<p>The acceptance rate at the school your daughter is considering is not the 'normal' ED school. Usually your ED school is the dream school with which you will accept admission with no second thoughts. Typically these schools have overall acceptance rates around 20% or less and there is a huge advantage to ED (See the Early Admissions Game book by Avery et al). The big thing is if your D is mature enough to know if this is the one beyond doubt.</p>
<p>My daughter (music performance major) applied EA to a school that we thought would be indicative of whether she should pay more attention to auditions for her reaches or for her safeties. Had she been rejected or deferred at the EA school, we would have probably withdrawn applications at a couple of her reach schools and paid a lot more attention to the safeties in terms of visits, getting to know the teachers and so forth.</p>
<p>As it turned out, she had an acceptance in December that let her immediately withdraw applications to four schools at the bottom of her list. She could then concentrate on auditions for the remaining five knowing that she had an excellent choice no matter what. Ultimately, she chose the EA school over two others that accepted her.</p>
<p>A lot of music schools tend to hold auditions between late January and early March and offer only an RD cycle. Given that a relatively short audition counted for 60% to 100% of the admissions decision, having a non-binding acceptance in December removed a tremendous amount of stress from the process.</p>
<p>
[quote]
That's a bit of what worries me. Is it wrong to apply ED to a match or safety if that truly is your first choice school?
[/quote]
carolyn,</p>
<p>Absolutely not. If she's as mature as your posts have described, she has assessed the situation and determined what's best for her. If it's where she wants to go, go for it. Match, safety, who cares? Why do we have to overly rationalize choices that are clear?</p>
<p>Second child, our D, was very particular about what she was looking for. She (and we) did significant research on most of the top tier LAC's (50ish), visited about 20 of them in the west, midwest, and east, and corresponded with several of her preferred choices. She spent a month at Smith in a science & engineering summer program to determine if she really was a science nerd (happy to be surrounded by other science nerds?) and if she wanted a women's college. She loved her trial run at an LAC, and learned #1 was a yes, and #2 was a no. So she/we did our due diligence.</p>
<p>She applied ED at Carleton in the fall of 2007, and for only one over-riding reason: IT WAS HER #1 CHOICE BY A LONGSHOT! All other motives were derived from that simple fact, but we kept citing them to make this ED decision fit our need to be rational.
[ol]
[<em>]Her test scores put her just below their median. Her 1/300 rank, taking the most rigorous courses, was clearly in her favor.
[</em>]Carleton's overall admission rate had historically been sliding down into the low 30's. For her class of 2008, it was 28%. ED was about 50%.
[<em>]There had been a steady increase of applicants from our state, and particularly from our metropolitan area.
[</em>]Fortunately, finances were under control. We did not qualify for need-based aid, and Carleton does not award merit aid. Nor did most of the LAC's she had on her list. As it turns out she somehow qualified for $2250 in work-study, but I have since deduced that work study is under the institution's control, so they seem to provide it to almost every student. Highly motivated work force without paying benefits!
