<p>Realizing that there are thousands of kids who apply early decision to a school, there must be many who change their minds after getting an acceptance (and not due to financial reasons or inability to pay) really realize that they made a mistake. Nothing in life is permanent i.e. (divorces--until death do we part, women who have a tubal ligation or men with vasectomy--have a change of heart, etc, etc).</p>
<p>So what would likely happen if a 17 yr old yr old really changed their minds after applying to many EA schools and then applied ED to one school--but after much debate really found that the ED school would not be a fit)?</p>
<p>Have you heard of anything like this in your academic community or know a kid where this happened? Would love to know your thoughts.</p>
<p>There have been many threads on this. ED is not for "changing your mind." Students should not apply to ED if financial aid is a determining consideration. And while a student can not be forced to attend the ED college, many ED colleges can--and do--inform other colleges to which the student applied to let them know about this dishonorable behavior. There are many instances where student has admissions to the second school rescinded after second school is notified by the ED school. It is particularly lethal if ED school and second school are peers, e.g., Ivy League or top LAC's. If the student is renouncing ED admissions to Yale in favor of, say, the University of Wyoming, there will probably be yawns all the way around. If renouncing Amherst in favor of Wellesley, the student should be prepared to wind up at the University of Wyoming when the dust settles.</p>
<p>The bottom line is: Don't apply ED unless you're absolutely sure.</p>
<p>And every years some student (and/or parents) try to game the system.</p>
<p>Death by lethal injection. Columbia has been most open about it. They will not release you to apply to any schools they consider competitive (as THEY define it), and will only release you to apply to state schools, and only under extreme circumstances. They say it happens to about 2 students a year. The admissions departments have good relations with most of their counterparts elsewhere, and know that the acceptance will be honored by them. With so many other good applicants out there, why would a school risk taking one already honor-bound to another school?</p>
<p>
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They will not release you to apply to any schools they consider competitive (as THEY define it), and will only release you to apply to state schools, and only under extreme circumstances.
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I don't understand why a school thinks that it owns you! ED is not the NFL, NBA or NHL draft. They are not offering a hs senior salary and benefits, or otherwise directly investing in a hs senior.</p>
<p>gsp, Early decision is an agreement between the college and the applicant. The school agrees to review your application and give you an answer well before the normal acceptance deadlines. The applicant agrees to attend that college if accepted. If you as the applicant feel this is too restrictive, then, simple, don't apply ED.</p>
<p>Even though ED is a legal agreement, it's not likely that legal action will be taken toward someone who doesn't honor the agreement. They can't MAKE you attend their college and I've never heard of any cases in which a college tried to extract financial damages, like tuition payment.</p>
<p>Instead the penalties can directed toward the applicants other choices or even toward future applicants from the same highschool. Colleges are serious about this agreement and applicants should be too.</p>
<p>Changed circumstances (for instance unexpected severe financial hardship) are viewed less harshly than "changed minds."</p>
<p>If you are <em>certain</em> at this point (November 29, before the notification date) that the ED school is a bad fit and you should not / wish not to accept an offer of admission ... then write or phone the school and withdraw your application.</p>
<p>Another point regarding the original query: Many ED schools do not permit you to apply to EA schools in any case (rolling admissions is ok, but not the same as EA). And a number of EA schools are single-choice early action. So the multiple early apps are a little iffy as a starting premise.</p>
<p>I'm astounded by the snobbery and arrogance of this board! The tongue in cheek attempt at humor is offensive. Surely, I'm not the only one who feels this way! I enjoy the information and benefit from the experiences of others here, but stabs at state schools are uncalled for!</p>
<p>Of those very few who don't enroll - some are probably financail reasons. </p>
<p>As for what happens to those very few who just decide to change their mind -- it is my understanding that schools share their lists of ED admits and that other schools will therefore not consider someone accepted ED elsewhere. Also, since GC's generally have to sign ED forms and are supposed to really explain the implications of ED to an applicant, it could possibly affect futer ED applicants to that college from your HS.</p>
<p>ED just isn't something to be entered into lightly - you are supposed to have done all your research ahead of time so that you can confidently sign knowing that you won't change your mind - if you can't do that, ED isn't for you.</p>
<p>FWIW, I know a woman who works in the financial aid dept of an eastern LAC. She told me at their school the student loses the deposit (I think she said about $400) but they don't take legal action or anything.
I'm sure it varies by school.</p>
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She told me at their school the student loses the deposit (I think she said about $400) but they don't take legal action or anything.
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</p>
<p>I'm confused. ED applications do not require deposits. Some students, whether admitted ED, RD, EA, SCEA, send deposits to secure housing, and some do change their minds (hence the summer meltdown which actually begins in April) and forfeit their deposits, but that is a separate issue from violating ED agreement.</p>
<p>My cousin back in 1972 applied early decision to brown and was accepted. For some reason applied regular decision to dartmouth too and also got in. Figuring it would be okay he then sent back decision to dartmouth to attend. Within 24h of them recieving that they sent him a letter rescinding the offer and acceptance because they learned he had violated the early decision agreement with brown. Within the next 24h he got a letter from brown also rescinding the original early decision offer and acceptance and was notified by them that he his name would be placed on a list and he would never be able to apply or be accepted at any ivy league school because of violating the original brown early decision aggreement.</p>
<p>Bravo LefthandofDog! :D We don't need to diss U of Wyoming to discuss this very important topic/question.</p>
<p>I think there is such a "trend" today in some circles to apply "early" some where that some have lost sight of the fact that ED is not for everyone. It should only be entered into if they are absolutely certain and have NO doubts and are willing to accept the offer if given. It is not meant to be just a way to find out early and then decide what you want to do. </p>
<p>I know someone who was accepted ED to Tufts last year. However, she was also admitted to the direct medical program at Drexel. I don't know the details, but she's now attending Drexel and wasn't reprimanded in any way by Tufts.</p>
<p>"I'm astounded by the snobbery and arrogance of this board! The tongue in cheek attempt at humor is offensive."</p>
<p>Fair enough. But note it is Columbia, not the parents on this board, that says students may only be released to state schools - which are not "competitive" with them - and only under extreme circumstances. So if you don't like UWyoming, think State U. at Geneseo. If you think Columbia is dissing Geneseo, you could take it up with them. ;)</p>
<p>"I don't understand why a school thinks that it owns you!"</p>
<p>It's simply a quid pro quo. You get an answer early, only (if you get in) have to do single application, and you can coast the rest of the year: they get an candidate they want. It's an agreement both enter into freely.</p>