Talk to me about Early Decision

Parents Forum
1

Pros and cons? What happens if you apply ED and are rejected/waitlisted? Do other schools know/care about such a happenstance? If you are acccepted ED does that mean you don’t even have to apply to other schools? How does all this work? Is it typically the stronger or weaker students who do this, or just the ones who want the school the most?

The school my daughter is considering going ED for has a deadline of 11/15. We think she’d got an excellent chance of admission under any circumstances, and I’ve been led to believe that an ED application would improve her FA package. But is there a downside I’m not seeing?

Love to hear ED expeiences, pro and con. Thanks!

2

First find out if the ED is really ED or EA. Usually Early Decision or ED means that if the student is accepted at that school she is obligated to go there unless there are serious extenuating circumstances, so yes, it does mean that you don’t have to apply to other schools if you are accepted. Usually one can only apply to one school ED. Early Action or EA the student simply applies early and recieves their decision early. Often they can apply to as many EA schools as they want.
In terms of ED specifically, sometimes the acceptance rates for ED applicants are slightly higher. Another pro is that often senior year grades are not figured into the admissions decision (but that is no excuse to slack senior year. It is mostly a pro for those students who don’t need those senior grades to boost their GPA).
The main downsides are the lack of options in terms of applying to multiple schools and less time to prepare (or add to through senior activities) applications or essays.
If the ED applicants have an advantage for getting financial aid (whether it is need based or merit based) it will usually say so on the college’s website.

3

In another thread, you mention being concerned about paying your EFC which is about 25% of your gross income.

I don’t think you can expect better aid by applying ED. I’m not sure where you heard that.

Anyway, what is your plan if your DD gets accepted, but the FA is not enough?

the problem you could face is this:

Every year, in Dec, we see posts from people who got into their ED school, but the school expectss the family to pay more than they can pay. The student was laser-focused on the ED school, and waited for the results before applying elsewhere.

The problem is that if the student has an unaffordable EFC, then that will exist at many other schools. BUT the student missed the Fall deadlines for merit scholarships at the schools that give large merit. So, the student is in a bad situation.

If you let your child apply ED, then also insist that she simultaneously apply to some financial safeties. These will be schools that you know you can afford because all costs are covered by ASSURED huge merit scholarships and/or family funds.

Do you know how much your family can comfortably afford to pay each year (assuming that you’re not stretched to the point that your household could not sustain the 8-16 large unexpected expenses that typically will come during a 4 year period (such as dental work, car repairs, car replacement, home repairs, appliance replacement, etc?)

4

PARENTS
Dont let your child apply ED to any school UNLESS you CAN afford to pay full tuition and room and board.
Doing so closes off too many options for both you and your child- financial and otherwise.
Save yourself and your child a lot of heartache, OMG’s and second guessing.

5

There have been some developments since that early thread, mom2collegekids, so things don’t look as bleak as they did at the time. For one thing, I discovered that the EFC number I had been using was just a vague guess. A month or so ago I had a long talk with the FA counselor at this school and was directed to the FAFSA forecaster to get a more accurate prediction. That exercise resulted in a number MUCH closer to what we can actually pay–less than 20% of our income. I also discovered that there is family money available in a trust that is not considered an asset, but will be available when it comes time to pay bills.

And this school is generous. The information I have from the FA counselor is, essentially, that we would not be expected to come up with more than the EFC if they want my student to attend. ED would help on that score–the Admissions dept hands out merit aid early and the ED applicants have a better shot at getting a larger share. Too, my daughter is a legacy there which slices a certain amount right off the top. So I’m a lot more optimistic about being able to meet the costs of THIS school than I was earlier.


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The problem is that if the student has an unaffordable EFC, then that will exist at many other schools. BUT the student missed the Fall deadlines for merit scholarships at the schools that give large merit. So, the student is in a bad situation.<<

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I’m confused by the idea of fall deadlines for merit scholarships at schools that give large merit. Doesn’t the student have to apply first, and aren’t those deadlines all pretty much December 15 or later? The ED app deadline is 11/15, and I know this school provices FA information simultaneously with acceptances. So wouldn’t we know in time to make other arrangements if the FA package isn’t acceptable?


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Anyway, what is your plan if your DD gets accepted, but the FA is not enough?<<

Dont let your child apply ED to any school UNLESS you CAN afford to pay full tuition and room and board.
Doing so closes off too many options for both you and your child- financial and otherwise. Save yourself and your child a lot of heartache, OMG’s and second guessing.<<

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This is what confuses me. ED is not described as a commitment to attend no matter what the cost. If it were, where’s the school’s incentive to give ANY financial aid? And why on earth would anyone ever do it?

