Quick question, in general, what is the latest date one could change the ED application to an RD? I applied to Columbia ED for a few other schools EA. I know very well what I got myself into, that I must attend Columbia even if cross-admitted, and I’ll be happy with that. But just out of curiosity, in the dream and highly improbable situation that a particular EA school gives me a place a few days or even hours before Columbia’s decisions are released, is that too late to call the office and ask to switch to RD so as not to be bound by ED?
(just to be more transparent, that school was MIT. My scores are competitive, but I’m an international and I decided it’s just not worth the risk of not applying Columbia ED. They are both equals in my heart - at MIT the crazy people will sustain me while at Columbia NYC will sustain me. Two very different purposes for attending and I figure I’d try to go to the other for grad if I didn’t get one for undergrad. Of course, most families would make sure you never hear the end of it if you got into MIT EA and had to choose Columbia because of ED.)
My guess is that trying to switch after a private college’s EA notification date, if not against the letter of the “law,” is certainly against the spirit. So even if they may entertain your request at such a late date, I would expect that they would further balance your request against your perceived interest (or rather lack) in attending Columbia and make ther admissions decision accordingly.
So if you’re really concerned about being locked into a decision, you should make the change now, not later.
Understood everything you said. I’ll be very happy and am very interested to attend Columbia. As I said, it’s a “dream and highly improbable” situation. It’s just, a few days before the release of results, you always end up asking “what if…what if…”.
I made that decision because I love Columbia and I’ll never regret it. But let’s just say, December 14th, MIT gives a positive and Columbia isn’t released. Come on, I can’t be the only one that has this problem. I’m just asking if anyone has any experience with this exact situation. A 1.3% chance (.19*.07) is still a chance…
You should assume that any “loophole” that a 17 y/o applicant has “discovered” has long ago been closed by a 40 y/o admissions officer. This is a “what if” scenario that I would not mess with, lest your 1.3% chance become a 0.0% chance. In which case, you will be wondering “What if I moved to RD earlier?” or “What if I never changed to RD?”