@Dave_N Congratulations on making the commitment to USC! I also very much enjoy reading about everyone’s journey on this thread. Unlike you, I felt the process was painful.
Hopefully, I will have some company on this thread over the next month. DD plans to decide where she will attend on May 1st.
Wow @Testingearly , she’s really going to hold out until May1? Good luck with that!!
Yay to all the 2017 kids! They are all so amazing. Congrats to those who have decided, and to those who are in the throes of indecision. Soon we will all be dorm shopping.
@rerunagain, anyone after attending about one and a half info sessions at any colleges with ED offering(s) in the country should be able to clearly walk away with the understanding that ED is a real and binding commitment and to treat it otherwise is just frankly gaming the system.
@rerunagain – I think she could start with a simple reminder having good character, honesty playing by the rules and really putting time into your research. ED is for kids who really know what they want to do and realize it’s a permanent decision.
Building character of course starts in the home, but the college application process is an extension of the character. Appealing to that factor and also reminding them that it can hurt kids in the classes behind them for years to come will probably go a long way! Stories about being rescinded by other schools and also rumors of financial charges being placed might drive the point home a bit more–while they are anecdotal, it would be enough to put me into a deep sweat for sure.
Good luck as she helps her friends–that’s super nice to do!
@Testingearly – how many are on the list? My D17 has five.
Those kids and parents should sit and run net price calculators with 2016 income and make sure it is affordable before thinking about applying ED.
They should know that student can only take out about $5k in loans, and that work study money is not available upfront, it has to be earned.
If they need to compare offers, ED is not a good idea.
Don’t some colleges require parents and guidance counselors to sign the binding ED contract along with the student?
That sounds pretty serious to me.
Me too @srk2017 I missed our page :((
I think a lot of us were waiting and refreshing the page to get on it though =))
Congratulations and good luck on the continued success to the Class of 2017 and awesome parents! <:-P <:-P <:-P =D> =D> =D>
@srk2017 and @payn4ward You can aim for page 2021!
I’ll say congrats to all who have made a decision! That’s pretty awesome! We have a ways to go - at least 2 weeks or more - going back to make some more visits!
I missed page 2017 but I also have a DS 2018 - so don’t feel SO ROBBED. 
@STEM2017 — unless Common App has changed since three years ago when my older son applied ED, it took a bit of work to apply ED. Son had to sign something, I had to sign something, then son had to go into guidance and sign it again with GC. Our school takes the ED agreement very seriously, as failing to play by the rules could adversely impact future applicants. I imagine most high schools operate the same way.
@STEM2017, yes in our case, in both instances (ED1 & ED2) the form was signed by the student, the parent, and the college counselor. The high school has a very vested interest in maintaining integrity to the process for future classes and other classmates.
Similarly, we were counseled that to advertise as an athletic recruit and gain admission through that avenue (as an actual recruit) was a commitment to participate in the sport at least for the first year. Examples were given to us where a student committed to the LAX team at Middlebury, enrolled, then proceeeded to walk away from the team commitment…Middlebury walked away from our students for a couple years…the behavior is incredibly self-serving.
I have a S2019 so I thought it appropriate to get a post in here.
Here we go again!
@vandyeyes – thanks for adding that info about athletic recruits. We have many from my HS but neither of my boys were. That makes complete sense. I know there are times when athletes become injured, can’t manage the workload, etc, but you would hate to think that someone used athletics only to gain admission. Most athletes I know cannot imagine their lives w/o their sport.
Thanks also on clarification on ED II. I assumed it would work the same way as ED I but again, had no experience.
I wish there were a way to add a temporary line beneath our user name indicating where our child will be attending school next year. Not that I would be able to fill that in yet…
Thanks @vandyeyes @carachel2 @mommdc and @STEM2017 Yes a lot of them are doing college visits during spring break so should get the ED/EA info form those colleges. And yes their school requires both parents and students to sign a form before LOR are sent for an ED application and then do follow up to make sure they withdraw other applications if they’re accepted. Serious stuff for these 17 year olds who don’t seem savvy at commitment in other aspects of their lives!
@CT1417 On last year’s parents thread, some people changed their avatar picture to a logo or mascot of the school after the decision. Some made an indecision collage of logos. Just temporarily; they changed back afterward.
@rerunagain -Integrity starts in the home! Maybe you could also have a word with the parents? This process is crazy and many ups and downs but reminding parents that they should stick with their word and lead by example would be a great place to start!
@Ynotgo —I think I remember that. It might just tax my technical skills to make a collage. May have to wait for May 1st.
Do we have a decision thread somewhere that I have overlooked? No short term memory…
I haven’t been here for a long time. Congratulations to all of your amazing children - reading today made me smile. I admit that I have missed a lot. When I get a chance I will have to go back and read. I think my dd has decided on Pitt but UMD is still in the running. She was leaning towards Alabama but now is not so sure about the heat and distance. She has gone back and forth in the past month since revisiting her top contenders. She has already declined Villanova and University of Delaware.
Quick question: I tried a quick search but I was wondering if anyone started a Class of 2021 Where they ended up - thread? There are some other celebration threads and list of acceptances threads but there are pages and pages and pages of discussions, questions, updates, so the actual final decisions seem to be lost in all the other noise.
It would be nice to have a page where we post the stats, the results (accept, declined, waitlisted), any scholarships offered, and the final decision. Those who are waiting on final visits or $ can wait to add their names. It would be nice to have it all in one place for future years. Thinking ahead to my next 2 kids and also because I can’t quite keep straight where everyone is actually landing and what their stats were in the beginning. Thoughts?