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There are schools with deadlines earlier than Dec 15 for merit scholarships. Many are in November or December 1.

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The problem is that if the student has an unaffordable EFC, then that will exist at many other schools. BUT the student missed the Fall deadlines for merit scholarships at the schools that give large merit. So, the student is in a bad situation.<<

I’m confused by the idea of fall deadlines for merit scholarships at schools that give large merit. Doesn’t the student have to apply first, and aren’t those deadlines all pretty much December 15 or later? The ED app deadline is 11/15, and I know this school provices FA information simultaneously with acceptances. So wouldn’t we know in time to make other arrangements if the FA package isn’t acceptable?

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NO, those deadlines are NOT mostly Dec 15th or later. Many are mid Nov or Dec 1st.

And, even the ones that have Dec 15 deadlines, those deadlines can be confusing. That is sometimes the date that ALL materials must be RECEIVED…app, scores, transcripts.

By the time an ED student receives his/her FA award, it is often AFTER December 15th. But even if a student got his FA pkg by Dec 15th, that doesnt’ leave enough time to review, determine that it’s not affordable, and then submit the apps for the big merit schools.

AND…many students find out that their high schools won’t send transcripts in mid Dec…they’re busy with other things, previous requests, etc.

8

<<<
A month or so ago I had a long talk with the FA counselor at this school and was directed to the FAFSA forecaster to get a more accurate prediction. That exercise resulted in a number MUCH closer to what we can actually pay–less than 20% of our income


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This sounds confusing. Which FAFSA forecaster were you directed to?

Isn’t this a CSS Profile school? If so, then FAFSA is mostly irrelevant.

9

Use the Net Price Calculator on the school’s site for the most accurate number. Also, if you own a business or have excessive assets (like rental properties) the calculators tend not to be very accurate

10

I think the thing you need to think about is: What is the upside in your case about applying ED?

ED applicants generally get a little boost in GPA/SAT scores. Does your daughter need that?

ED get merit aid…but I am not sure if it is more or less than anyone else.

My daughter did ED…she didn’t need the boost, we can be full pay (state school) but this was her top choice and why apply to other schools that she probably would not get better financial aid then at this school.

11

Many schools that award significant merit aid require the student apply by the early action deadline, typically somewhere between Nov 1-15th.

12

Applying ED is basically a promise from the student to the school that if accepted, the student will attend. It is much more than saying- “I like your school a lot and hope to attend”.
The assumption would be that the family has looked at other schools, considered other possibilities, and carefully run numbers as accurately as possible to have a sound belief that the student/family is ready to make and keep the promise.
No, they don’t throw a student in jail for reneging if they were just dreamers. And, there can be sound reasons to renege, assuming a person has truly done all they could to research and make an informed, good faith promise, but seriously, those reasons are few. Most that renege, imo, are just those that were too impetuous, or just dreaming about finances. I like post 3.
In cases like that, a serious life lesson is learned about the importance of giving and keeping one’s word.

I’ve said this before, and it’s not a quote of mine, but it has been said that if integrity was easy, we’d all have it.

Others may correct me on this, but it is my understanding that if accepted ED, the student is expected to withdraw his/her app from any other school. It is my understanding that if accepted ED one is not permitted to then apply to other schools. When one chooses ED it isn’t a bidding war.

13

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This sounds confusing. Which FAFSA forecaster were you directed to? Isn't this a CSS Profile school? If so, then FAFSA is mostly irrelevant.>>

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I was guided to the FAFSA4caster.gov. And yes, the school does also require the CSS profile. Given all the variables, the counselor said the FAFSA forecaster would be our best predictor of EFC. Even their own NPC wasn’t going to be helpful beyond a certain point. Each student’s situation is different and there’s not enough detail in the NPC.


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Many schools that award significant merit aid require the student apply by the early action deadline, typically somewhere between Nov 1-15th.<<

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Good to know! Thank you.


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I think the thing you need to think about is: What is the upside in your case about applying ED? ED applicants generally get a little boost in GPA/SAT scores. Does your daughter need that?<<

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She does not need the academic boost; she’s a good candidate for this school academically. She also is an athlete and the coach wants her for the JV (a really great entry point for a very competitive varsity squad). Her GPA and transcript is excellent; and she’s taking the SAT again on 10/3 but even without another go her scores are respectable.

