QUESTION- Do schools reply earlier than the "reply back by December 15th" date?

I applied early decision to Bowdoin. When Bowdoin says you will hear back by December 15, does this mean I will be informed ON December 15. Or, do they send them out before then, with the latest date you’ll hear fromt them being the 15th? I’m wondering, becauseI need to know when I should start my other applications.

Katie

<p>Well, different schools have differnt policies (some send their forms out so that you get them on the 15th, other send them on the 15th). I'd prepare your other application just in case, and depending on how you plan on applying (online, regular mail or overnight), I'd wait until just before the 15th to send in your apps. If you apply online, you can wait until the 15th. If you apply by regular mail, I'd give it at least a few days. If you hear back from Bowdoin before th 15th, then you don't have to apply at all, but its good to prepare you applications just in case.</p>

<p>My nephew applied ED to Bowdoin and got an email ON the reply date.</p>

<p>Great to know. Did he get in. If yes, does he like it?</p>

<p>Yes, he got in. He not only likes it, he adores it! It couldn't be a more prefect fit. He was a double legacy at an Ivy (Harvard or Yale - I won't say which!) that he had the scores for, but didn't even apply because he wanted to go to Bowdoin so much. At the Admitted Students Open House, a student panelist told the group that she chose Bowdoin over Princeton, where she was also accepted!</p>

<p>Good luck - hope you get that "Congratulations" email!</p>

<p>PS I saw your other post where you parents thought Amherst, Williams, etc. were much better. Nope, not true! The top ten schools are so close it isn't funny - the primary difference is nothing more than name recognition. And the statistical differences in scores etc. are insignificant.
It might impress them to tell them about Bowdoin's Matriculation ceremony. Each freshman individually meets the President and signs the Matriculation Book, just as Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Joshua Chamberlain (the Civil War hero) did - I think they even do it at Longfellow's desk! Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote one or more of her novels there while her husband was teaching. Bowdoin is highly, HIGHLY respected and extremely prestigious among those "in the know." See the book, "A Little College in Maine" (or maybe it's "A Small College...") for more history that will knock your parents out!</p>

<p>By the way, the President always recognizes my sister and calls her by name, and remembers who her son is!</p>

<p>The Outing Club is beyond perfect, as is the Coastal Studies Center, sailing waterfront, etc.</p>

<p>Thank you so much for your response, voronwe! I do hope I get in. It would be a dream come true. I am so glad your nephew is happy. His story is a great example of how important a "good fit" is rather than just a school's name. Once again, thank you for sharing your story!
Katie</p>