How does ED 2 work?

Applying to College
1

If I apply ED 1 to a one school, can I then apply ED 2 to another school? Then if i can into the first school, can I withdraw the ED 2 to the other school? I am very confused as to how this works.

Thanks

2

You cannot have to ED applications in at the same time. ED2 can be used:

  1. If you don’t apply to any school ED1.
  2. If you get rejected by your ED1 school.
  3. If your ED1 school defers you and moves you to the regular decision pool. But if you get into your ED2 school you would be obliged to attend and would need to withdraw other applications. So, if your heart is set on the ED1 school and you are deferred this may not be a wise strategy.
3

So I still have time to apply Ed 2 if I was rejected Ed 1 ?

4

Yes, you do. ED I decisions come out in mid December and ED II applications are due at the same time RD apps are due, around January first (so quick turnaround time if you’re rejected ED I).

5

@SternBusiness, keep in mind that the ED II admit rate is likely to be less advantageous than the ED I rate, and in some cases, very close to or actually worse than the RD rate.

Most schools don’t publish ED I and ED II rates separately, but here are two examples:

Hamilton College (Class of 2018): 41% ED I, 29% ED II, 25% RD
(https://www.hamilton.edu/admission/counselors/profile)

Emory College (Class of 2017): 53% ED I, 21% ED II, 25% RD
(http://apply.emory.edu/pdf/CounselorProfile2013.pdf)

6

@cbound88, I noticed the same trend at a few schools. Any idea why that is? On the one hand, it’s still (almost) 100% yield for the school. On the other hand, maybe they believe they’re not truly the student’s first choice (as that would likely have gone to ED1)? Or are the stats for ED2 students less stellar?

7

First I think all of the people who are legacy and recruited athletes apply ED1 so that will automatically skew admissions rates in favor of ED1. Second, admissions officers have said that ED2 is often a less strong pool because either the applicants waited to apply because they wanted to show improved senior year grades (which would mean that they felt an application by the ED1 deadline would not be as strong) or they were rejected at their ED1 school.

8

^^ That’s probably true (#6) but my son applied ED2 only because he wasn’t ready to commit when the ED 1 deadline arrived (his first choice was his first choice, but he wasn’t sure he was ready to sign on the dotted line yet…). When the ED 2 deadline came, he was ready.

9

@mjube94, I think @happy1 pretty much covers it.

10

ED1 admit rates in the LACs can give non-athletes and non-legacy a false sense of hope. However, it shows real commitment and admissions has a lot more time to spend looking at the application before crunch time when they get thousands.

In a small school like the LACs, especially NESCAC, you would be smart to figure about 100 students in the figures are preselected by early fall. So really, the true admit rate for unhooked students for the roughly 150 remaining spots that are usually taken during ED1 is a lot lower than the published number. The smaller the school and the more teams they have, the more severe the impact.