[li]She wanted peace of mind for the majority of her senior year.[/li][/ol]</p>
<p>We did not encourage her to apply ED for strategic reasons. Students at our school do not generally follow that path. It was her choice, based upon her clear assessment of herself and her preferences. She had all other apps ready to go. In fact, her rolling admission to U of Washington (her "for sure" school if disaster had struck) came the same day as her Carleton admit. So she did have the pleasure of 2 large envelopes in the mail box without having to wait until late March. My fear was that once she had the ED acceptance in hand with 9 months left before she'd get there, that she would develop an incurable case of buyer's remorse. I also thought she'd end up being a bit jealous when her friends received multiple acceptances. I was wrong there - she took great delight in educating her classmates about "what school?" and "where is that?" Very few of our students attend out-of-area LAC's. I had underestimated her evaluation of herself and her bond with the school. As she's finishing her freshman year, Carleton has proven to be the terrific fit that she had consistently professed.</p>
<p>Our first child, our S, did not use ED. He was rather loosey-goosey about the whole process. We had to micromanage. He had many large schools that fit his very broad criteria and had a top list of 4. One stood slightly above the others, but he believed that all 4 were just fine with him. He got 3 of the 4 and was happy as a clam at UMich.</p>
<p>The most important lesson I got out of this ED process was that my child was extremely capable of assessing what she wanted and needed, and was adept at asserting as much control as she could over the situation. I discovered how mature my child had become in making such an important adult decision. From what you've shared about your daughter, she sounds like she assessing her situation very clearly.</p>
<p>Since the school offers nonbinding EA as well as binding ED, I would apply EA. Do you really think she needs the extra %% to get accepted ED? It is great to find out early, but she can still reserve the right to change her mind, explore other options and ultimately confirm her first choice remains her first choice and not just following through on a binding commitment.</p>
<p>Maize&Blue - My D sounds a lot like your D in that she has enjoyed educating her friends about where and what Kenyon is. Very few from our school apply to LACs and very few apply ED. One of her teachers has a bulletin board where people post something once they decide where they are going, and she took great pride in being the first one to post and in making a fancy little sign about Kenyon.</p>
<p>Oops, I missed that part about the school offering both EA and ED? Do you think that the school subjects the candidates to different standards between the two groups?</p>
<p>Thanks everyone - I shared all of your comments with my daughter. She is keeping her fingers crossed that we will be able to work around some scheduled surgery for her this summer so that she can go to a two week summer program at Earlham. The program is designed to offer a "taste of college" with actual, although shortened, classes taught by Earlham faculty. Then, she plans to return at least once in the fall before ED applications are due to do an overnight. That should give her enough insight and time to decide if its the right school for her and if she really wants to commit to ED or do their EA option along with some other schools. Most of the worries about applying ED are mine. I think, on some level, that I personally would like to know how she does at the other schools on her list. You know, it sure would be nice to be able to brag a bit. :) But, seriously, I do trust her judgment. She is a pretty serious kid who very seldom goes against what she feels is the right choice for her. Stay tuned --- I'll let you know in the fall what she decides.</p>
<p>And, thank you, parents, for all that I have learned from watching your kids go through the process!</p>
<p>Carolyn, my son's best friend during his elementary years ended up at Earlham last fall. He's an international kid, IB diploma, has lived in Europe and the Middle East. A thinker. Could have applied to many different places and he chose Earlham. Single-minded too.</p>
<p>Carolyn, Do you mean that Earlham allows three choices -- RD, ED, or EA? This is a wonderful approach. Are there other colleges that are doing the same?</p>
<p>Considering the extensive research and visiting that you and your daughter have done and the energy that you've both put into the quest, I sincerely doubt that a wrong choice will be made.</p>
<p>Momrath - Dickinson has the same three choices of RD, ED, and EA. My D applied ED to Kenyon but was simultaneously applying EA to Dickinson, as this was permitted under the Kenyon ED plan.</p>
<p>One more voice of ED experience: My son had a very clear first choice and the ED route was a healthy and happy choice. He has had no regrets or second thoughts. From his perspective it was one application and then time in his senior year to develop internship activities and skills rather than do multiple applications and worry through the waiting. I am grateful there was this option and that he took it.</p>
<p>I did have to get over some of MY disappointment at not visiting more schools, or learning what his options might be, or seeing him courted along the way. But that was definitely me, not him. And now, as I watch parents wrestling with choices, etc., I am glad to not be doing that....And besides, with CC I have been able to vicariously visit, ponder, and enjoy the courting of others' kids--without paying multiple airfares....</p>
