<p>About a week ago, I completed my undergraduate application for Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida, which is a private school. I selected the Fall 2014 term with early decision. I chose that because I feel that my college chances are slim, and I've already been deferred from two easy schools. My mom freaked out and said that if I would not be able to attend ANY other school if Flagler accepts me, because I am required to withdraw all application from other universities and commit to Flagler. If I am accepted into Flagler, and ANY other school, public or private, and I decide not to commit to Flagler, what will happen? I asked my guidance counselor, and she said that she had no idea! Will I be dismissed from other universities? Will I be charged/fined? If Flagler decides to fine me, I really don't care. Money is not an issue for us. I'm willing to increase my chances of getting into college even if a school will fine me like a thousand dollars; I don't care.</p>
<p>So, because you have money, you think you should be allowed to lie to get into a school? </p>
<p>Why don’t you just slip a few Benjamin’s in the mail for the admissions officers to let you in? At least that would make your dishonesty transparent.</p>
<p>Why did you apply ED to Flager if you did not know its requirements? That’s mistake no.1.</p>
<p>If the do accept you, and you s crew them, other schools won’t like it either and may penalize you. If Flager knows you didn’t withdraw your other commitments, they’ll pull away your acceptance. They don’t need you or any “fines” you might pay them.</p>
<p>To avoid this scenario, contact Flager and tell them you’d like to still apply but do not want to be admitted under the ED conditions. This absolves you of any requirement you have with them – and they’ll be happy as well – knowing that you won’t back down off of a commitment. </p>
<p>Email them to change you to RD.
Ask for a reply email and keep it as a record that you requested out of ED.
Why didn’t you discuss this with your mother before you applied ED?</p>
<p>Agree with above. If they dont have an EA option (f they do, change to that, as its non binding), contact them and tell them you would like to be considered for RD, not ED.</p>
<p>Again, based on what? Internet anecdotes? I can certainly understand an admissions office letting guidance counselors at a high school know that they are not pleased, but to punish all future applicants from that school for something that the applicants had absolutely no control over? Until someone with direct knowledge of this practice chimes in, color me extremely skeptical that all future applicants from the high school will stand zero chance of being accepted ED.</p>
<p>Middkidd86 – bookmama may have stated it a bit generalized – but I think we can all say that backing out of an ED (in most cases) will leave the college with a bad taste in their mouth and they will question the integrity of the guidance counselor staff of the high school as well – who was advising this student when he/she applied ED? Who at the high school signed off on the ED? In addition, applying with malintent would not be viewed well by a college – and in this situation, this student clearly is not applying ED with the intention that “this is the one school I want to go to above all others.” There are clearly times when a student does have to back out of an ED, but it is most typically situations of financial distress. In this situation, this is a student who is simply playing a game, trying to increase his chances of being admitted to his “safety” and then hoping he can just pay a fine and back out if he also gets into any other schools. I don’t think we have to give actual “real-life examples” – the fact is that ED is a CONTRACT that both the student and the high school sign. The contract is very clear with both parties about what you are committing to.</p>
<p>MiddKid: While Flager uses its ED program as a marketing tool, other schools who care less about # apps and are more selective, will definitely blackball schools. They are protecting their “brand” and a few errant counselors/high schools being made an example of is all it takes to keep everyone in line. Plus there’s no reason to blackball a school for perpetuity – 5-10 years will send the message.</p>
<p>Why will they blackball schools? Don’t they care about the next 5 or 10 years of applicants? In one sense, NO.</p>
<p>1) if these kids are viable at their selective school, they’ll surely be scooped up by other programs – so there’s no sympathy for those individuals. None is needed.</p>
<p>2) the schools I’m referrring to have a multiple abundance of qualified applicants. Ifeach year over 90% of applicants are routinely rejected, what’s an additional 10-15 kids per year from one offending HS? It’s really nothing to the college</p>