The real upside is that we would all be able to relax the rest of the year if this works out.


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ED get merit aid...but I am not sure if it is more or less than anyone else.<<

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I was told that no question, it helps. There are a lot of different specific scholarships and so forth that are given out and the pool of money available is that much smaller by the time the RD acceptances are made.


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My daughter did ED...she didn't need the boost, we can be full pay (state school) but this was her top choice and why apply to other schools that she probably would not get better financial aid then at this school.<<

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Your last point is what my daughter is thinking: This is her top choice and she wants them to know it. So I’m trying to find out if there’s any reason NOT to go ahead and try. She knows we must include a couple of other options as financial safeties but I don’t know–given her level of love for this school and its opportunities, I think we’ll end up doing whatever we can to make it work.

14

If you have reason to believe that financially your daughter’s ED choice will work for you then yes, ED is a solid strategy. I haven’t seen evidence that ED financial aid packages are greater than RD packages, but I see plenty of evidence that actual need-based family contributions under ED come out reliably close to those estimated by the net price calculators.

Where it is a risk financially is if you have a complicated financial profile, where you are looking for merit aid or where you might get even better packages if you were to compare and negotiate. The assumption that merit aid would be greater for ED applicants seems off base to me as there would be no reason to incentivize an ED application.

I believe that an ED application can give a signficant admissions boost, especially for a lop-sided or borderline student, but the advantage varies by school. It worked well for my son, and I am personally grateful that he had that option.He has never regretted it.

If a student has a clear first choice and you are reasonable assured that the money will work out, then I’d say the risk of not applying ED is greater than the risk of applying. You don’t your daughter to miss the best shot.

One other point that may or may not be meaningful: After receiving an ED acceptance, the student is meant to withdraw all other applications, so they never know whether they would have been accepted to other schools on thire short list. This sounds petty, but it does mean that they miss out on the excitement when the acceptances start rolling in in March/April.

Many ED applicants are deferred instead of being out right rejected. This means that their applications go into the RD pool and that they can apply to other schools, including those that offer EDII, which is a second try at another ED choice. As far as I know there is no ED waitlist; just accept, reject, defer. Other schools will not know about a student’s ED rejections or deferral, though if they don’t withdraw other applications after receiving an ED acceptance theyrun the risk of losing the ED offer.

I would also note that there may be an emotional element in applying ED. The student is told that they must love the ED school above all others with all their heart and soul, but at the same time be prepared to bounce back and transfer that unconditional love to another choice should things not work out. I subscribe to the wisdom of having all other applications ready to go well before the ED decision date, and trying not to get overly and exclusively emotionally invested in the ED school.

Also, individual schools have different rules about simultaneous non-binding applications: some allow EA applications, some allow State University applications. It’s a good idea to take advantage of any back-up plans that are offered.

15

Yes it is described as such. The college board website says:

https://professionals.collegeboard.com/guidance/applications/early

Though technically, one can decline based on finances. In my opinion if the FA package comes anywhere close to the NPC you are obligated.

This sounds wrong. If the school uses the CSS Profile, that EFC is typically larger than the FAFSA and their NPC should be more accurate. (If it’s not, they are doing their prospective students a disservice. Was the “counselor” your HS counselor or a representative of the college?)

To answer your original question:
Pro: If you get in, ED can make your application season much nicer—you’re done early and you spend less time and money on all those apps.
Con: You cannot compare FA packages. Also, as momrath said “but it does mean that they miss out on the excitement when the acceptances start rolling in in March/April”. Along the same lines you’ll never know whether you would have gotten into those other schools. (But these last two are minor points.)

We did ED because my S was sure of the school (and we were too),we ran the NPC and felt we could afford it, and decided we could live with the “cons”.

Don’t do ED unless you are sure about your choice.

16

OP,
Your DD AND her HS Counselor HAS to sign a contract that acknowledges that she understands what applying ED means- that IF she is accepted she has committed to them that she WILL attend.
Colleges that offer ED, and the HS’s that abide by the ED system for the advantages it does offer, do NOT take well to those who really shouldn’t apply ED because the reality is they cant afford to pay full price.

Understand that if you HAVE to have FA or merit $$ in order for you to be able to pay for your DD to go to college, then applying ED is NOT the smartest way to get it.
ED is right for some [wealthy] applicants, but it is not the smart route for most applicants

17

Since your D is an athlete and the coach wants her, find out if you can get an early read on an aid package. This is fairly common for ED applicants who are being recruited for a team. The online NPCs are a starting point, but having something personalized from the FA office is going to be more reassuring, especially if you have anything in your family life that doesn’t fit well into the NPC calculator (e.g. owning your own business or divorce).

