<ol>
<li><p>Upon further (off-line) discussion I will amend, people may well still reasonably decide to apply ED whether for hypothetical admissions “bump”, or to get the process over with , while still applying for FA. But often, IMO, if $$ is a critical factor in the matriculation decision this is not the best strategy to maximize it.</p></li>
<li><p>D2 did her homework in advance, to be in position to make a sound ED choice. Because she saw what happened to D1 in RD. Many people can do likewise, and have just as good a chance to make a sound decision in time for ED as for RD. One just starts earlier.</p></li>
<li><p>The true deviation, if any, of a school as conceptualized vs. reality won’'t become clear till you are actually there. Before that, at application time you have to make the best choice you can, going on what you know and what you believe. And on those criteria, dozens of schools may not all be equal to you. Whether you turn out to be correct or not is another matter. That doesnt mean you should randomly pick dozens of other places that don’t appear to have what you think you want. Lots of people actually do want what they think they want.</p></li>
<li><p>D1 did not attend Barnard. </p></li>
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<p>5.Barnard had the most comprehensive,and most levels, of dance offerings of the liberal arts colleges my daughter looked at. Moreover by virue of its (unique) location, yes it does have access to Steps, which dozens of other liberal arts colleges don’t. And access to ballet performances in NYC, which dozens of oher LACs don’t. Quite simply, it was better for someone interested in dance than any other liberal arts college she came across. Not the same as dozens of others, better. I’ve seen no information since to suggest any different, to this point.</p>
<p>That doesn’t mean she felt it was fully equivalent to a professional ballet school. But its the best LAC she found that there is, in this regard. At some schools she looked at, she said she wouldn’t even take ballet there because the level they offered was too easy. And those schools did not have access to Steps as an alternative or supplement.</p>
<p>No, they are not all necessarily equal, if you particularly care about something.</p>