Anyone can apply anywhere ED as long as you are following all the rules of other schools that you might be interested in applying to as well as those of the ED school. As an example, one could not apply REA to Stanford and also ED to UPenn. But whether that is wise to pursue ED is another issue. I think it works for people who know they can be full-pay or for those who know (perhaps by running NPC??) they will be receiving plenty of FA. I have known folks on both ends of the sprectrum. It probably is not a good idea for those folks in the middle unless they know they can pay or they know they would be willing to co-sign loans. It is a binding agreement. I am not sure how you define "super wealthy." I will say if you know you are able to pay full-freight and are willing to do so AND that your dc is CERTAIN that is the school they want, then yes, apply ED. As an example, UPenn filled 54% of next year's entering class in ED and the admission rate for those applying ED was approximately 25%. You can see why RD is more challenging. If you apply ED and are rejected, you cannot reapply RD to that same school. Some schools offer EDI and EDII. So, some kids do both of those. There is definitely an admissions boost to applying ED. Once you are accepted ED you must withdraw your other applications.

Just highlighting the fact that one must be fairly certain finances will work out to apply ED.

My ds applied to 11 schools last year - 3 safeties, 2 matches, and 6 reaches. He had 9 acceptances, 1 waitlist (reach), and 1 rejection (reach). His four reach acceptances were all top 20 schools. One of those schools IS need-aware. The others state that they are not. He is NOT an athlete, has not written a book, and has not cured cancer. We are "Wonder Bread" white. He did have top test scores, was a National Merit Scholar, and he was Valedictorian of his class. He had strong extracurriculars (two of which demonstrated long-term commitments and were not affiliated with school) but nothing particularly unusual. He did submit a music supplement where allowed. We are full-pay. There are something like 26,000 public high schools in this country. No idea how many private high schools there are. Each produces a Valedictorian. That alone does not warrant admission into a top school. High test scores alone don't warrant admission into a top school. Great extracurriculuars alone do not warrant admission into a top school. Any of those or a combination of those *may* get you in the read pile, but that's it. Top schools often say that they could fill their entering classes three or four times over and not be able to tell any difference between the first batch that was admitted and the last batch that was admitted. The common data set stats, while helpful, can NOT be relied upon for top schools. They can probably indicate whether or not one's application will get read. There are MANY qualified applicants. Athletics are usually seen as economically beneficial to a school, even if they aren't money-makers at the school. Some people like athletics and athletic events. However, I think it's a false assumption that being a desired athlete was the *sole* reason for a student's admission. Being an athlete can be a hook, just as being a legacy, a URM, or a first-generation student can be a hook. All of those categories of people bring diversity to campuses. I disagree with your statement "but if you can pay full tuition, those doors do open regardless of academic standing." If I am being honest, I find this a bit insulting as someone who is paying full-freight. Do you really believe that the ability to pay full tuition is the litmus test for admission to the most selective universities in the country? From the standpoint of sanity, reasonableness, and economics, it sounds as though the UK system of limited applications is superior to what we have in the US. But that's not what we have. I don't know if our new poster is legit or not. I really don't care. The current system allows a student to apply to as many schools as s/he likes. Not the choice I would make, but if that's how you choose to spend your money/time, knock yourself out. IME, there are certainly worse vices. There are often cross-admits to top schools. Colleges offer more spots than they can fill because of their yield. How do you now if students are applying to all top schools for bragging rights? Depending on what his outcomes would have been, my ds would have attended any of the six top schools he applied to. Some kids want an Ivy - any Ivy. That wasn't my ds, and he didn't get into his sole Ivy anyway. Again, applying to all the Ivies was not the choice our ds made, but I don't think students who choose to do so should be villified. I personally think it's silly since they seem to all be so different to me, but, again, it's really none of my concern. I don't think it's right or wrong to apply to only one school or to apply to 100 schools. It's none of my beeswax what others choose to do. Each family has to decide what is best for them based on MANY factors. Yes, finances are definitely one of those factors. I think (but this is only my opinion) finances should be the starting point. People often refer to top schools as "lottery schools." The odds are extremely high that one will NOT get in. Many consider the whole admissions process to be a game. Perhaps it is. Folks can take their toys and go home and choose not to play. But just as the saying goes with regard to the lottery, "You can't win if you don't play."

I don't know who "they" are...? ha ha! I have seen advice to list the schools alphabetically.

Surprise or no, it's still great to be official! :party:

I know some of you on here are anticipating Ivy decisions today. I just wanted to give a heads-up that it was at least an hour last year - maybe longer - before my ds was able to log in to his portal for the ONE Ivy (Princeton) he applied to (rejected, btw). I don't like being a Debbie Downer, but I did want to throw out there the very real possibility that systems will crash and accessing decisions may be frustrating. Hopefully, things will go smoothly and quickly for those of you who will be checking those decsisions, but I think it's best to be mentally prepared for delays if those happen. CC will crash as well. All the best for those awaiting these last few decisions!

ETA: Double post - sorry!

Ds returned to campus yesterday and had his follow-up with the orthopedic surgeon today. MRI looks great with no torn cartilage and no alignment problems - was probably just a fluke thing. Yay! Very relieved. He must continue to wear the brace for five more weeks. He has to take it easy for this next week, but then he can do anything he wants after that as long as he is wearing the brace. We very much enjoyed having ds home for Spring Break. It really was good to be able to lay eyes on him after his dislocated kneecap. Overall, I found this break more enjoyable than the Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks. Some friends were off and home at the same time, but because not all the friends had a coinciding spring break, he seemed to have a bit more time for us. :) Plus, less hub-bub without the holidays. I've also come to terms with how much sleeping to expect! Winter quarter grades were good, too!

Just checking back in to say that I "earned" myself two fun new necklaces over spring break! Costume jewelry, but nice!! ;)

Off topic, but the secretary (which is the lead officer) of the national organization taught my logic class at Hendrix College! Fantastic guy! Brilliant! Guess this would be appropriate given his position - ha ha!

Our smallest was at Harvey Mudd College. Just us and one other family! With two guides! It was great! It was probably the most thorough tour we had anywhere. They took us in many buildings, showed us their own personal dorm rooms, etc. My ds did not wind up applying there - even though he attended a STEM Charter school and is good in math and science, it wasn't really his thing. We just went because we were out there looking at Pomona and CMC.

Argh! Sorry for the misspelling of "monopolizing." Good grief!! Why don't I proof before I post! Then quoted so will live in infamy! ha ha! I would go with her to all of it. We always sat with ds in the info sessions but kept our distance on the tours. There were always plenty of parents there, so I don't think you need to just drop her off. ;)

I don't know about those three specific schools, but most visit days include at a minimum an information session and a tour. The information session will likely have presentations on admissions and FA. No one will be taking notes, but you should! ha ha! They all start to run together after awhile. Although, if it is a school that cares about "demonstrated interest" they will note that you did visit! The tour will likely have a student guide - you may or may not see the inside of a building. Sometimes the dorm tours are separate. Sometimes students can sign up to attend a class and sit in and listen. I highly recommend that if it is an option. If you have the opportunity to sit among students who are NOT guides and visit with them, take it. Good questions for guides or other students include, but aren't limited to: --Why did you choose to attend here? --What other school choices did you have and why did this school trump the others in your decision? --What is the best thing about this school? --If you could change one thing about this school, what would it be? --How do most students make friends here? --Tell me about Greek life (if it exists). --What do students do for fun on the weekends? --Do you find the academic environment to be competitive or collaborative? --How hard is class registration? How good is advising? How easy is it to change majors? Also ask any questions of interest to your particular dc. Whether it's accessiblity to music opportunities, clubs, religious organizations. We all have issues that matter more to us than others. My best piece of advice - don't ask your dc about the visit right after it happens! Not even open-ended questions like, "What did you think? Did you like it?" Just leave and go get ice cream. It can be overwhelming and stressful for them (it's fun, too), but the reality of the process that looms ahead can kinda wig 'em out, and your asking about it (which they will receive as drilling no matter how nonchalant you are) compounds that. Wait. Let them bring up the topic. They will. :) ETA: You, as the parent, hang at the back of the tour. Don't be *that* mom at the front asking all the annoying questions and monopolizing the guide's time. Encourage your dc to separate from you on the tour - Encourage him or her toward the front and you hang toward the back.

LOTS of underwear. :D Ha ha!

I think this depends on the climate of your dc's college. Ds was headed to California, so we bought him a good pair of flip flops and Chacos (sp??) sandals. He did buy some new, nicer short-sleeved shirts - not golf shirts - button-up, poplin-type shirts. He had to wear golf shirts for his school uniform and may never wear those again! OTOH, if you were headed to a much colder climate, different items would be necessary. I have heard for cold college destinations, it is better to wait and see what others have and perhaps shop locally. Or at least shop on-line based on common brands that one sees. Not to be brand-conscious, but to get good quality items. People from cold climates know better what is needed and what brands are preferred. I do think girls are more challenging. They just seem to need more of everything and need a wider variety of clothing. I would suggest taking at least one true formal dress. For a young man, definitely take a suit. I would NOT buy lots of new t-shirts. I think ds has received gobs of those from different on-campus events, organizations, and groups. Take LOTS of underwear. A raincoat is an excellent suggestion. Hopefully, those with daughters will chime in.

