Can’t agree with you more, the ED really screws up the whole picture, particularly in a pandemic era with choice of test optional and even test blind. So tough and stressful for kids.
4 Likes
For anyone with a deferred ED like our DD, here’s the information sent to our school college advisor. (Email was sent through the advisor portal apparently - it was generic, not specific to any applicant.)
We are considering the “typically” for deferred as a range but counting on the low end given the high covid numbers.
I’m sharing a few highlights about this year’s ED pool at Williams:
* We received 815 ED applications, an increase over previous years, and a little more than 40% of the Class of 2026 will enroll through ED.
* Sixty percent of applicants and admitted students chose not to submit an SAT or ACT score.
* Twenty percent of ED applicants were deferred to the Regular Decision round where we’re anticipating more than 12,000 applications. Typically, 20-30 students deferred from ED are admitted during the RD process.
6 Likes
Very useful information. Thanks a lot!
1 Like
Yep. 12-18% chance according to that email. But, like I said, we are not going to go by that. There has been nothing “typical” about class of 2025 or now 2026.
Frustrating, but it is what it is.
1 Like
60% were admitted without ACT or SAT scores, and your daughter was deferred 
( her stats are amazing BTW)!!! They should have just gone test blind then. Not to stir the pot here but this year most students were able to take the test.
8 Likes
60 percent of all applicants not only admitted i think
I know it doesn’t mean much now, however, knowing that just 20% we’re deferred gives you and my daughter a little boost going into RD round. Thank you for sharing the infos and hope your daughter goes to the college as good as Williams, if not better.
2 Likes
I’m not surprised that applications are up not only b/c they continue to be test-optional, but because they replaced the optional supplemental essay questions with the option to submit an academic paper as your writing supplement. I still think that your D is a very strong candidate. It would be so interesting to know how many unhooked, nonathlete, female-identifying applicants from overrepresented states are accepted ED; I bet very few.
4 Likes
Definitely a very few and for such a group, the acceptance rate between ED and RD would be marginal.
Just going by numbers, seems for an approx 500 freshmen class about 200 were admitted in ED ( about 23% acceptance from 850 applicants).
This will mean there are about 300 spots to be filled …but given their yield at 46% … I would think they will like to rollout 700-800 offers in RD.
With about 8-9k applications in RD that would mean 8-9% acceptance.
1 Like
Agree with that. It is not 2020 anymore. The college should either go test blind, or require everyone to submit test scores and decide for itself how much to count the scores. A 17 year old student should not have to run game theory calculations as to whether they should submit a test score.
But I wonder if the no test score percentage was boosted by recruited athletes. Since the coach can get a pre-read, I suspect many coaches would submit without a test score for all recruits other than athletes with the absolute top scores, and if it comes back positive, feel pretty confident they will get admitted without test scores.
It does make me nervous, however, that schools are trying to prove that they really are test optional by targeting percentages that prove it. What would happen then is that kids with high scores get in, but kids who submit with scores around the median would lose to kids with lower scores who didn’t submit. Whole process seems ridiculous.
13 Likes
they said they anticipate 12,000 RD applications. Also you are not figuring in the recruited athletes that make up part of the ED acceptance number.
1 Like
I believe they are talking 60% for both - the admitted and total applicants
3 Likes
Couldn’t agree more! The process has become even more toxic, especially for the group of kids who have tested around the median.
3 Likes
Congrats to those that got in! Those that didn’t, these schools are always tough but throw in all the challenges that a worldwide pandemic adds and my goodness these kids deserve all the accolades! They will do exceptionally well wherever they land.
I have one at Amherst College that applied and got in RD and another here at Williams that was accepted ED last year. I am done, but if I can answer any questions feel free to reach out. 
4 Likes
My daughter was-hang in there Gotham!
Thanks for your kind words; I think you meant to reassure @scattermomgram. (The reply options on CC are wonky.) My D was accepted to Williams RD and is a first-year, after being deferred from a different NESCAC ED1. I think that means our Ds are classmates. 
3 Likes
I don’t know about NESCACS but recruited athletes were required to submit scores for D1/Ivy. From what I understand scores are quite a big part of the recruitment calculation bc teams are required to maintain a certain average. A coach will recruit a lesser athlete who is very strong academically to offset the athlete he really wants. Kids are often told the commitment is depended upon them hitting a certain score threshold.
This is not true. There are Ivies that do not necessarily require test scores from recruited athletes, and there are other D1s that allow recruited athletes to apply TO.
As for the NESCACs, generally they seem to be allowing athletes to apply TO, but there are certain coaches who strongly prefer test scores. That is true at some other non-NESCAC D3 TO schools as well.
1 Like
Got it - I think at some point it was? I remember reading something on the Columbia site but I see that the policy its definitely “no required” at the moment as you said.