If the FA award doesn’t meet up with your definition of being affordable, you are generally allowed to turn down the admission offer. There were (and may still be) a few schools that say that ED is binding no matter what financial award you receive; make sure that the school’s policy is consistent with your budget. And make sure your D knows that the school MUST be affordable in order for her to attend. It’s a special kind of pain to be admitted but not get enough aid to make the school feasible.

Both our D’s had successful ED applications. We are full-pay, so FA wasn’t an issue, but we did have to be concerned with planning for what happened if the ED result was deferral or rejection. We the parents said that any RD essays had to be completed early; it would’ve been no fun having to work on those after being turned down by your first choice school. Any early applications for merit aid or EA or our state schools also needed to be submitted before the ED. I figured we had leverage as long as the ED form still needed a parental signature. :slight_smile:

It was indeed a huge relief to have the entire process over and done with in December. The rest of senior year was far more relaxed.

18

<<<
I was guided to the FAFSA4caster.gov. And yes, the school does also require the CSS profile. Given all the variables, the counselor said the FAFSA forecaster would be our best predictor of EFC. Even their own NPC wasn’t going to be helpful beyond a certain point. Each student’s situation is different and there’s not enough detail in the NPC.


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does anyone else think it’s strange that the school’s FA person told the OP to use FAFSA4caster for the best predictor of what the family will have to pay. This is a CSS school. If this were true, why would the school bother to use CSS and why would it bother to have a NPC that doesn’t just mimic FAFSA4caster?

I don’t know what school this is, but their NPC should be including things that CSS Profile looks at that FAFSA doesn’t.

OP…did the school’s NPC give a different result than the Forecaster? If so, what did the NPC neglect to ask about? or what did the Forecaster neglect to ask about?

19

ClaremontMom, the counselor was an Associate Director of Financial Aid at the school in question.

According to the school’s own website’s Early Decision agreement: “Should a student who applies for financial aid not be offered an award that makes attendance possible, the student may decline the offer of admission and be released from the Early Decision commitment.” This goes hand in hand with the school’s stated commitment that money never be a reason someone doesn’t attend.


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does anyone else think it's strange that the school's FA person told the OP to use FAFSA4caster for the best predictor of what the family will have to pay. This is a CSS school. If this were true, why would the school bother to use CSS and why would it bother to have a NPC that doesn't just mimic FAFSA4caster?<<

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In my experience, the NPC seems to consist of only very general questions. I’ve done several for different schools, and they all seem to be designed to be quick more than specific. All of them have lots of cautions built in, too. For most of them our family’s EFC was about $7 - 10K higher than the FAFSA4caster prediction was. And since all the schools rely on the FAFSA to some extent, wouldn’t that be the best place to go for a prediction?

The counselor really discouraged relying too much on anyone’s NPC, including their own, because there are just too many variables. (Incidentally, there are no real wrinkles in our income situation–no businesses, no rental properties, and the only investments are 529 accounts. Very straightforward.)

The FAFSA4caster went into greater details, and as I understand it the CSS Profile–which I have never seen–goes into greater detail yet. The counselor told me that the CSS profile should actually work in our favor, since it will take into account the cost of living (and absurd property taxes) that we pay here in NJ. I was relieved to hear that from her, but I take it you don’t agree?

I’m off to do the forecaster and NPC again just to make sure I didn’t dream anything. Is there anywhere I can find a test CSS profile?

Thanks for the thoughts about the emotional risk, too. Once my D fell in love with this school (which has always been MY first choice, if only for the legacy connection) her heart has been set. We visited lots of other schools but sadly there are simply no public schools that have come close to being as attractive to her as the privates we’ve visited. So if the money can’t be made to work she’s going to be miserable somewhere. :frowning:

20

OK, wow, I just went back and did the NPC and FAFSA4caster again. I had them backwards in terms of detail. But still, they come up with very different amounts.

The FAFSA4caster gives an EFC of about $20K. The school’s NPC gives two numbers, the Net Price, and the Estimated Cost Remaining After Financial Aid. Both of those are substantially higher than the EFC.

However, the counselor told me that their job (the Financial Aid Office’s job) is to meet the difference between the EFC and the cost of attendance. It’s our job to meet the EFC. Assuming that the best source of reliable information about the school is its own officers, I’m going to take this as encouraging. :slight_smile: