What is the real benefit of apply EA and what about money?

<p>So yeah as the title says...and also if you apply EA does it affect the aid you get, like ED does? Also is it true that if you apply EA you are more likely to get merit money or is this just a myth? I figured I would ask the parents just because it's a money question, you've all been through it before (or well most of you) thanks for the help</p>

<p>I don't know if applying EA increases your chances of getting more money.
The good thing about EA is that it does increase your chances of admission (by how much depends on the college), and, if you're admitted, it gives you peace of mind. It still allows you to apply elsewhere RD and to compare finaid packages. You have until May 1 to commit either to the EA college or to an RD college that offered more money or which you liked better upon further reflection.</p>

<p>In sum, I don't know if if increases your chances of getting finaid or merit money; but it gives you flexibility that is lacking with ED.</p>

<p>Last year, Evil Robot was admitted EA to Yale but ended up going to Vandy b/c Vandy offered substantially more money.</p>

<p>I think even if you are admitted EA, you will not get an aid package until the FA packages go out to the RD students. At that point you get to compare packages (unless you simply do not apply for anymore schools after your EA admission). </p>

<p>When you apply ED you get your FA package pretty much at the same time you get your admissions letter.</p>

<p>Some of the less selective schools with various forms of EA (often titled something else, like immediate decision) are more like rolling decision schools. There may be certain scholarships and other forms of MERIT aid that go to EA admits.
I think Sybbie is correct about EA schools like MIT or Chicago.</p>

<p>Cangel, I think that you a right. Also, sometimes if you are applying regular decision to less selective schools, but get the application in early they will give you their decision just as early as the ea applicants or rolling schools (even if they are not officially rolling). This happened to the son of a friend of mine. He had all of his decisions last year, well before Christmas. He did not apply to any reach schools. They were all matches or safeties.</p>

<p>You do get merit money early, sometimes with your EA decision and sometimes about a month after. Fin Aid comes later most often as Sybbie says with your regular decision schools</p>

<p>Socks - For my DD applying EA was an obvious thing to do. (Like you) she needed FA to attend, and her EA school valued "demonstrated interest." Applying EA demonstrated that interest, and opened an early dialogue on her financial requirements. A month before RD applications were due DD was able to tell her EA choice "I love your school and finances permitting I'll be part of your Class of 2009." She was offered a very nice scholarship and now attends.</p>

<p>About the only negative I can think of is that EA acceptance removes the pressure for getting admitted "somewhere." Students accepted EA may be so relieved that they don't put their best efforts into RD applications.</p>

<p>We had several schools last year that presented merit offers in advance of formal 'acceptance'. I suppose that is a form of early write.</p>

<p>IMO the primary advantage of EA is not in your "chances", but in your having something you can relax about (assuming you get an acceptance), going foward with RD only to those schools you truly prefer to your EA school(s). No worries about having several safeties and whether they are truly "safe."</p>

<p>In S' case, he applied EA to more than one school. One gave merit aid within about 10 days of the acceptance. One gave merit aid at the same time as these awards were made to RD applicants. We were not candidates for need-based aid, but the un-subsidized Stafford loans, etc., came at the time need-based offers would have been made to RD applicants. I have definitely heard it said - but cannot prove - that "early bird gets worm" for merit aid at some schools.</p>

<p>My S applied EA to his entire list of schools last year, and received merit awards along with acceptance in Dec or Jan to 2 of the 4 schools. This is well before FAFSA can be filed, and truly indicated that those schools were indeed "need blind." Third accepted school waited until FAFSA's were filed to award merit aid, and the minimal aid told us that school was not "need blind" by any stretch. 1st choice school offered very generous merit in Jan w/acceptance letter. The decision was made almost immediately, and all stress was eliminated at a very early time of sr. year.</p>

<p>So, EA is a very good deal. You can eliminate a lot of senior year stress, and really find out if colleges are truly "need blind" for merit aid. If you are not filing FAFSA, you know immediately what each school will cost.</p>

<p>One note, rejection by your SCEA school does not reduce anxiety at all!</p>

<p>Truly, bandit~ the "beauties" of EA seem to disappear if the envelope is skinny :( Also, SCEA and EA are different animals, since SCEA right now is characteristic of the very most selective schools and you've got only that one app out there and that one - stress-laden - response in late fall. EA kids often have several apps out there and are much more likely to have a "relax"-able response from at least one of them.</p>

<p>Jmmom is right. A rejection in December can be devastating at a time when applicants need to put all their energies into RD applications. That is a real downside of ED/EA/SCEA.</p>

<p>thanks so much for the help! I appreciate all the responses!</p>

<p>I am retaking the SATs in October, so I will most likely get my scores in time for my application to be submitted by the EA deadline, but I won't take the ACTs still Oct 22, which won't make the Nov 1st deadline, should I still apply EA...or since I will put down on my application the date of my ACTs will tehy wait for those scores?</p>

<p>I believe the colleges will wait. They wait for Nov. SAT scores (or at least they claim they do).</p>

<p>"A rejection in December can be devastating at a time when applicants need to put all their energies into RD applications. That is a real downside of ED/EA/SCEA."</p>

<p>This is when the fine print of the school's policies makes a difference. S's ED school allowed rolling admissions. He applied to UMich ( his second choice school) and was accepted in October. At that point, he knew tht he was going to his first or second choice before he got the Ed notification in December--he had the most stressfree admissions season I've ever witnessed.</p>

<p>Socks - </p>

<p>Re: October SATs for EA application. DD retook SATs in October. Scores got to EA school in plenty of time. I don't think this will be a problem for you.</p>

<p>SocksRule: I don't think there's any downside to applying EA. Why anyone would apply ED is another matter, of course, but EA is wonderful. I think all schools should offer it. And, as others have said, it's really nice to know--early on--that you have been accepted to a school you'd like to attend. My daughter applied EA to two schools, and a third sent an early 'likely letter,' so the whole process was much less stressful than it might have been. And, in my opinion, SCEA is almost as bad as ED. (I hesitate to say on this board what students at the local high schools around here say about those who apply ED . . . so I won't.)</p>