<p>We did insist he visit/interview/overnight at one other school--the second choice, before agreeing to ED--just so he was making a genuine comparison.</p>
<p>We also did see some January senioritis--but here too there was the advantage that it was ES (early senioritis) and the midterm progress reports led to a rapid recovery from slacking with ample time to undo any consequences that might have a permanent effect on his record.</p>
<p>Coming in late on this one.</p>
<p>Looks like we might be the only recruited athlete scenario reporting on this thread. S was recruited by all the Ivies, chose to visit only three to minimize disruption to school and training. Spent weekends at Y, P and H, in that order. Was very decisive, for various reasons, about wanting to apply ED to P. Parents offered arguments for the other two, just to make sure S was sure. He was. My understanding is that coaches prefer athletes to apply ED so they know as early as possible what their team roster will look like, although there was no pressure from the coach whatsoever.</p>
<p>All went well, despite motherly anxiety developed from reading horror stories on this site about recruitment disappointments and coaches from hell. S is terrifically happy about his choice, although I do wonder if he is really the P "type" as, while academically qualified, he is not preppie-ish. Perhaps he will metamorphize before next Thanksgiving?</p>
<p>In retrospect, for this family, ED was wonderful. One application. College decision known before Christmas. P gear under the Christmas tree. S is happy, has kept grades up. Parents privately getting teary-eyed at the thought of S leaving in the Fall, but that's an occupational hazard, yes?</p>
<p>We had a positive expereince that potentially could have echoed jmmom's, but went the opposite way. S had been a huge UMich fan forever, but from the day he set foot on the Columbia campus, he knew it was his number one. He applied to UM rolling, and Columbia ED. the Michigan acceptance came a month before the ED would be announced. At that moment, he felt he couldn't lose; he was going to his first or second choice school. For that month, I kept asking S if he was absolutely sure, since if accepted by C, then he'd have to turn down UM Honors. He never swerved. He applied to C solely because it was his clear first choice, not for strategic reasons. He did not admit to one second of buyers remorse when he got the acceptance. A few days later, however, UM awarded him a huge merit scholarship.. In our minds, the ED was binding, so we never even had a discussion about whether he should change because of the money. And I'm glad of that, because it was clear that he was heading to the school he most wanted, and I'd've felt pretty bad pressuring him to change his mind. It was a different scenario from jmmom's because though he loved both schools, he felt a clear preference for one.</p>
<p>Having that decided in December was as good a reason for ED as any. He was thrilled with being done with the whole thing</p>
<p>In answer to your questions:</p>
<p>D applied ED. We visited a total of ten schools and compiled a final list of seven. She chose to apply ED to her #1 choice because everything about the school appealed the most to her, i.e., "if chosen, I will attend." She also spent a weekend at her #2 choice, from which she returned with a very positive attitude, but still with the same conviction about #1.</p>
<p>After she came back down to earth after receiving the big envelope in December, the only "regret" she had was that she would never know if she would have been accepted to any of the other schools on her list. On the flip side, she also would never receive a rejection letter. After attending the accepted students reception in our area, she felt even more convinced that she had made the right decision.</p>
<p>I can say that, compared to when her older brother went through this process four years ago, having a child who knows where s/he is going to college makes life in the home much more tolerable!</p>
<p>I personally am a fan of ED versus EA because it makes the statement to the school that the applicant is serious about attending. D's classmates who really wanted to attend a specific school were dismayed that they had only EA because it didn't communicate their desire strongly enough. It's also important to have your Plans B, C, D, etc., ready to be implemented.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>On my advice, my daugher went ED and was accepted. On the plus side, it was very painless - I could see a rising stress level that just vanished overnight. Also, she is thrilled about the school.</p>
<p>On the minus side, althought she visited the school and researched it, I feel that if she had, in April, several schools to choose from, she would have sweated the precise choice more. Also, one of the RD applications did not act on our cancellation and gave her a great merit scholarship - at a great school. Would have been interesting to have a couple of choices like that in pocket when deciding.</p>
<p>So, while we are very happy at this point, I might not advise RD if I had to do it again.</p>
<p>as a warning carolyn,</p>
<p>My son applied EA to Chicago. If we had had the money and he could have, he would have probably applied ED. Interestingly, after a 4 day visit at WASHU this month, he saw that IT was really a better first choice for him. Now, he is going there. Would UChicago have been a mistake? Probably not, but the educational options in his interest area ARE better at WASHU and he had not realized it by November.</p>