<p>Does that make ED only for rich kids? Is it discriminatory?</p>
<p>To some extent, yes, because it prevents a student from comparing financial aid offers from different schools.</p>
<p>It is discriminatory because it is much riskier for those who need financial aid. You cannot compare offers and you end up having to go through a nasty ordeal if the fin aid you are offered by your ED school is unacceptable to you. Even if you get out of the ED contract, you can be penalized by your other schools.</p>
<p>Well, therein lies the problem. Sometimes kids/families dont have the all the money to plunk down for tuition/room and board but the student is otherwise qualifed to attend and really wants to go there, but is very unsure of what to do about it. That is discriminatory then for rich kids to gobble up the ED spots. ED contracts state that you can be released from the contract if you can't afford it, and thus it is imperative that the school send out the financial aid offer either with the offer of admission or very, very soon thereafter. </p>
<p>Comparison of financial aid offers is de riguer in this day and age and I see nothing wrong with it (though from my D's experience 2 years ago, they were all very, very similar.....you couldn't put a piece of paper between them the difference was so slight). Now most schools know this and act appropriately and offer financial aid with the offer of admission ED (to be verified by tax returns, of course), but some schools are really slow on the financial aid package and therefore put the student in a bind, particularly when they have an EA offer of admission somewhere else. </p>
<p>I just think the entire ED process is unfair and should be abolished like Harvard and most the Ivies have done. Make everything EA and RD and let the chips fall where they may.</p>
<p>And merit aid doesnt answer it either, because there are a lot of injustices in offering of merit aid. Some kids who come from "favored schools" or have "other hooks" may be offered money and other kids may not. There have been many articles in magazines about this problem over the years. "The Politics of College Admissions." I am not suggesting that it is a 100% fair and just process. Its not. Colleges seek diversity of ethnicity and socio-economic background, geographic background, and sometimes talent in a particular field or arts. </p>
<p>I do think that kids should be made to understand that they are signing a contract if they apply ED and held to their word. But its grossly unfair of the school to then accept them and not offer financial aid. I know of one case where someone who was qualified got REJECTED ED at a "dream school" simply because they were looking for financial assistance, while a student with lower stats but LOTS of money got in. This happened two years ago.</p>
<p>nocousin, I rarely agree with your posts, but you are right here. Usually ED is only for kids whom can afford it. While with a school like Columbia you can be relatively assured you will be taken care of financially go down that top 10 barrier of schools and the FA awards will largely be insufficient for low-income students whom will have to make up the difference in loans/work. I don't know if ED should be abolished, because its a boon for colleges (get rich kids-sometimes legacy-who are questionably qualified in + these kids usually really want to go+ it increases yield really high) and these colleges need the boon. However, I will say that schools that remove ED to compete with the super stars will rise in respect in my eyes.</p>
<p>While prestigious private schools might give you the same amount of financial aid, public schools can be much different. For example I did not apply ED because I have two schools that I am really interested in. Since both are equal in my mind, financial aid will probably decide the winner. And one school has merit scholarships while the other does not. Well behind these other schools is UF. While I might not like UF nearly as much as the others, with the Florida Bright Futures scholarship, I wouldn't pay a single cent of tuition. While the two private schools might end up costing the same, they'll still be tens of thousands more expensive than the public school.</p>
<p>Well, mors....its nice to know you can agree with me on one post! LOL. Cheers. (I know three people who graduated from Stanford and I sure hope you dont turn out like them. All of them are so arrogant and condescending I cant stand to be in the same room with them. So I hope your humility here is genuine!)</p>
<p>Maybe colleges should put a disclaimer on their ED applications: "DONT APPLY ED UNLESS YOU ARE PREPARED TO STROKE A CHECK FOR THE WHOLE PRICE OF ADMISSION"</p>