ED I, ED II Skidoo

Archive Ask The Dean Archive
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<p>Question: Some of my son’s friends are plotting an Early Decision strategy that entails applying to a first-choice college in the Early Decision I round. Then if they are deferred (not even denied outright) they plan to apply to a second-choice college in the ED II round without ever knowing if they might have gotten […]</p>

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<p>Sally…correct me if I am reading this wrong, but I think the person asking the question is actually referring to kids hitting submit on both their EDI and subsequently their EDII schools before even hearing back from the EDI school? In other words, hitting submit on the EDII school in possibly the middle to end of November (depending on cut off dates)…ethical? probably not …against EDI contract? not sure if this is specified…against EDII contract? probably not because if accepted at EDI college, one could withdraw from EDII before decisions are out…?</p>

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<p>Actually, Rodney, based on some additional exchanges, this parent is definitely talking about students who select an ED II option even if only deferred–not denied–by the ED I school (and it happens all the time). </p>

<p>But what you’re talking about (applying ED II before receiving a verdict from an ED I college) happens, too … just less frequently. Mercifully, most ED II deadlines (though not all) fall after the ED I outcomes have been determined. </p>

<p>Here’s my take on concurrent ED I and ED II applications:</p>

<p>It makes me nervous, but it’s okay … only if the ED II deadline falls before the ED I decision, and only if the student waits until the last possible minute to submit the ED II application.</p>

<p>My rationale: Student tells ED I college, “I will attend if admitted.” But, the ED II college deadline is before the ED I verdict hits the streets. So now the student must also tell the ED II college, “I will attend if admitted.” </p>

<p>Then … the student gets accepted at the ED I college. So he or she IMMEDIATELY rescinds the ED II application. (Well, technically, it’s okay to wait to confirm that the ED I school’s financial aid package is reasonable … but we’re talking just days here … maybe a couple weeks, max). </p>

<p>Thus, the kid pulls the plug on the ED II college before any decision has been sent out and most likely before the folder has even been yanked from the shelf by admission staff.</p>

<p>According to the letter of the law, the student has honored BOTH commitments. He or she said YES to the college that offered admission and did not renege on a promise to attend #2 school if admitted because this student never was officially admitted.</p>

<p>Granted, this is the stuff (among much else in this process) that makes me crazy. So much hair-splitting … so many different deadlines, policies, and rules. </p>

<p>There is lots that colleges could be doing to make it all more straightforward and less stressful. Setting ED II deadlines so that they fall after the lion’s share of ED I verdicts would be on this list.</p>

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<p>Seems perfectly reasonable to me.</p>

<p>S2 applied EDI to Hamilton and was rejected. The next day (still one whole day before the deadline) he sent off the app to Connecticut College for EDII. He was admitted and so withdrew all his other RD apps. (Unfortunately, no application fees were returned. :()</p>

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<p>I think it seems reasonable too.</p>

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<p>A S of a friend of mine thought he’d be pretty happy in one of two schools. He applied ED 1 to his second choice school (thinking he had the better shot there) last year. He was deferred, so he applied ED 2, this time to his FIRST choice school - and got in. Needless to say, he was very happy with the way things worked out!</p>

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<p>Ha! Great anecdote, roshke, and a reminder of how unpredictable–perhaps even capricious–this process can be. </p>

<p>Would you be willing to name the colleges involved?</p>

<p>I see that VeryHappy’s son paired Hamilton and Connecticut. I hope that he is VeryHappy, too. ;)</p>

<p>How about other CC members who have tried this ED 1/2 Skidoo …, where did each application go?</p>

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<p>I think I’m doing this with Williams ED and Middlebury EDII. The only tough part is that the Williams decision will be Dec 15 and Middlebury requires the supplement to be submitted on teh 15th as well.</p>

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<p>That shouldn’t be a problem, Oceanstate43, although it would be nice to have a bit more wiggle room before the Middlebury deadline. Good luck!</p>

