Early Decision College Applications

[TCB]

Can someone tell my more about applying ED?  I'm wondering what are the pros and cons of this and how it works. Or can you point me in the direction of a thread that explains it.

 

Thanks!

[snowbeltmom]

Can someone tell my more about applying ED?  I'm wondering what are the pros and cons of this and how it works. Or can you point me in the direction of a thread that explains it.

 

Thanks!

 

When you apply ED, you sign a contract stating that you will attend if admitted, and once you find out you are admitted, will withdraw all of your other applications.  A form is signed by both the guidance counselor and the student and his family.

 

ED is used frequently with recruited athletes:  At many schools, the athlete submits his application for a preread in July before the start of senior year.  If admission gives the athlete's transcript/tests scores the green light, the applicant applies ED in order to have the support of the coach.  Some leagues also conduct financial pre-reads so its recruits also know the Cost of Attendance before they apply. 

 

Applying ED does increase your odds of admittance.   Before applying ED you should make sure the school is your first choice and you can afford it.

 

[TCB]

When you apply ED, you sign a contract stating that you will attend if admitted, and once you find out you are admitted, will withdraw all of your other applications.  A form is signed by both the guidance counselor and the student and his family.

 

ED is used frequently with recruited athletes:  At many schools, the athlete submits his application for a preread in July before the start of senior year.  If admission gives the athlete's transcript/tests scores the green light, the applicant applies ED in order to have the support of the coach.  Some leagues also conduct financial pre-reads so its recruits also know the Cost of Attendance before they apply. 

 

Applying ED does increase your odds of admittance.   Before applying ED you should make sure the school is your first choice and you can afford it.

 

 

I was wondering about the affording it part. How can you know for sure if they have not made scholarship decisions? Is there a way out of it if you can't afford it? I guess even if you can get out of it, you've withdrawn your other applications and so have no where else to go. 

[snowbeltmom]

I was wondering about the affording it part. How can you know for sure if they have not made scholarship decisions? Is there a way out of it if you can't afford it? I guess even if you can get out of it, you've withdrawn your other applications and so have no where else to go. 

You will receive you financial aid information the same time you receive your acceptance decision. 

 

If the school awards merit aid, you will not know until the decision is released if you received any.

 

You can back out if you can't afford it, but you should run the net price calculator on the college's website prior to applying so you can get a ballpark range of COA before you apply so that scenario wouldn't happen.

[TCB]

You will receive you financial aid information the same time you receive your acceptance decision. 

 

If the school awards merit aid, you will not know until the decision is released if you received any.

 

You can back out if you can't afford it, but you should run the net price calculator on the college's website prior to applying so you can get a ballpark range of COA before you apply so that scenario wouldn't happen.

 

So if I'm understanding correctly you have the full aid picture when you get your acceptance and it is at that point that you withdraw your other applications. I guess it's not a good idea to do this if you would absolutely need merit aid to be able to afford it.

[JeanM]

I was wondering about the affording it part. How can you know for sure if they have not made scholarship decisions? Is there a way out of it if you can't afford it? I guess even if you can get out of it, you've withdrawn your other applications and so have no where else to go. 

 

My understanding is that you don't have to withdraw other applications until you know that you're accepted. And at the time that you are accepted, you'll have financial aid information. So if you are accepted, but it isn't affordable, decline the acceptance and don't withdraw other applications. Most ED I deadlines are in November, so you would still have time to submit more regular decision applications.

 

The college that my ds applied to ED met 100% of need, and we knew we could afford our EFC. Unfortunately he did not get in, so it didn't matter anyway.

 

[snowbeltmom]

So if I'm understanding correctly you have the full aid picture when you get your acceptance and it is at that point that you withdraw your other applications. I guess it's not a good idea to do this if you would absolutely need merit aid to be able to afford it.

 

Merit aid is usually used to entice students to come who may not otherwise.  If you apply ED, I would think that your odds of getting merit aid decrease significantly because the school knows that you are going to attend.

 

If you are considering applying ED to a school that offers merit aid (many ED schools don't fall into this category), and you need merit aid in order to afford the school, I would not apply ED.

 

[Hilltopmom]

Found this helpful- compares ED to EA

 

https://professionals.collegeboard.org/guidance/applications/early

 

My Ds is applying EA at all of his choices. He needs to wait for merit decisions before accepting a spot anywhere.

 

But most of the places we met with have said they will send the full fin aid package including scholarship decisions upon sending admissions decisions.

One place he's considering is rumored to give all merit aid to the EA applicants, so if you don't apply early, you don't get merit aid.

[TCB]

Found this helpful- compares ED to EA

 

https://professionals.collegeboard.org/guidance/applications/early

 

My Ds is applying EA at all of his choices. He needs to wait for merit decisions before accepting a spot anywhere.

 

But most of the places we met with have said they will send the full fin aid package including scholarship decisions upon sending admissions decisions.

One place he's considering is rumored to give all merit aid to the EA applicants, so if you don't apply early, you don't get merit aid.

 

Good information in that article! I think ED is probably not for us so one less thing to worry about and research. I need to read up on the EA thing though. Where did you find out about the college giving all merit aid to EA? I don't think we will be applying to very selective colleges because my dd does not want to go too far from home and there really aren't many near us.

[Hilltopmom]

Good information in that article! I think ED is probably not for us so one less thing to worry about and research. I need to read up on the EA thing though. Where did you find out about the college giving all merit aid to EA? I don't think we will be applying to very selective colleges because my dd does not want to go too far from home and there really aren't many near us.

From another mom on here, for a state school.

