Should I wait to apply RD until I get my ED decision?

Applying to College
1

<p>So I'm applying ED to Penn and I'm 99.99% sure I will be rejected but I'm trying anyway. I was just curious as to whether I should wait to apply RD to the rest of the schools on my list until after I hear back from Penn? If by some miracle I do get into Penn, I don't want to have spent the money on the other applications. I will have all my materials and supplements ready for submission so I can send them the day after I get rejected from Penn. I'm just worried that sending them so late in the game and/or not applying EA will hurt me. Any thoughts?</p>

<p>My other schools:
BC
BU
Northeastern
Loyola Maryland
St Josephs (Philly)- will apply EA for scholarship consideration
Umass Amherst
Possibly university of Rochester
Emmanuel
Stevenson</p>

2

<p>Your going to rejected from everyone of those colleges if you don’t apply before august is over.</p>

<p>Edit- Its night and I am grumpy.</p>

<p>No, I doubt it will hurt you. But if you are nearly certain you will get rejected, I would just apply early to make myself feel more secure.</p>

3

<p>Some schools may have early deadlines for consideration for scholarships, even if they do not have explicit EA admission programs.</p>

<p>For rolling admission schools, apply early because they might fill up.</p>

4

<p>Some no brainers for you. </p>

<p>Northeastern and UMASS are both Early Action (EA) schools. Since you are applying to Penn ED using the CommonApp, and since these two schools’ supplements have no additional essays. It is trivial to apply to them EA by Nov 1. </p>

<p>BC is one of the better EA schools out there. I think their supplement has an additional essay, but it’s still worth applying. If you get in EA, you have a terrific safety that will eliminate some applications for you. </p>

<p>Otherwise, there is no point in applying (as in paying and pulling the trigger) to RD schools that are not rolling before getting your ED decision.</p>

5

<p>My son was a supreme procrastinator when it came to applying. I believe we sent the application to UMass the day before it was due and he got in. And places like Penn and BC weren’t even close to being on his radar.</p>

6

<p>I don’t understand why I would apply to Northeastern and Umass early action? If there is no reason to do so such as increased odds of getting in or scholarship requirements, why shouldn’t I just wait to apply RD? If by some chance I do get into Penn, I would have wasted that money by apply EA to those schools.</p>

<p>Also BC’s EA is restrictive so if I’m applying ED to Penn then I obviously can’t do it.</p>

<p>What my question is is if my plan to wait to apply RD seems smart? Or if I’m overlooking that for any of the schools on my list it would benefit me to apply EA and hurt me to apply RD?</p>

7

<p>Start writing your supplements, but don’t actually apply with the exception of any schools that have non-restrictive EA or rolling admissions…</p>

8

<p>I agree with the above poster. Start writing a few supplements for RD schools, just in case. Last year I know someone who was rejected Vandy ED on December 15. She spend a week mourning and by then she only had a week to write the supplements for RD schools.</p>

9

<p>If you’d like to be considered for merit scholarships at those OTHER schools, then you should apply to THOSE schools this fall. Many of those schools have early deadlines for scholarship consideration…either directly stated on their website, or just a little-known policy.</p>

10

<p>Okay so I should apply early to all schools that I can?</p>

11

<p>Kayyy…</p>

<p>Do you know how much your parents will pay? If not, ask them.</p>

<p>Many of your other schools don’t give great aid, so if you need aid to afford college, then you need at least 2 financial safety schools (schools that you know FOR SURE that you have all costs covered by either family funds or ASSURED large merit.)</p>

12

<p>I would prefer that my parents pay very little but they will help me out if I need it. Based on financial aid calculators, several of those schools will give me good need based aid (Penn, BC, Rochester, and even a decent amount from BU and Northeastern). Our EFC is very low this year, probably under $5000. St Joseph’s, BU, and Stevenson all offer merit based full tuition scholarships that I will apply for. Worst comes to worst, I can go to Umass.</p>

13

<p>My son applied ED to his top choice and did not apply anywhere else until he got word that he was deferred. As others have said, it’s a good idea to have your other apps ready to go just in case. We waited to find out about his ED status in part because it’s not inexpensive to apply to colleges at $60-$80 per application and that mattered to us. What others have said about merit scholarships though is true however. And agreeing with mom2college kids that some of your schools - BC and Northeastern for sure - are not known for generous aid except to a very few. </p>

<p>My son was accepted RD to his ED school ultimately which worked out well.</p>

14

<p>Boston College meets 100% of need…</p>