How do colleges view ED2, does it give you the same boost as ED1? While I know ED1 is for athletes and development cases, the 48% of their entering class that schools like Vanderbilt accepted ED1 last year could not all be athletes (maybe at Amherst but not at Vanderbilt).
Or do they see ED2 as just a bunch of also rans who did not get into their ED1 school or could not get their act together enough to apply by November 1?
My sister’s kid has likes a lot of places. Easygoing personality.
The school where she has a decent shot because she is a legacy has ED1 and ED2. Otherwise it would be a low reach but not impossible. They definitely take legacy into account. They will take legacy children RD, as I know some who were accepted so that is not a concern.
As a school it is desirable to both of them but her mom would prefer something closer to home.
There are closer schools that are more of a reach that have ED1.
Finances are NOT a concern.
As a strategy, should the kid apply to the closer higher reach school ED1 and then if rejected or deferred apply ED2 to the further school as a legacy?
The family has been on the merry go round before and had a miserable experience with RD with an older child, so it will be ED for this kid after making a decision. She is fine with it, has visited and has a bunch of schools that she is fine with. Nothing that she LOVES but she is not the type to fall in love with a school.
It’s a perfectly reasonable strategy. except that few schools will reject on ED (Northwestern does), most will defer.
My D would have used that strategy had she been rejected by her ED school, but she was admitted.
Schools view any ED as an indication that the student will attend if admitted, and therefore shows the strongest demonstration of interest as possible.
Most schools that offer ED2 don’t break out their ED1 vs ED2 statistics so it’s hard to know for sure. But consider the fact that when you apply ED2, the school will also have the RD applications and know at least generally what the RD pool looks like. So I don’t think that it gives you as much boost as ED1. It does strongly demonstrate interest so if they are concerned about yield then presumably it helps.
Excellent points thank you.
^ I had not considered the RD factor and they will see the competition directly. Although I wonder if they review ED2 separately from RD? Do they get their results sooner? The one thing sis would hate is if the ED1 school defers, she applies ED2 and then does not have a chance to pull the app from ED1 now RD school and the kid is accepted RD but cannot attend?! Need is not a factor so cannot get out of ED2.
I was somewhat concerned that they may take too many ED1 and not have as much room if they happen to get a lot of good candidates or do not do as well as they would like in this year’s RD and want the insurance of ED1.