10% in RD.
SMU is increasingly interested in ED candidates (and yield). 14.5% of SMU’s class was filled with ED in 2015 vs. 21% in 2020. In 2020, 65% of ED applicants were admitted vs. 52% RD.
Tulane, Miami and SMU let ED1 applicants know their result from mid-to-late December so there’s time to pull the trigger on another school by the January 1 (Miami) or January 15 (SMU) ED2 deadlines. Does Tulane have an ED2 this year?
I’ve seen that Miami will ask Early Action candidates if they wish to go ED2 to lock up. If you know your answer from Tulane or SMU before Miami’s ED2 deadline you can convert.
Does your daughter know which of these three colleges fit her the best? They will give a bit different amounts of merit aid if that’s a factor. A wildcard is how many ED1 candidates will be deferred to the regular decision pool. If the top choice defers your D22, do you want to commit to School 1A with ED2?
I don’t think there’s much difference between odds of going ED1 vs. ED2. They both show total commitment to enrolling.
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Great question and the answer depends on who you ask. Some say go with best odds while others say go with most desired. Similar situation with different group of 3 in our house. We’re leaning towards best odds because most desired seems rather unreachable.
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Thanks @tristatecoog and @Search2022. Her preference would be Tulane then UMiami. I am not sure how to get the exact ED data but saw one chart where UMiami in 2019 was 55% ED vs.31% RD., so there would be seem to be a clear advantage to ED there.
Not sure if SMU would be a great fit. Data on College Confidential would seem to indicate that she should apply ED there (UW GPA 3.6 and Composite ACT of 34) to increase her odds, but the admittance rate from her high school (almost 100%) suggests it may not be needed.
Re: merit aid, that would be great to compare offers, but am not under the impression that she would qualify.
You can find the ED acceptance rate in each school’s Common Data Set section C21. Unfortunately they lump ED1 and ED2 together.
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Thanks, comparing the rates definitely helps put the relative odds in perspective.
Can you do Tulane ED and UM EA (and convert UM to EDII if Tulane rejects)? You need to check Tulane’s ED pledge to see if it allows you apply EA elsewhere at the same time. Same with UM EA re ED1 elsewhere.
Yes, thanks. Seems like a good option.
There is no question - Tulane is the way to go - if and only if:
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it’s the top choice - and you said it was.
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you can afford it - so fill out the NPC - because Tulane does not meet 100% of need.
Tulane is brutal to get in if you don’t go ED…brutal. Really accomplished kids get turned down.
Miami and SMU - not hard at all - do EA at Miami and SMU. Miami deferred a ton this year but RD. My daughter got in and the same $25K others god (merit).
If you ED Tulane, you won’t get merit (most likely). If you don’t ED, you likely won’t get in.
It’s a crapshoot.
When you ED, you give up the ability to compare offers.
You might love Tulane…but do you love it at $80K if another school is $30K?
That’s the burning question.
Good luck
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Thanks @tsbna44. When you say " Miami and SMU - not hard at all " are you referring to ED with her stats, or in general? Her preference is Tulane but she is also very excited about Miami. Her worry (and mine) is that by reaching for Tulane as ED1, how much does she risk losing out on Miami, the more likely acceptance, as her very first ED. Given what I have read here, she doesn’t seem likely as an RD/EA admit at Miami with current trends.
I suggest you go for Tulane as ED1. Apply to Miami EA. Based on last year, they’ll probably send you a note – last year on 12/15 – asking if you’d like to switch from EA to ED2. Tulane says they’ll release ED1 decisions on 12/15. Hmm, interesting timing for Miami’s reach out. 
Show interest in both schools, especially Miami since you want that email to switch to ED2. Not everyone got it. Based on others’ stats, your D is a very competitive applicant to Miami for EA and will get merit at SMU. Tulane released its Class of 2025 stats and your D would be at the 75%ile for ACT and potentially at 50% or so for GPA (rigorous school; UW GPA). Tulane is very service oriented so highlight that in your D’s app.
Thanks @tristatecoog, very helpful. Daughter does a lot of community service at her music school, not specifically social justice issues. Hope that counts!