Ha ha! Yes, I will take those people over a surgery PLUS those people!!

I think you mean sadists....

Thanks, Sue. He is wearing a brace and is supposed to wear it until he sees the orthodpedist. He is kinda "loose jointed" if that makes any sense. Our pastor's son (college student as well) dislocated his knee this past fall. Also a freak thing - just tripped on something in their home. Did not require surgery. He was to have worn a brace for four weeks, but she said he only wore it two. He went to PT one time. Hoping that is all that is required for ds!!!

Well, my ds had a slight mishap this week. He dislocated his left knee on Tuesday around 11:30 at night. Just horsing around/playing games in the dorm hallway. Was taken via ambulance to Stanford Hospital where they did a reduction (I think that's what it is called? Where they pop it back in place - shudder). Was released about 3:00 a.m. Being the bad parents we are, our ringers were off. Dh received the last text stating ds was back at the dorm and going to sleep about ten minutes before dh got up. :/ So, I had to wait for ds to call me later that day as we didn't want to wake him. The hospital folks had wanted to talk to us, but ds could not reach us. Mommy malpractice on the ringers!!! Ds is still a minor as he was grade-skipped, and I assume this is why they wanted to talk to us. His minority did allow me to talk to the call-back nurse in the ER the next day. She was extremely helpful. I was able to text ds instructions because, of course, he had not read his discharge papers. Ds had NOT been drinking and was quite annoyed by the fact that "they asked me about five times," but I explained this was a necessary tidbit of info before they started him on morphine!!! The roommate went with him and stayed the entire time; I was so thankful! I don't really think they are BFFs or run in the same crowd, but I was so glad ds wasn't alone. I texted the roommate the next day and expressed my profound gratitude. Had asked for and received his cell in case of emergency. I told him he should receive the roommate of the year award! Roommate texted back that ds would have done the same for him and that he had never seen someone with such a "brutal" (shudder, again) injury act as calmly as ds did. Ds did have his insurance card with him. He will require a follow-up with an orthopedic surgeon, and I am praying that no surgery will be necessary. Not sure if that will happen there next week or here the following week while he is home on Spring Break. Would like him to get in out there this week, but the ER nurse thought that was doubtful as she said they stay backed up. Ds also told me that he was "pretty far ahead" in his work, so that he should not be impacted by this little event. Since they are on quarters, he has final exams next week and had two major papers due this week. I am so glad he has a good work ethic and isn't a procrastinator. It is hard being 1,800+ miles away. :(

Stop it. (just kidding)

What kind of interview? On-campus with admissions people during a visit? Student interview during a visit? Alumni interview in your town? Scholarship interview?

For those of you awaiting decisions (particularly from the reachy-reach schools), here is a link to an article from the NY Times. It's rather long, but I think it's worth the time. In particular, the letter at the end may be helpful to you as you search for words of support for your dc. Hang in there folks. I know it has been an eternity. The funny thing is, even though the waiting has dragged on and on, suddenly MANY decisions will come rolling in in rapid succession, and then it will seem as though things are moving VERY fast!!! http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/15/opinion/sunday/frank-bruni-how-to-survive-the-college-admissions-madness.html?smid=fb-share&_r=1

My understanding is that merit scholarships are set as long as you maintain requirements to keep them. However, financial aid can be more fluid. The ratio of grants to self-help (loans and work study) can shift from year to year. Perhaps I am not understanding what you are asking??? I have heard of grants being reduced over time and self-help being increased over time. A kind of bait and switch.

Y'all are making me feel better about my reward system - I was thinking it was rather immature! I take a screen shot of my "reward" with my phone and glance at it as needed. When I first implemented the system at Thanksgiving, I did not tell dh about it. After his parents' visit, I asked him if he had noticed that I was not snarky to his dad at all. His reply? "Yes, but you sure were sighing a lot." Lol!

That is why they are coming up here. Because dh told them we were not driving down there. I can't say (maybe you can, but I don't have it in me - wish I did), "You cannot drive up here to see your grandson." Ds wants to see them. I'd like to see mil...