Failure to withdraw RD applications.

Applying to College
1

I apologize if this is a controversial topic, but do admissions departments try to weed out pending applicants who have already committed to other schools (as easily determined by the student’s or their parents’ Facebook account, etc.)? If not, are the applicants who have not committed elsewhere harmed by the already-committed applicants who refuse to withdraw their applications?

Thanks in advance.

2

Are you referring to accepted ED applicants? They are required to withdraw other applications. Accepted EA applicants are not required to do so.

I doubt if adcoms have the time to look at facebook etc. accounts.

3

No one is harmed; after years of experience, schools know about how many in various categories alter their plans.

4

If you assume (perhaps I’m being naive and I’m wrong) that the overwhelming majority of kids who get accepted ED do as they’re supposed to do and withdraw their other applications in a timely manner, then the number of RD applicants at any given school that are committed elsewhere through ED is likely very small and and also very likely calculated into the number of acceptances a school has to send out to get the right size freshman class.

So, on the whole, I’d say that while not withdrawing RD applications when a person gets accepted ED is wrong for any number of reasons, the actual harm done to the remaining RD applicants is miniscule.

5

Thank you for the replies. Sorry if I wasn’t clear. I am not referring to the failure to withdraw RD applications after an ED decision, but rather RD applicants who have committed to School A but do not subsequently withdraw their pending applications to Schools B, C and D, etc. What is the effect of the failure to withdraw the B, C and D applications,if any, to the applicants at B, C and D whose applications remain pending and who have not committed anywhere?

Thanks again.