<p>Do not apply ED unless you are totally, 100%, certain that Vanderbilt is your favorite college AND that you can afford it. If you do meet those criteria, then go ahead.</p>
<p>For another safety, check out Tulane. Just be aware that Tulane does not like being considered a safety, which could work against you. Otherwise, it probably is a safety for you.</p>
<p>Thank you!! It is hard to say if it is my favorite when I haven’t seen that many schools yet…I’m not sure if it’s worth the increased chance of admissions </p>
<p>The key question about ED is “will I regret it?”</p>
<p>If you cannot afford it, then you will regret it. If you later decide that you like Duke better, you might regret choosing Vandy but maybe not in a big way.</p>
<p>If you can afford it and know it well enough to love it, it is unlikely that you will kick yourself for not making a different choice. Besides, if you apply ED and get in, you are required to withdraw all other applications. In other words, you probably won’t even know if Duke (for example) would have taken you, because Vanderbilt expects you to contact Duke and withdraw your application.</p>
<p>In general, I advise against ED because it is usually best to compare real financial aid offers from all the colleges. I would only do ED for a school where it increased my chances of getting accepted and would be delighted to attend.</p>
<p>I know a high school student who really likes Kenyon College and it appears that ED would almost double his chances of getting admitted. Indeed, it seems almost perfect for him and his interests. However, it is not at all clear that his family would be able to afford it. They definitely would need financial aid. So, I would not advise him to apply ED. If they knew it was affordable, I would likely change my position.</p>