Sorry - when I say easy - I just meant - Tulane is a bear unless ED. A nightmare getting in.
SMU and Miami are not. You need the #s and for Miami it’s not a given. But if you apply EA, I think you’ll still get full consideration. I don’t think you’ll get that at Tulane if not ED.
That’s all I meant.
Miami will likely defer you from EA to RD - or that’s what they did last year - but those kids, like my daughter, got the same $25K merit that the accepted EA kids got.
Because you really want Tulane most and because ED is the best way in there, assuming you have no cost considerations, that’s the way to go. My assumption would be if you don’t go ED, you won’t get in. That said, with a 3.6 UW (don’t know your rigor), it could be you strike out at Miami and Tulane…so that’s the other risk.
SMU - if you get on their email list, if it’s like last year, they’ll send you apply by Sept 30th, no app fee, I think no essays, etc. I don’t SMU is that difficult to get in. So I wouldn’t worry there.
If you like these mid-size in city schools, you might look at Denver and College of Charleston as well.
Good luck.
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Got it @tsbna44 and thanks!
W a 34 ACT and 3.6 UW GPA, and if cost is not an issue, There is no way your D wouldn’t get into either of the three ED1 or ED2 as long as there is interest. As previously stated, SMU and Miami ED acceptance rates are high(much higher rate if full pay), as most students at each of the three schools is not full pay. Tulane artificially deflates acceptance rates to game US news ranking, so even though their acceptance rate is the same as Cornell for the class of 2025, it is still way easier to get into than Cornell.
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Acceptance rate is not a factor in US News ranking methodology. So while a school may attempt to lower its acceptance rate for optics, it does not directly impact its USNWR ranking.
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Thanks @ojllfdjalkjf and @pishicaca. Tulane’s numbers are a bit of a mystery. Their average GPA seems low relative to test scores and selectivity. How do they deflate acceptance numbers?
Tulane accepted 10% of applicants.
My son’s valedictorian is at Vandy on a merit scholarship yet was rejected to Tulane. So I don’t think it’s easy by an means. The 34 is at their 25% - but not obscenely high.
I couldn’t find anywhere on the Tulane website about HS Gpa but I found two articles that showed a 3.56 average.
Still at 10% - it’s not easy. But I wouldn’t say Miami is a given either - but definitely easier and could definitely happen.
But if the question is/was - Tulane is my top choice (and it’s affordable), it seems pretty clear that a Tulane ED and Miami EA is the way to go with conversion to ED2 after deferral which will likely happen at Miami.
SMU will hit the student hard for a non-binding application by Sept 30th if they get on their interest list.
Good luck.
Class of 2025 Profile | Undergraduate Admission (tulane.edu)
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Well, they hit my sub-30 ACT daughter hard with “apply free” appeals.
The admissions leader at Tulane combines the art of recruiting with the science of data. He has been at Tulane for five years and was just promoted to be in charge of pre-college, undergrad and grad admissions. Tulane recognizes that he’s done great things with admissions and spearheaded a rankings rise. If they can lock up half their class with strong ED students, they can still pound away at RD apps and defer quite a few from EA to see who really wants to attend. To that end, I’m guessing tsbna44’s son’s valedictorian was deferred EA and didn’t show enough interest to get admission. Improving yield is another way to lower your acceptance rate. Tulane wants students who want to be there.
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Yeah, he was flat out rejected but obviously I don’t know his stats. Amercian is similar - they pound you. And you have 25 ACTs getting in and 34 ACTs not - it’s all how much love you show.
Tulane were emails literally several times a week. They do pound you. And webinars galore. It was a job keeping up with them. We took them off early. We visited - and my daughter is into aesthetics - and - the dorms were - well a Super 8 looked like the Ritz Carlton in comparison. She loved LSU (but didn’t apply), loved the French Quarter but for some reason could not get excited about Tulane.
But everyone who goes seems to love the school!!
One other thought - i’ve seen mentioned on the website - Loyola might be a good safety alternative - because it’s adjacent to Tulane and they allow cross registration so perhaps there’s some “exposure” even though you’re not admitted.
Cross-Enrollments | Office of Academic Affairs | Loyola University New Orleans (loyno.edu)
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