<p>I saw on the Swarthmore website that if you get in ED II, you do not have to withdraw your other apps until the financial aid decision gets back. Doesn't this basically mean I can withdraw it no matter what (unless they give me a full ride?)</p>
<p>No, you can’t. ED is a binding commitment. IF you go back on your commitment, you are penalized by paying a year’s worth of tuition (nearly $40,000, I believe). The only way to get out of this penalty is if you can prove that Swarthmore didn’t meet your demonstrated need and hence there is absolutely no way you can pay to go to swarthmore. This is unlikely, since swarthmore promises to meet to meet full demonstrated need. Really, only apply ED if swarthmore is your top choice.</p>
<p>Also, they tend to give you your financial aid package with your decision letter. When you apply ED II, they expect you to complete your FAFSA, CSS, tax returns, and their own financial aid application by January.</p>
<p>EDII is indeed binding. They can’t force you to enroll, and I’m pretty sure they won’t make you pay a year’s worth of tuition like ImmanuelKant said, but as he said, the only way you can get out of it is if your FA package makes it possible to attend. But if FA is that large a concern/you aren’t really sure about Swarthmore, ED is likely not the right decision.</p>
<p>I’m sure they wouldn’t actually make you pay that much too. I mean, there’s much scary mythology about it, partially to make sure that ED applicants know what they are getting themselves into. Colleges are supposed to financially penalize you and possibly notify other schools. But I don’t think that actually happens in practice much. Neither can I see swarthmore wasting time by being that vindictive to ED contract-breakers. You break at your own peril, though.</p>
<p>There is nothing that the school can do to you. Don’t worry about it.</p>
<p>Also, I have heard that colleges will sometimes notify other colleges (often peer schools) and let them know you have been accepted ED. If other schools find out that you have broken an ED agreement, they can rescind your acceptance. True, the chances of other colleges finding out may not be huge, but if they do, it can have a huge impact.</p>
<p>
Er… what? This is flat-out FALSE. Mythology indeed. The school can’t charge you anything for breaking ED, because you haven’t enrolled–you’ve made a binding ethical commitment to enroll, contingent on financial aid. Swat will meet your full demonstrated need, but even then some families discover that they can’t “afford” their EFC and will then withdraw.</p>
<p>HOWEVER. You will get your FA package quite soon after your acceptance, before you hear back from any RD schools–and you are expected to withdraw all other applications once you declare intent to enroll at Swarthmore. Peer colleges do share lists of accepted ED students. And if you renege on the agreement, your school can suffer consequences in future years. Basically, the commitment is a pledge of honor.</p>
<p>There is an endless thread on CC about ED started in December 2009, probably about 1000 posts. Better read some of that than rehash it again here. That all notwithstanding, colleges do exchange ED acceptances, so you may very well see your non-ED colleges sending you a note withdrawing your applications to them without your authorization or instruction. As the ED agreement says, an ED commitment is a “serious decision” that “should not be made lightly”.</p>