<p>One good source is the College Board. Here are the two links to the appropriate pages. Click on the admission button for the data. The data typically trails by one year in the same way as the USNews does. This means that most numbers are for the class of 2008. </p>
<p>To find more current and often unverified data, the best sources are the school papers, the alumni associations, and the admission office. The CDS numbers for the class of 2009 were due on October 15th, but few if any school post the new mumbers that quickly. </p>
<p>My test for ED is for the applicant to ask him/herself: If I apply RD and am not accepted will I always feel that I didn't give College X my best shot?</p>
<p>If financial aid isn't an issue, then I think ED is a valid strategy for borderline and lopsided kids and I wouldn't say that either Pomona or Washington are unreasonable reaches for your daughter. I would consider Scripps a match.</p>
<p>It seems to me, however, that Pomona and Washington are very different environments. Overnight visits would probably push the decision off the fence.</p>
<p>I do think that an overnight would be valuable, but to do that before the ED deadline (even ED II) would be a considerable hardship because of the difficult 1st semester schedule that includes a night class, among other things. It would be so much easier to do this after January. However, it would be difficult but not impossible to go before ED II, I guess. I suppose I was wondering if Pomona or Wash U, without ED, would be ridiculous reaches and effectively cut off any possibility of acceptance. I realize I'm asking a crystal-ball question here, but some of you seem to have a sense of this after following the acceptance trends on this board.</p>
<p>To answer your question, first let me say that I don't advocate any ED application unless your daughter feels very sure about a school. But, if she were applying ED, I thought that between WAsh U. and Pomona (no ED seems necessary for Scripps), her doubts about distance would likely fade, whereas concerns about the potentially constricting feel of a small school might not. In any case, I think if at all possible, try to squeeze in at least one overnight to give her the chance of an ED II. Its impossible to know how much of a reach these two schools would be RD, but we all know that each year, the competitiveness of these highly selective places only goes up.</p>
<p>Thanks for the clarification. I've got to take a hard look at the calendar and see what we can work out. We could go on a weekend, but that gives a limited view. In any event, I see the value in it, and imagine we'll work toward that end. If we can't do that, and if no clear choice emerges, we may have to forego whatever bump ED would offer, and take our chances. The ED choice really complicates things for us because it would be SO much easier to make this decision in April.</p>
<p>I wouldn't worry so much about it being a weekend for an overnight. While she couldn't attend classes, to me, the important aspect of the overnight is to be among a bunch of kids there, to be able to talk to them about their experience, and to get a feel for the culture/campus life.</p>
<p>Shojomo, short of a visit, you and your daughter may consider exploring the comparative offerings of both Pomona and WUSTL. It would be worthwhile to scrutinize the catalog of courses and contact the faculty, especially in your planned major. The type and content of the replies may help you develop a better feel for the future experience. </p>
<p>Similarly, with your daughter's experience with newspaper, she ought to contact the reporters at the school newspapers or spend some time reading past issues. As you know, the WUSTL students had a lengthy sit-in and protest last spring and that was covered in detail. Also, she may want to check the weather channel as St Louis is not exactly as balmy as California in the winter. When it come to choosing a school, the devil is in the details since the academics are often too close to make easy choices. </p>
<p>Here are the links to the school papers. Interestingly enough, in a further illustratation of the similarity, the "rags" share the same name. So no tie-breaker here! :)</p>
<p>xiggi, thanks for the links. We've been working hard at looking at English department catalogs and school papers as you've suggested. I also looked at some of the live journal groups of the various colleges (although I feel a bit like a stalker doing so). Funny how similar the students actually seem based on the lj entries, especially WUSTL and Pomona. The Scripps students seem perhaps a tad more angsty and "creative," but I'm not sure that if I did a "blind" read of them, I could identify which entry went with which school. I'm going to have the pro and con discussion on Thursday with my daughter, and then see what emerges from that, schedule a trip if necessary, and if all else fails, apply RD and throw caution to the wind.</p>