UCB is right. Make sure you use the SCEA rule exceptions to your advantage.
Under Stanford’s rules, for example, a kid can apply early to private schools with “early deadlines for scholarships or special academic programs as long as the decision is non-binding.” So EA to USC frequently accompanies SCEA to Stanford.
These are great tips for folks applying SCEA. Unfortunately none of son’s other schools have EA or rolling. They are all either ED or RD. And the rules for his SCEA school only allow applications to public or rolling admissions schools. But based on all the stories and advice here, I think we now have a strategy. So I’m feeling much better!
@lr4550 Whitman has a blanket waiver for everyone who applies by Dec 1. It’s mentioned on their web site. So it doesn’t go by person or by code or anything. Just submit by that date.
We also have a couple schools where we got a fee waiver for submitting a pre-application (“application part 1”) by a certain date. It was basically a form similar to the ones where you sign up for email lists.
When someone is doing SCEA he or she is probably aware of $300,000 price tag in the next four years. Application fees like $125 probably won’t be in the equation.
ProfMom – just make sure you read the fine print on all of the EA/ED/SCEA rules. There’s a few quirks that would not be intuitive or obvious.
Yale, for example, specifically lets you apply Yale SCEA and also ED2 to other private schools (Vandy, Chicago, Emory, etc.). But HPS do not appear to allow ED2.
Or take a look at USC’s “regular decision/scholarship” admissions policy. It clearly gets around Stanford’s SCEA rules (which have the scholarship exception). But you could possibly read it to also be allowed under the HYP SCEA rules too.
Since USC says it doesn’t have EA or ED – only RD. But if you apply for a scholarship, your RD app has to be in by 12/1 and then you hear back RD in February. Sounds kind of like EA, but it is officially RD…
@jzducol the SCEA schools usually have the best financial aid for middle class families. It probably won’t to amount to as much as merit aid, but it can still be a significant help to families. Many families have money tied up in ways that make it hard to free up for spending even though on paper you look relatively wealthy.
@northwesty hearing by February, isn’t going to help you with most private colleges (at least the ones my kids applied to) which usually have a late December or early January deadline.
Math – Any degree of earlier is more helpful than later.
Agree that hearing in Feb may not let you reduce/avoid the number of RD apps you submit. But certainly can help you with the ultimate decision. Getting all your feedback on 4/1 doesn’t leave much time for accepted student visits, haggling over FA awards and all the other things relevant to picking among acceptances.
Some students have significant financial need and are applying SCEA to schools that pledge to meet full need for all. They won’t be looking at $300,000 price tags. Some might actually get application cost waivers as well.
And $125 is $125. Doesn’t matter how much you make.
@northwesty Thanks for all that! Son’s other schools only have ED and RD, and we decided against any ED (1 or 2) because we don’t want to be on the hook for the $$$. But two of them do have 12/1 scholarship deadlines for the RD applications, so those will go by 12/1. I don’t think those two in any way violate the rules of the SCEA since they are technically RD and we would only hear from one of those before regular notification if son was invited for the scholarship weekend. But all these rules are indeed tricky! I kind of wish there was some standardization with all these policies. Between the FA forms and all the apps, I am missing a lot.
I think that regardless of what happens in December, son will have a busy travel month in Apr. I’ve told him he can visit his top 2-3 (affordable) schools for an overnight if he hasn’t decided by then.
^^Most good schools waive application fees for low income applicants… and a student may pay less at a well-endowed private college than (s)he would at a state university. Run the NPC before ruling out a private college based on cost.
@TheGreyKing Thanks for commenting! We actually are applying to all private institutions and can afford the EFC, but we don’t want to be obligated to pay that if son gets a scholarship somewhere. Plus, and more importantly, he just isn’t sure yet where he wants to go of the 8 on his list. I’m so happy that he LOVED his safety school and will almost certainly get merit $ there. We won’t qualify for the fee waiver, just trying to keep apps and costs down where I can, esp if we end up paying in full that EFC!
Great that he loves his safety, among other schools he also likes. That is a good position to be in. Good luck!
Plan was SCEA: Private Reach, EA: 2 Public Safety, then for the Regular Decision round: (all private) 1 Reach, 1 Safety, 4 Match. The way it worked out was accepted at all early, declined the safeties, did not submit the RD match apps. Accepted at RD reach with a likely letter, and accepted at the RD safety. Chose to attend the RD reach, which was really first choice all along, but Naviance showed much, much better SCEA boost at first reach so played the numbers game even though it wasn’t the first choice. The important thing was that even though there was a favorite, Son would have been OK with any of the schools. Important to have a safety that still brings a smile rather than tears.
We are struggling with S18s motivation to write supplemental essays for RD schools. Most of his targets are ED or RD so we are stuck with RD. But - his reach and 2 safeties have EA. I want him to have supplemental essays done for RD and ready to go (3 different schools with their own prompts so unlikely we can use the same essay). If he gets into his reach, we won’t bother to submit the other apps.Of course, he is thinking - I get a break until mid-December. I really don’t want to be nagging him about essays during Christmas but I know it is inevitable. :-S
@Momma2018 Yes. That is exactly what I am facing with S18. And all his apps have multiple writing supplements. UGH. But yeah, I started thinking what’s worse? S18 having to do work, possibly “extra/unused” work or both of us being totally stressed out. In the interest of my mental health, I think the former. Besides he groans regardless, so I figure low stress groaning is better than high stress groaning.
D17 applied to her safety early (rolling admissions—not CA). She sent test scores, transcripts, and LOR (via Naviance) in September to all 10 on her list and was working on essays early fall. Decided mid-October that Wellesley had clearly risen to the top and so finished up the CA and supplements getting them in for the ED deadline at the end of the month. Did no more work on other supplements during November. If ED was a deferral she would have finished the other applications. If a rejection, she would have probably dropped one of her reaches. Essays were far enough along that she would have been working hard on RD apps, but it would have been doable. She got in ED so that was that. Only regret was ordering scores early and so wasting that money.
Some kids really feel knocked down if they don’t get into their EA or ED choice, and then have a hard time picking themselves up to finish their other apps. Or occasionally the ED or EA acceptance comes, but there are appeals and wrangling over the FA package. My kids’ apps all took longer than they expected, too.
I always recommend that students keep plugging away at all their apps. I also tend to encourage them to put in their RD apps even if they get a nice EA acceptance. They might find by May or at the accepted student visits that they don’t have the same preferences they expected to have (even if they visited before). In general I’m a fan of keeping options open til May (unless you have a binding ED acceptance with an acceptable FA package, of course).
I agree with you @intparent. I would like the RD essays to be close to done just in case. As you say, depending on financial package, etc, he may still want to apply to some of the RD. It is only EA so not binding. I remember last year one of S18s friends got into an Ivy early action but still put in the other apps. And can you believe some other parents were complaining that he was being selfish and “taking” another kid’s spot at the RD schools? I think with a major decision like this, they have to keep their options open.
It isn’t just for financial reasons. My D2 got in EA to a school ranked in the top 5 of USNWR national universities. She had visited all the choices ahead of applying. She ended up getting in everywhere she applied (8 schools) and did accepted student visits to her top 3 choices. Guess what? That EA school that had been top of her list going in really flopped at her accepted students visit. #2 didn’t put their best foot forward, either. Dark horse #3 was spectacular-- and she ended up there. Perfect for her, and she graduated last spring. 24 hours on campus gives a better view than a half day visit. It is tempting to stop the stress after an EA acceptance and stop applying, but at least in my kid’s case, we are really glad she didn’t.