<p>I certainly haven't proposed that he enroll for a week and then leave. I've suggested that he attend the college for at least a semester. That way, he can figure out whether he simply has buyer's remorse or whether it's really not a place that he wants to go to school.</p>
<p>In addition, he'd have fulfilled his ED agreement.</p>
<p>He also could request taking a gap year, but if his concern is that the college is not the right one for him, taking a gap year would not help because to fulfill his ED agreement, he'd still need to attend that college.</p>
<p>I'd like to hear from the OP why he now feels Duke isn't a good fit, and what kind of college he feels would better serve his needs. He also needs to recognize that ED probably gave him a tip at Duke, and if his plan is to not go to Duke and then apply to other top colleges, he may not get into those colleges. In fact, he may have an extremely hard time getting into most highly competitive schools even if his ED school was one of the nation's top colleges. In addition, it's very unlikely that his GC would give him as strong a recommendation or help him with another ED app.</p>
<p>I know that some students who have been perfectly happy -- thrilled with their ED schools -- suddenly become disenchanted when they find out that a classmate who has equal or worse stats than theirs has gotten into a more highly rated or desirable school than the ED one. Is that what happened?</p>
<p>Also, OP, if you don't go to your ED school this fall, what are you planning on doing?</p>
<p>The only acceptable reasons for not accepting ED are something like a family or personal emergency (an example would be having a seriously ill parent that one would like to attend school near) or having financial problems the prevent one's being able to pay for the ED school. Simply feeling that the college isn't a good fit wouldn't be considered a valid reason.</p>
<p>Anybody who a) goes ED, knowing the rules b) decides that he doesn't want to go for no other reason than "gee, I don't think that I want to go this school anymore and then c) looks for a way to wiggle out of his obligation by taking a gap year (or five gap years) is gaming the system. I haven't heard anyone give me a reason why pursuing such a course of action would not be ethically wrong.</p>
<p>I don't see it as gaming the system. The OP, by sitting out for a year, is not doing the typical I want out of ED for another college dance. Duke has no trouble filling it's seats. I think they'd rather commit their resources to someone who wants to be there.</p>
<p>The OP posted this in Dec. apparently after getting an ED Duke acceptance. To me, it indicates that he isn't that impressed by Duke, and probably now thinks he can do even better.</p>
<p>"I graduated from high school this year, applied to schools last year, was summarily rejected or waitlisted (because I tried to suck up), and decided to take a year off. I feel that this year has given me a greater insight on the application process, more than anything I could learn looking at a chance thread. I'd like to share what I've learned, take from it what you will.</p>
<p>I was accepted into a top 10 school while being ranked in the top 30% of my class, having zero “hooks” and no leadership positions in my school. Was I lucky to be admitted to Duke? No. Duke was lucky to get a second chance....</p>
<p>I mocked Duke in my essay, because honestly, I wanted to let them know that denying me would have zero impact on my self-image. "</p>
<p>Is there a real "contract" here? I doubt it. Duke has plenty waiting to take the OP's place. I would call and ask politely to be released. I can't imagine the admission office would refuse.</p>
<p>"The OP, by sitting out for a year, is not doing the typical I want out of ED for another college dance."</p>
<p>^^^ That's true only if OP takes a gap year agreeing to enroll at Duke afterwards. But it sounds like OP is taking a gap year so that he doesn't have to honor his commitment and cam apply to a school other than Duke. (OK, it may not be the typical I-want-out dance, but it is still about getting out of attending his ED schools.)</p>
<p>ED contract only applies for the following school year. ED contract can be broken a) if the students who applied for fin aid didn't get it or b) if they chose not to attend any college the following school year.</p>
<p>If you can't figure out how to put together a productive gap year, then don't withdraw from your ED school. Just GO. At least your year will be productive and if you want to transfer, there's no issue with it.</p>
<p>It's really normal to second-guess at this stage and there's nothing you can really do about it until you actually experience your new school for yourself.</p>
<p>You know how they talk about what you post is forever?</p>
<p>When someone starts posting excerpts of past posts (see post #24), it's almost always a signal. It means, whoa, friends and neighbors, go read the subject's past posts for background, you will learn a lot that may influence your opinion on the topic at hand.</p>
<p>OP, what I learned only reinforces my initial response: Go to Duke this fall.</p>
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Essentially, the OP is asking if he should be allowed to game the system. At many highly selective schools (I'm not sure about Duke) ED admission is easier than regular admission.
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<p>That ED is a game is a situation the colleges created, and so should not constrain the applicant in any way. Any school can equalize the selectivity for ED and regular applicants, if it wishes to de-game its admissions. </p>
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At the very least, ED admissions are based upon an estimate about what the regular pool is going to look like. He would be OUTRAGED if the school called him in March and said "We're sorry. The regular pool turned out to be stronger than we thought it would be, so we are withdrawing your offer." What he is asking about is functionally no different.
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<p>It's very different functionally, because the effect of breaking the contract is asymmetrical on the two parties. The ED applicant may not have any matriculation options of remotely comparable value and March is too late to develop such. A desirable school has a long waitlist of applicants many of whom are quite comparable to any given candidate.</p>
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Is there a real "contract" here? I doubt it.
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<p>A number of schools are on record saying that ED is not a hard-and-fast contract, and others openly take students who have broken that "contract" elsewhere, on the grounds that ED itself is more ethically questionable than the breaking of ED.</p>
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[quote]
If you back out for a nonemergency reason, that will reflect badly on you and your school. When, for example, a kid at my S's high school backed out of ED, the admissions officers called up the GC and blamed her, and then didn't take any students from that school for a couple of years.
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<p>It's not the applicant's problem to worry about possible irrational reprisals by the college against other applicants.</p>
<p>It is the applicant's problem to be concerned about the ramifications on others if the OP backs out of their ED agreement.</p>
<p>Even if an applicant is selfish and narcissistic, it is their problem to be concerned about if they will need to rely on the GC and school to provide recommendations and assistance in applying to other colleges. Neither the GC nor the school is likely to be helpful if the student's backing out of ED has caused negative repercussions on the GC and school.</p>
<p>Those "ramifications on others" are speculations about potential irrational reprisals by the college. For a college to penalize applicants, GC's or other parties unrelated to a given instance of ED-breaking would be deranged institutional behavior, and no applicant's decision on any matter should depend on speculations as to whether such might occur.</p>
<p>THe OP however can speculate that backing out of an ED commitment may result in his GC and school's not going out of their way to support his next applications. Remember, he'll still need a GC or principal's recommendation, including in regard to his character.</p>
<p>You need to talk to the school about why you want to withdraw. There are many compelling reasons why this might not be the right time for you to start college and no institution wants someone to be forced into being there. But LET THEM KNOW why you want to pull out and give them a chance to discuss it.</p>