<p>LOOKING @ Northwestern stats..
I discovered that quite a number of people can "NEGLECT " the ED agreement and just NOT go to NU..............
hm..............................</p>
<p>I think that's not very honest tho..
Why and how could they do that..
Isn't it a worldwide binding agreement?</p>
<p>The financial aid offer may not be adequate.</p>
<p>Yep. Its binding and while every year there are bad people who abuse the process, it can haunt you. They can make your life miserable. </p>
<p>The only two circumstances I am aware of where they let you out of your contract and waive the agreement are financial aid and some personal circumstance that is compelling. But you have to notify them and request to be let out.</p>
<p>Frankly, people who dont follow through on their contractual agreements are people of poor character (except the two circumstances as above), and you wouldn't want them at your school anyway, would you? I would prefer to attend college with people who you can trust and stand by their word. That sounds smug but its true.</p>
<p>So dont worry about it. Let the school like Northwestern handle it if you know of something. </p>
<p>I know about people LAST YEAR who got into an Ivy ED and did NOT withdraw their regular applications to other schools immediately, and did it out of spite to see if they could bump or trump their friends on admissions. Nasty and catty. People like that are out there. Its unfortunate and just a fact of life. </p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>Early Decision should be illegal. It is a marketing ploy used by colleges to take advantage of students. I wouldn't feel bad for a second about breaking an ED agreement.</p>
<p>I did ED originally to GW, but then I realized how stupid it was. All I had to do was email them, and they changed it to regular the next day =/</p>
<p>This subject was debated ad nausuem on another thread. collegehelp is right though; ED really only benefits schools when compared to EA which provides to students all the benefits of ED but without any of the downsides. That being said, you shouldn't apply to a school ED unless you have a good faith intent to attend that school and drop all other applications if accepted. That is simply the moral and ethical approach to take. That doesn't mean that ED is an irrevocable commitment. As noted, financial aid inadequacies and personal circumstances which are compelling and necessitous can justify revoking an ED commitment. In addition, as I have seen happen, a school can undergo a change in circumstances which justifies a student revoking an ED commitment. For example, if a student intends to major in a particularly specialized area and applied ED based on the structure of the department and after being accepted, the department head leaves, the entire department is in a state of flux and there will be significant curriculum revisions, a student would be justified in revoking an ED commitment. Or, if a school fails to disclose a material piece of information about a program to which a student has applied ED and when the student discovers the info, the program is no longer suitable for the student, there is justification to revoke an ED commitment. I've seen circumstances of that magnitude also. And, obviously, you can always change your application to RD before an ED decision comes out.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Frankly, people who dont follow through on their contractual agreements are people of poor character
[/quote]
</p>
<p>The same could be said for a large number of threads on these boards this weekend: those people all signed a contract promising never to discuss SAT questions. ;) At what point does the fact that one signed a contract become significant? (I actually agree with your statement. Just a thinking point for others reading the thread.) </p>
<p>ED can actually help students. If a student is willing to bind himself to a school- which he should only do if he is sure he wants to attend- he can get an advantage at some schools by applying ED. It is not true that EA offers the benefits of ED. It only offers a few of those benefits, and takes away several of them.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Early Decision should be illegal. It is a marketing ploy used by colleges to take advantage of students.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Hmmm....are we living in a capitalistic soceity? ED is an OPTION/PRODUCT available to you and you are FREE to take it or not. You allow yourself to be locked up because you find the higher chance of getting admitted appealing to you. I don't see it being different from joining a gym that gives you cheap rate with a 2-yr contract vs another gym with month-to-month but more expensive membership.</p>
<p>No, EA doesn't offer "all" the benefits. You don't get the same boost in chance from it.</p>
<p>I'm so hesitant about ED. I don't want to back out because it's binding, but at the same time money is a problem for the school I want to really go to.</p>
<p>Backing out is bad in my opinion. I know people who don't think so. Applying to Lehigh ED is aproblem for me seeing as they suck with financial aid unless you're one of the brightest at their school. I'm still contemplating whether to apply ED II to Lehigh.</p>
<p>The whole binding thing kinda sucks. I think more schools should have EA =P</p>