<p>3) the benefit of keeping GCs and high schools in line is the heart of the integrity needed in an Early Decision program. If this is enforced by blackballing a school or two – the colleges aren’t losing sleep over it.</p>
<p>This sort of thing happens all the time all around us. Why did that auto service manager steer you to this set of tires rather than that one? Because the tire sales rep gave him football tickets earlier this year. Why is your pediatrician recommending never-before-heard-of pill X? Because of the cute pharmacy rep that comes in weekly. Why were Vlasic pickles absent from Wal Mart/Sams club? Because Vlasic said “s crew you” to Wal Mart’s bullying them on pricing/size of items (look this up: classic B-School case study).</p>
<p>Each entity does what it needs to to meet its overall goals. Blackballing a HS for cause? In a heartbeat.</p>
<p>Admissions staffs care about applicants, and they care about fairness. Their reputations depend on it. Blackballing a high school because of the bad actions of one misguided applicant makes no sense. If the guidance staff was complicit, that’s a different matter, but there’s no indication based on what OP has written that’s the case here.</p>
<p>Again, if the measure that bookmama22 describes is standard practice at Flagler or any other college, let’s get something other than internet anecdotes (or comparisons to tire sales and drug prescriptions) to back up her statement.</p>
<p>I agree with you about THIS case. Given that one version of Flagler’s ED application only requires the student to check a box – I doubt real ramifications could be exerted by Flagler.</p>
<p>But to this:
My opinion is that this is rather naive. Admissions offices care about the fairness and integrity of their Early Decision process and how it benefits students and families who follow the rules and how it benefits the college itself. They feel it’s UNFAIR for people to game it and screw them and other students of the privileges inherent with an ED evaluation. Thus, selective schools (not Flagler) will exert punishment on errant GCs/Schools. </p>
<p>Might they slam a novice GC from an out of the way school? Likely not – especially if the bulk of the fault lies with a conspiratorial applicant like this noisome OP. That would entail a stern telephone call. </p>
<p>Might they blast a college prep day school who is repeatedly complicit with ED violations? You can bank on it. And they’d tell others (w/o naming names) just for the fear factor.</p>
<p>Admissions offices care about the fairness and integrity of their Early Decision process. They feel it’s UNFAIR for people to game it and screw them and other students of the privileges inherent with an ED evaluation. Thus, selective schools (not Flagler) will exert punishment on errant GCs/Schools.</p>
<p>Agreed, and as I mentioned above, if guidance staff is complicit is undermining the ED process, future applicants from that high school will likely pay a price. BUT, when the ED process is compromised by the actions of a single applicant, the punishment should fall solely on that applicant. Colleges do this by circulating lists to other colleges of students who have violated the ED agreement. That’s how it should be, so that future applicants (and their guidance counselors) who did nothing wrong will not be punished for the actions of a single individual.</p>
<p>MiddKid,
Both the applicant and the school counselor have to sign an agreement form when submitting an ED application that they understand and agree to abide by the ED policies. The only legit reason to not accept an ED acceptance is if you truly cannot afford to attend. Otherwise it is disingenuous and looks badly on the student AND the school.</p>
<p>I attended a presentation a few weeks ago where the speaker, a HS principal, told the audience that they (the parents) could apply ED and then decline, because “they can’t MAKE you go there- its just a business”. I was floored. Aghast. That is patently unethical.</p>
<p>Doesn’t the parent have to sign the ED application too?</p>
<p>I did. </p>
<p>Just telphone (don’t email because admissions offices are notorious for not reading email). and change from ED to RD and explain that you misunderstood and that your mother didn’t consent to ED and you mistakenly assumed that she would. Let them know that you do love the school though. </p>
<p>You could even ask your GC to do that and explain that it was a good faith misunderstanding. (Which it appears to be). </p>
<p>It’s only a few days after the ED deadline and it shouldn’t be a big deal. If you wait until you get an ED decision, that’s much worse and you will anger a lot of people.</p>