That tracks with our understanding, it’s not a casual thanks, see ya. Earlier comments suggested one could blithely move on, which is not how ED was explained to us.
Families who treat ED as EA with a hook might complicate matters for themselves and their kid. The signature on the ED agreemant is arguably not legally binding, but why mess with it? Use ED if it’s right for you, avoid if it isn’t right. We know both groups who have gotten into UChicago the past couple of years. The admission options are there for the students and families. They aren’t supposed to be tricky or complicated.
@LANYLA my previous comments are factually based and how ED is structured at UChicago and the majority of the schools that meet 100% demonstrated need.
Whether someone wants to bend the rules is not the intent of my post.
If funds are truly an issue, then there isn’t a school out there that would want that bad press. ED is as much about yield as it is funding.
The more a prospect knows, the better off they will be.
@Lanyla that is absolutely how it works, except you have a couple of problems if you ED somewhere (and want to compare offers). First, you can only ED to one college unless you have a very unscrupulous guidance counselor. So you get accepted ED, guess what, you have about two weeks to accept or REJECT the college. So no you don’t get to wait around and see if a better offer comes down during RD. Also, it is would be difficult (both colleges would have to allow this) to get a guidance counselor to sign off on an ED and EA application but that is the only case I can think of that you might get to compare offers if admitted to both. Bottom line if you FEEL that you can’t afford it, no one will bat an eye if you reject the offer of admittance.
Anyone did the “odd number” essay?
@CU123 Exactly how we understand ED. Many thanks!
But who does have the advantage of getting accepted to EA even though the majority of those who do EA get deferred
My view is that if you apply ED and get Deferred, just move on. The school probably does not think you are a fit. Why else would they pass up on a committed applicant?
Applying to one ED school and other EA schools is fine as long as the EA school applications do not come with strings. The EA applications in that instance are backups.
@Youngmis123 - outstanding applicants with a hook or particular talent might get in EA. It’s hard to say what they look for from year to year but the EA group and the RD group are obviously “meritable” (ie there’s a potential for merit aid) so they choose kids who are particularly stellar in some way and therefore likely competitive with several top colleges, not just UChicago. I don’t think there are hard and fast quotas on the number of ED/EA/ED2/RD admits because one large group of EA kids might be so extraordinary that it makes sense to admit them all, even if that cuts into the more certain ED pool. If the majority tend to be admitted ED1 and ED2 that’s because “the typical” kid who applies to UChicago is very bright and inquisitive, but otherwise not particularly distinguishable from other top applicants. ED allows you to signal to UChicago directly: “Hey, don’t worry, I’ll commit if accepted!” You are backing up all that enthusiasm on the application with a stated commitment. In a sense, you are doing Admissions’ work for them 
@CU123 ED, multiple EA, RA and switch to EDII was my son’s ultimate path. His guidance counselor was on top of things and knew it was a numbers game. We had multiple FA packages through EA before Chicago’s EDII.
@Youngmis123 those with strong hooks, legacies, recruited athletes, at UChicago specifically Lab students.
@fbsdreams describes the most rational approach. Not many guidance people are as on top as to advocate this, especially at a large public schools. The main thing that mitigates not knowing ‘how to play the game’ is that in the very long run, your college will not determine life happiness or limit achievement (in my opinion).
The urge to maximize and win the ‘best possible match’ is strong and I’m the first to admit that we put a lot of effort into both kids college process.
@fbsdreams mostly correct, but from first hand experience coaches tell recruited athletes that if they want to use the athlete hook, they need to apply ED1 or ED2, not EA.
@BrianBoiler EA/SCEA would apply to some schools.
@fbsdreams - Lab? Interesting. Knew it was feeder but didn’t realize that EA was good enough. Wonder if it’s the school or the particular kids. Good number of faculty brats at Lab.
@fbsdreams perhaps if those schools don’t have an ED round. Before UChicago added ED, the coaches used the EA round. However, every school my son was considering to become a student athlete (not just UChicago) said the same thing. “If you want me to advocate for you, you need to be committed to coming here.” Now we didn’t push back with “we aren’t sure we can afford it…,” so maybe if we would have they would have said ok then EA, but I doubt they would do that if they get plenty of student athletes trying for that spot.
@BrianBoiler MIT and majority of the Ivies are EA/SCEA along with other Tier I research DIII.
At UChicago specifically EA and EDI/II is important due to the relativity of the student athletes to the pool and rating scale. In the earlier rounds (EA/ED) the players will have an advantage and where coaches have pre-reads and slots. Yield is also maximized.
In RD competition is brutal and the committee typically rejects 1600 SAT’s and 35+ ACT’s in volume.
@fbsdreams I guess the point I want to clarify is that in the EA round at UChicago, being a recruited athlete won’t help you. If you are a recruited athlete at UChicago, the coaches tell you that the only way you get the benefit of the “hook” is if you go ED1 or ED2. Not EA, just ED1 or ED2. If you are an extra special case (going to be all conference in year 1) and you were hoping to use your ED or SCEA at some other school, but for some reason you got rejected (this does happen) then maybe a coach will advocate for you during the RD round, but I’d suspect that happens very very very rarely.
I do agree with you now that ED/EDII is employed at UChicago. For majority EA would lead to a defferal which would allow switch to EDII.
The recruiting boards (and coaching) are so fluid at schools, things can change, and do, all the way up to admission deadlines.
I’m starting to regret not doing the video interview…how much will this affect my decision? I applied ED and although they say it’s not regarded in application, one can assume only so much.
@HKimPOSSIBLE Here is a little life advice. Never regret. Always look at it as Reflect and Change. Regret does absolutely nothing good for you. Similarly to worry. If you would have said “I’m starting to worry about my decision to not submit a video interview…” I would have told you the same thing. Worrying about something that you can not change, does you nothing good.
The only thing you can do now is see what happens on Monday. If you are accepted, celebrate. If you are not, reflect on what you could have done differently and apply those leanings toward your next opportunity. Because there is nothing you can do, I’d suggest doing something to take your mind off this until you can pop open your portal. Lose yourself in a good book, feed the homeless, party like the world is going to end, go fishing…
Good Luck!!!