Ok so I will receive a decision from my first-choice school in late January. Unfortunately, this school does not offer ED, so I applied EA. My second-choice (Boston University) offers ED II, and the deadline for that app is Jan 1st. If I applied ED II to BU, would it be a breach of contract/would they be willing to withdraw my app from the application pool after I hear back from my first-choice school if I were accepted to my first choice in late Jan? Alternatively, could I apply RD to BU and then change my decision plan to ED II in late January if I am not accepted to my first-choice school?
Do not apply ED or ED II to any school that is not your first choice. What you are suggesting is not ethical.
I would apply RD to BU. If you don’t get into your top choice college you can then ask BU if they could move your application into the ED Ii pool.
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@momofsenior1 I have no desire to be unethical in this process. I am curious why you think it is unethical? It would be my first choice if I were not accepted to my current first choice. If I were accepted to the other school then I would not be taking another student’s spot as I would withdraw my app less than a month after I submitted it. What is your thinking on this?
The whole point of ED is to apply to your number one school. You said yourself BU is not your first choice. The EDII deadline for BU is early January. If you don’t withdraw until the end of January you absolutely could be taking away another student’s EDII chances. Just because they don’t release decisions until mid February doesn’t mean applications aren’t being reviewed and decision aren’t being made throughout the month of January.
Generally, you can’t get out of an ED agreement unless it’s for financial reasons. You’re telling BU they are your first choice before any other school.
@happy1 Do most schools allow you to do this? Especially as the decisions would come out only 2 weeks after I would switch my app over.
@WeLoveLyman I am aware that is the rule once you have been accepted, but what about before receiving a decision?
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I’m not even sure that you can have an EA application while you have an ED application. I was under the impression that you have to withdraw all other applications.
@momofsenior1 That’s not how the admissions process works - I would not be taking someone else’s spot.
@WeLoveLyman no not true. With ED you can apply to other schools EA and RD, you just need to choose one ED school.
@healthychair do not apply ED2 to BU. It’s not your first choice and you sign a binding agreement. Apply RD and then you most likely can move your app to ED2 if you get rejected from your top choice. BTW the logic that BU is your other top choice if your top choice doesn’t come through makes no sense. BU is your second choice.
How so OP? Schools put out limited number of offers ED. You are committing to BU that you’ll attend by submitting an EDII application. It’s gaming the system to apply to EDII to boost your admissions chances when you don’t really want to go there and they are your back up school. Can you technically do what you are suggesting? Probably, but that doesn’t make it right.
@WeLoveLyman No - ED means that if accepted you must attend. You can submit other applications, just not other ED or restricted early action apps.
@momofsenior1 BU is not a “back up” - I am incredibly excited about the school ad would be ecstatic to attend, although I do understand your point about ED being reserved for your first choice. If I were to withdraw my app 3 weeks before decisions and BU decided they needed to fill another slot as a result, they would. I wouldn’t be holding a place that could be filled by someone else at the point of decisions.
@collegemom9 You are correct that BU is my second choice, my point was that by the point of admissions decisions being sent out if I were to keep my application in the pool it would be my first choice.
You would have to ask BU if they would allow you to move your RD application to ED II. They may not. However, I would not apply ED II to BU when you have an active apply in at a college you prefer.
FWIW our HS guidance department does not allow students to withdraw an ED application in your circumstance and absolutely would not support your plan. If you withdraw an ED application to BU because you got into a preferred college it could reflet poorly on your HS guidance office (doesn’t take ED process seriously) and could negatively impact future ED applicants from your HS to the college. Keep in mind that an ED agreement is signed by the applicant, his/her parents, and the guidance counselor.
IMO a person should only apply ED if both of these conditions are true:
–The college is the absolute top choice and
–Ther school appears affordable and there is no need to compare financial offers.
Yes, technically you can apply ED, then withdraw the application completely or ask to be moved to RD. People withdraw applications all the time (or switch to RD) for any number of different reasons.
Your particular strategy is an uncommon one. It is not formally outlawed. And don’t worry about keeping another student from getting a space. The second you would withdraw your application (or move it to RD) anyone that was kicked down the line a bit because of your application would simply move up a position.
It is true that many high school guidance counselors would not like your strategy because of the risk of making them look unprofessional. So discuss it with your counselor and make your final decision based on that conversation.
If the EA school will notify before the BU ED2 deadline, then there is no dilemna or ethical question. Just wait for the decision before submitting the BU application (if you decide to apply).
BU ED II dead line is Jan 2. OP said they wont know the EA decision until the end of January.
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The GC is presumably aware of the EA application, and will have to sign off on ED, so in a sense it will be up to the GC to figure out if this is ethical. I wonder what the chance the GC will refuse to sign off on an ED commitment under the circumstances?