We have four SLAC D3 schools on our list and they’re all pretty comparable and my kid can see herself going to all four. She’s a track recruit. They all have an early action option on Nov 15.
Is it a viable strategy to apply EA to all and compare each school’s financial offer?
What should we analyze about the offers so there are no suprises?
EA is not binding. You can apply to as many EA as you want assuming you didn’t ED, which may preclude private school EAs but it doesn’t sound like you ED’d anywhere.
Don’t know about the recruiting aspect but applying EA to schools you are considering is wise, especially if you want to see aid offers.
Good luck.
Have you been in touch with coaches and done a pre-read through admissions?
If every coach is supporting her application, it seems like you’d be far better off asking for a financial aid pre-read (assuming the academic pre-read has already happened. )
Most coaches can only support a certain number of spots, and if they’re not your first choice (including because of FA), they will want to give that spot to someone else.
But as the ED date has already passed (and those schools are out of the running), you’re already in what is effectively a non-binding round, so it may not matter. My biggest concern here is the strength of the coach support in this situation and maintaining that at 4 schools through both ED deadlines.
I’m assuming you have already run the NPC for each of these schools.
But other than taking time to submit apps, why would it hurt?
And what if a coach supports someone else or someone else ED’d and took the spot -
Wouldn’t the student be smart to formally apply and get aid offers just in case ?
Not an athletes parent but I don’t see the downside - since it’s EA and not ED - which is why I’m asking.
Sorry, we cross posted while I was editing. While I agree with you and OP, it’s not clear what kind of coach support there is if the applicant can apply broadly. If they can get in without the coach’s pull and then walk-on (i.e., not a recruit) yes, this makes sense.
Academic Pre-read with 3 (and that’s a green light), but all said they don’t do financial pre-reads.
She’s has the green light on academic pre-read. The schools said they did not offer a financial pre-read.
The coaches want us to apply ED (ED1 preferably) but the cost matters and these are good fit schools.
That’s why I asked about could they lose a spot.
To me, and for athletes it may be different, but for ED, you better ensure it’s the right place.
What do they NPCs say?
With many EDs, you cannot apply EA to a private (just public). But at the same time, you know you’re going to get into the ED (most likely) - but what if you don’t want to pay for it?
At the same time, what if you lose your spot. The coach likely will do what is best for them - so even if you say, we can’t apply ED because money matters, no doubt they’ll understand.
Would they hold the spot?
That I don’t know or can’t say. Others can comment but my guess is it likely depends on the coach (are they stand up people) or how deep their recruiting bench is.
I hate ED personally - but is it worth spending more to you to have the student assuredly on the team? If so, how much more?
The NPC should tell you about need aid and sometimes they show merit aid - and depending on the “level” of the school - some less competitive privates are now promising aggressive merit for ED or capping max costs well below sticker - in an attempt to attract students.
So who is on the list matters too…
I hear ya. We ran the NPC on all the schools we looked at and that’s why we are here, but they’re still nebulous because sometimes they stack merit on top of the need-based aid on the NPC and other scholarships are available as well that can further reduce the cost. But they tell us the scholarships are available, but won’t tell us if we are awarded the scholarship until after we apply and see the financial package.
Your point about losing the spot is a concern and we’re trying to weigh that against cost.
Do the NPCs show that they are affordable? It would be unusual if you were offered less than the NPC, and that would be a reason to turn down your ED offer.
If you need the coach support to guarantee admission, you probably should ED if the NPC works for you. Put differently, you are being guaranteed a good outcome at the expense of seeing if there is a better one.
But at most schools, ED1 deadlines have passed, so it’s also not clear that this option still exists.
I guess I’m a little fuzzy on the level of coach support. And how much you care.
Sounds like you may not need it, but my uninformed assumption was that full coach support comes with ED, not EA.
If you can get in without coach support, I can’t think of a good reason not to apply early non-binding to as many as you want. Except perhaps that it might be easier to lock it in now (with Coach support) versus potentially getting deferred in the EA round.
Yah - it’s easy to say we offer scholarships but doesn’t mean you’ll get them.
I’m guessing you don’t want to share the list publicly but if you want to PM me, I can dig to give a guestimate or tell you otherwise thoughts.
It’s a tough thing. No doubt you’re not the only - ED impacts you in several ways - you are bound and you risk ending up with no home, if you back out of the ED school.
I imagine you can explain to the coaches (maybe not about the four suitors) but you just can’t risk ED - you won’t be the first - and see how they react to it. That might be telling too.
But I’m sure you’ll figure out what’s best for your family.
So she doesn’t have a favorite of the four - campus, coach, teammates or more?
Good luck.
Your D has to ask each coach if she would have coach support if she applies EA. (assuming ED is still an option at any of the 4 at this point.) She should also be telling each coach that cost is a primary driver of the decision.
If there is no coach support in EA she has to ask each coach if there would be a spot on the team for her if she is admitted without coach support. There might not be if they used all of their ED spots and/or they intend on going to the transfer portal. I would be ready here for a no, and/or something very non-committal. Then what? Would your D keep that school on her list and give up the sport?
So, all these schools also offer merit? Look at section H of each school’s CDS to see what proportion of students get merit, and on average how much. Please note that schools are very careful giving athletic recruits merit because they can’t give more merit on average to athletes than they do to non-athletes. How much merit would you need in addition to what the NPCs are showing?
Big picture, it may be difficult to keep recruiting alive/a spot on the team while also trying to manage costs. It also makes me nuts they won’t do financial aid pre-reads for potential athletes they want to apply ED, but sadly no one asked me. 
Again, I doubt Coach support would be afforded to someone who doesn’t ED. That’s the trade, isn’t it? Why would the Coach use one of their few chits on someone who may not come?
I also would worry less about losing a spot in a D3 SLAC. I don’t know what schools we’re talking about, but they’re likely not subject to roster limits and so are more loosey-goosey on walk-ons. In track, at least.
But I get OP’s reservations. Hard to commit if you don’t feel strongly about one versus the others and have no visibility to the financial offers.
Binding ED generally does not prevent applying non-binding EA or early rolling at other schools.
What could be an issue is if one applies to a school where EA is restrictive in that some other schools are not to be applied EA.
Of course, when athletic recruiting is involved, there may be expectations about applying ED or EA that depend on the school.
Which ED schools have such a restriction?
Yes sorry - you are correct
Plenty of schools have always had athletic recruits outside of ED, especially in track and other spring sports. More recently, some schools are purposely pushing athletic recruits into non-ED rounds.