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<p>What if I’m I already submitted my apps to both ED I at one school and EDII at another school but the other school’s EDII deadline falls after the outcomes of EDI (i.e.g I’d pull or maintain my app at school2 depending on the outcome). Would this be considered breaking the Early Decision contract?</p>

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<p>Technically, you’re not breaking a contract if you are admitted to your ED I school and you commit to enroll, because you will withdraw your ED II application before you are admitted there.</p>

<p>But, if you were my advisee … or my child … I would have asked you to wait until you got your ED I verdict before applying ED II elsewhere. Even if your ED II application will not be evaluated until the second Early round, you are unnecessarily taking up admission office staff time at that college, where your information will be entered in a database and your application prepared for reading. You have also paid an application fee that you may not have needed to pay. </p>

<p>So it really makes little sense to submit an ED II application if you are waiting for news from another college and will have it in time to meet the second deadline. I’m actually surprised that your school counselor allowed you to do this. Are you sure that the counselor was aware that you were submitting two ED apps? And are you also sure that you clearly indicated to the ED II college that you do NOT want to be considered in the first ED round? It will be nice to get good news in December, but maybe not so nice if you get it twice. ;)</p>

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<p>If you are deferred you are RELEASED from the obligation. You are only bound by the obligation if they accept you first round. If they defer you, you are free to apply anywhere you want…even an EDII school. It is the risk the EDI school takes by deferment…they have lost their claim. </p>

<p>Any ED1 school who attempts to enforce the contract after deferring you, then later accepting you is bogus and callous. (I dont know of a single school who does this, mind you.) If you apply EDII you are essentially telling all other schools, including EDI school that you are committing to the EDII school. Thus if EDII takes you, you are BOUND by that contract and you must tell all others, including the EDI school you will not be coming. But EDI cannot play games and come swooping in and laying claim to you to “trump” EDII. That is wrong and frankly unethical on their part. </p>

<p>Again, by deferring you, they are setting you free and they know it. They may come in later in the RD pool and take you, but you are no longer committed to accepting their offer.</p>

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<p>This is my understanding also. Your application is being put in with all the other RD applications. For all intents and purposes, it becomes an RD application.</p>

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<p>I don’t think that this was ever in question. But, still, I find it inappropriate to submit an ED II application BEFORE the ED I verdict has arrived … unless, of course, there is some overlap (i.e., the ED II deadline precedes the ED I notification date). But when this happens, it’s usually just a matter of days.</p>

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<p>As a matter of keeping things neat and on the up-and-up, I don’t think I’d consider sending an ED II until after hearing from EA apps, either.</p>

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<p>tryin2Bcool–Will you tell us where you applied? Are many of your friends/classmates applying (or have applied) to ED I & ED II colleges? If so, what are some of the “pairs”?</p>

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<p>I don’t see the problem. If you have been deferred when applying EDI, then the entire ED obligation is over. You promised to attend if accepted ED. Since anyone who is deferred is by definition not accepted, there is no obligation to attend. People who apply ED probably are more likely to attend the college if admitted regular, but certainly have not promised to do so.</p>

<p>Applying EDII before the notification for EDI is a little trickier, but I still don’t see a problem if the EDI notice is well before the EDII notice, giving the student time to withdraw the EDII application before it is reviewed. If the EDII deadline is long before the EDI notice date, then you would be in the situation of promising to attend to separate colleges.</p>

<p>Most EDII deadlines I have seen have been after EDI notice dates. That is sort of the point- to catch promising students who did not get in EDI, but who still want to go early.</p>

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<p>I’m still looking for ED I/ED II “pairs.” Earlier in this thread, I listed some of the recent ones I know about, along with the outcomes. Everyone on my list was admitted to the ED II college.</p>

<p>So, I’m not only curious about other I/II combos with positive outcomes, but also about those gambits that weren’t so successful … where the candidate was NOT admitted to the ED II college.</p>

<p>Also … does anyone have any anecdotal information about students who:</p>

<p>**–applied to ED I college and were deferred, so then …</p>

<p>—applied to ED II college and were also deferred … and …</p>

<p>–were eventually admitted via Regular Decision to either college … or to both?**</p>