[Gratia271]

The thing with merit aid going to EA applicants may sometimes be conflated with early deadlines for scholarship consideration/opportunities.  DD18 applied EA to all schools which offered it.  She made a spreadsheet with all of the deadlines, and in many cases scholarship applications to be considered for merit aid had earlier deadlines than RD anyway. 

 

ETA: I don't know whether it is timing or desirability, but some OOS schools DD applied to EA offered substantial merit aid including UNC Chapel Hill and University of Michigan Ann Arbor.  We were actually surprised since we are OOS, but she did apply EA, so maybe timing is the case with some schools. 

Edited July 19, 2017 by Gratia271

[GoodGrief]

ED is generally not a good idea for those for whom finances will be an issue, though usually the student can get out of the contract if the aid is not sufficient. EA, on the other hand, is often required by schools for consideration for their top scholarships.

 

Pay attention to each school's individual rules though. Certain schools will not permit their EA applicants to have applied to certain other schools (for example, Princeton does not allow EA applicants to have applied to other private schools' EA programs.)

Edited July 22, 2017 by Gr8lander

[Ann.without.an.e]

Many schools will say that you shouldn't apply ED if you need to compare financial options.  We needed to do that so we never even considered it.  

Most of the families I know who applied ED were not filing fafsa and were prepared to write the check for the full amount so it didn't matter to them anyway.

Edited July 21, 2017 by Attolia

[Julie of KY]

ED was a great choice for my son as he had a clear favorite and it looked like that school would give us a large amount of need-based money. Going Early Decision, he was able to get his decision in December (with financial aid). The biggest reason that tipped the scales toward early decision for him was the benefit of knowing in December if he needed to keep looking for a second choice school. He did apply to several other schools and had filled out the application for others, but he never did have a clear second choice at all.

[MarkT]

Early Decision - binding - therefore only can apply to one college for ED

Early Action - non binding - can apply EA to multiple colleges 

Restrictive Early Action - non binding - but applicant can not apply ED or EA at any other school

[wapiti]

Even more confusing, depending on the particular school:  EA applicants can apply EA elsewhere but may not apply ED elsewhere, although they could apply EDII, which would typically be due after the EA decision comes out.

 

ETA, more confusing still, I think this was mentioned above, this REA example from Stanford:

 

Restrictive Early Action Policy

 

Applicants agree not to apply to any other private college/university under an Early Action, Restrictive Early Action, Early Decision or Early Notification program.

Applicants may apply to other colleges and universities under their Regular Decision option.

 

Exceptions

 

The student may apply to any college/university with early deadlines for scholarships or special academic programs as long as the decision is non-binding.

The student may apply to any public college/university with a non-binding early application option.

The student may apply to any college/university with a non-binding rolling admission process.

The student may apply to any foreign college/university on any application schedule.

 

Some selective private colleges have a small number of very competitive scholarships that require applying EA in order to be eligible even though the scholarship may not have a separate app.  I think it is within Stanford's REA rules to also apply EA to such colleges - am I correct?

Edited July 27, 2017 by wapiti

[Ann.without.an.e]

ED was a great choice for my son as he had a clear favorite and it looked like that school would give us a large amount of need-based money. Going Early Decision, he was able to get his decision in December (with financial aid). The biggest reason that tipped the scales toward early decision for him was the benefit of knowing in December if he needed to keep looking for a second choice school. He did apply to several other schools and had filled out the application for others, but he never did have a clear second choice at all.

 

 

I almost expanded on this thought in my first post.  My younger dd thinks she really wants to go the same school where dd is now.  It is a tough school to get into, she's a strong student, and we do hit a good bit of need aid.  If she goes into her senior year knowing without a doubt that it is her first choice, I think I will encourage her to apply ED.  

[GoodGrief]

 

Even more confusing, depending on the particular school:  EA applicants can apply EA elsewhere but may not apply ED elsewhere, although they could apply EDII, which would typically be due after the EA decision comes out.

 

ETA, more confusing still, I think this was mentioned above, this REA example from Stanford:

 

 

Some selective private colleges have a small number of very competitive scholarships that require applying EA in order to be eligible even though the scholarship may not have a separate app.  I think it is within Stanford's REA rules to also apply EA to such colleges - am I correct?

 

 

Yes, that is correct.

[snowbeltmom]

Many schools will say that you shouldn't apply ED if you need to compare financial options.  We needed to do that so we never even considered it.  

Most of the families I know who applied ED were not filing fafsa and were prepared to write the check for the full amount so it didn't matter to them anyway.

 

I think whether or not this is good advice depends on the situation.  For example, some of the schools that offer the ED option will meet need by giving the parent and student loans, while other schools will meet need by giving grants.

 

You can determine which of the two categories a school falls by reviewing the school's Common Data Set.  The CDS will specify the percentage of need met and how that determined need is met, whether with loans or grants.

 

If your top choice meets 100% of your need and meets 100% of that need with grants, and you are happy with the numbers you get by running the Net Price Calculator on the school's website, you should apply ED as your chances of getting in are higher in ED than the regular round.

 

The problem is that very few schools meet 100% need, and of those schools that promise to meet 100% need, even less of them promise to meet all of that need with grants, not loans. 

 

My son's top choice ended up being a school that meets almost 100% need with grants.  (The school does require the students to take on a loan, but that amount is small enough that a summer job can cover it)  He applied ED. We definitely don't fall into the category of being able to write a check for the full amount of the cost of attendance.  Had this school not been one that met full need with grants, or had this school not been his absolute first choice, he would not have applied ED.  As it was, applying ED was the right decision for him.