<p>We started our study for college application a while back. Up until yesterday, I was under the impression we did decent in the process. Then DD said that many of good students in her HS have already got into top colleges via early decision. She is concerned that there may be a limit as how many students a top ranking university will take from any one HS. </p>
<p>What is the % of students that do any early? Is it like 80 - 90% or 10- 20%?</p>
<p>The reason we did not do any early was because of financials. The idea is to be able to compare aid packages from different schools.</p>
<p>Dad II, I was wondering about the samething. The reason DD did not do ED is not financial but rather she did not get a chance to visit those schools at all. But considering the blood bath in ED/EA this year, it's maybe better to do wait. Who knows? We will know for sure in April.</p>
<p>"The reason we did not do any early was because of financials. The idea is to be able to compare aid packages from different schools."
Relax. Your reason for not applying ED was the correct decision for your family. As far as % of students who apply early, it totally depends on the schools they attend, where peer influence to apply early can be strong, as well as the financial circumstances of families. In general, many more students attending private HS apply early- perhaps because of their families have the ability to pay full freight and don't need to wait for financial aid packages.</p>
<p>Hi Dad,
At our high school the number of students who apply early has jumped way up in the past few years. Six years ago, when my eldest was applying, around 20% applied early. This past year, when my youngest was applying, more than 50% did. Both my older children applied and were accepted ED. The process worked great for both of them because they were completely sure of their school choices. Because it worked out so well twice, I was a great believer in early applications. Then along came my youngest. She absolutely did not know where she wanted to go or what she wanted to study, liked both big and small schools, etc. She was clearly not a candidate for ED but did apply to one school EA. She got the EA acceptance exactly a year ago, on December 26th, and it was a huge relief to all of us. Then she waited for the other 10 decisions and ultimately chose a school that was totally unlike the EA one. My point i that ED is great if it makes sense for your kid and your family. My youngest didn't do it because she wasn't sure where she wanted to go. Your D didn't do it because of financials. In both cases then, it wasn't really an option. It seems very clear that you did the right thing.</p>
<p>She was right not to apply ED if finances play a role in the final decision.</p>
<p>Although I am sure colleges compare students coming from the same school to each other, most explicitly state that they have no "per school quota". </p>
<p>I know that last year Stanford accepted 15 students from the same SoCal public HS (I guess it was an exceptionally strong class...).</p>
<p>Most schools accept 25-40% of the class through EA/ED. Most are still accepted RD.</p>
<p>don't worry. You made the right choice. only apply early if you are absolutely sure about a school and you don't care about finances.
there really is no limit how many students they take from your high school... or so they say. they do want a diverse class, but seriously, i think effect it will have on your chances will be quite negligible.</p>
<p>It goes school by school. Some fill up 40% of their class with ED's while others fill with less than 20 percent ED applicants, snagging only those they don't want to miss and defer the rest to compare from a larger pool in RD.</p>
<p>My kids are all from public h.s. We saw it this way: the only good reason to apply ED is if it's a clear first choice. I also have a friend whose kid hoped to improve her chances at a reach school by applying ED, which I thought was a respectable strategy since she'd have been happy to go there, but the attempt was not successful (denied, not deferred). She went to college elsewhere, very happily, after Springtime results. </p>
<p>You did right.</p>
<p>P.S. Our two S's also waited until Spring and the ability to "compare financials" was crucial for us. Our D, who had a first choice love college, had to accept what they offered. Guess who got the better deals? The sons. </p>
<p>I also think how many come from each h.s. varies by college. I still recall two absolutely wonderful girls from S's h.s., both African American, accepted to Emory University. They decided to room together but only for the first year. They were excited to be accepted, and were nearly identical in grades, presentation, everything.</p>
<p>Obviously one did not "keep the other out."</p>
<p>Two points for DadII. Now we don't have to read his post about how his child got accepted ED and they don't want to or can't come up with the money!<br>
You did the right thing for sure for shizzle (as the kids say).</p>
<p>Dad II,
One of the few parameters we put on DS was "no ED." Don't worry -- you made the right decision for your family and your D already has a great accepteance to the honors program at a fine state flagship. It's hard not to second-guess at this point in the year -- April seems a long time away.</p>
<p>My recollection is that your D did not have a strong preference towards any school even if you were amenable to ED. Better that she (and you) not have buyer's remorse over an ED admit!</p>
<p>I am coming at this with a different perspective. S applied ED and was deferred. (We need tons of aid) What was a shock has now opened up so many possibilities that we didn't know were out there. He has gotten some very nice merit offers that we didn't think he would get from other colleges he has already heard from. I have two more younger kids and I will suggest not to go ED. I look forward to the next few months now and can't wait to see the next offer he gets. With him winning all these merit awards, he now thinks maybe he has a chance at his reach school (Hamilton). I think his ED school is still his first choice, but now he is excited about the others. In fact, one has a golf course on it and he told me last night I could take a day off and come up and play a round with him if he went there. His deferral is maybe the best thing that could have happened.</p>
<p>DadII - I am thinking the same over here. It would be such a relief to have the process over with and so many have already gotten in ED. We did not apply ED because of financials, however, my s first choice school keeps changing so binding ED really was not a good choice anyway. However, he should have applied a few rolling admissions just so he knows he has an acceptance!</p>
<p>You did the right thing. It is my impression that the stats on early decision are a bit misleading. Since those applying ED try to pick a school where, while it might be a stretch, they have a strong chance of getting into, admit rates tend to be higher than RD, where a lot of apps are a wing and a prayer. I also think that the adcoms struggle to keep the bar at roughly the same height for both pools.</p>
<p>Thank you all. It is rather comforting to know that we are not alone in not doing any early.</p>
<p>It is the uncertainty that is killing me now. Yes, DD has a honor program in hand already. But that is not her preferred place right now. </p>
<p>OTOH, the prefered place has been changing from month to month. As it stands now, the #1 program is Duke's "environmental science and policy".</p>
<p>BTW, the head of a program in one of her favorite schools has sent her an e-mail to set up a "talk". This person has talked to DD before her application. Hope this is a good sight.</p>
<p>As stated by many already: your daughter did exaclty the right thing, given the circumstances you have shared. This a stressful time, one that makes us tend toward second-guessing ourselves. Hang in there!</p>
<p>"BTW, the head of a program in one of her favorite schools has sent her an e-mail to set up a "talk". This person has talked to DD before her application. Hope this is a good sight."
This IS probably a very good sign! They don't set up times to talk with students they don't want!</p>
<p>Although many selective colleges fill 40% of their classes ED, that does not represent nearly 40% of their acceptances. If a college has a 33% yield overall (which is not a bad statistic), and accepts 40% of its class ED (with 100% yield, approximately), it will probably accept six times as many applicants RD as it did ED. So there's lots of room at the inn.</p>
<p>And remember, DadII, that your d is telling you about the kids who got accepted ED. She's not telling you about the kids who got deferred or rejected, and how wonderful their Christmas was!</p>
<p>Last year, my d applied to one school EA but didn't apply anywhere ED. She watched as a number of her friends got in, but a number didn't. She saw how devastated they were; some took months to get over it, some hadn't gotten over it even as athey were packing to go to whichever school they ultimately chose. D said to me in late December, "Boy, I'm glad I didn't apply ED. I couldn't have taken it." (Ultimately waitlisted, then the waitlist closed at the school she might have applied ED to. Right now, she's happy as a clam at high tide at her current school.)</p>