<p>Hey, I’m applying to Penn Early Decision and am anxiously awaiting my decision. What does this have to do with Yale? Well, Yale is one of the schools I will be applying to if I am not admitted to Penn or if financial aid (yes, I applied for aid during ED) is not sufficient. What I am here to ask is what would it take for Yale (or any college) to open a file on me for my application?</p>
<p>My plan was to send in counselor forms and letters of rec next week so that they would be at each of my respective schools in case Penn did not work out. But, using this method, I would also not be required to pay application fees until I submit the online portion of my application. Would this work? I am just trying to avoid the fees if I don’t need to pay them while still being practical with my planning process.</p>
<p>Any help you guys can give would be appreciated. Good luck with all your college aspirations as well.</p>
<p>just so u know if u get into Penn u HAVE to go whether or not u feel the financial aid is sufficient and u have to withdraw ur app from the other schools thats the what ED is as opposed to EA which still leaves u the option of going to another school</p>
<p>to answer ur question idk for sure but i sent in my app before my recs because if the colleges receive the recs but dont have an app to put it with they might scrap them idk for sure tho but thats what id assume…seems logical, my theory has always been better safe than sorry</p>
<p>Actually, I’m bound to Penn unless I am financially unable to attend. Got this directly from my admission officer. That’s how Penn does it, and how I believe most schools do it. You’re right when you said EA is different though. </p>
<p>About submitting the app first. Well, before I started applying to colleges a number of them had scores I had sent them. If they have no problem holding on to these, I figured they would put recs and counselor forms in a folder with the scores. I am unsure, though, which is why I asked in the first place.</p>
<p>Dude08 is right. ED is binding. In exchange for an early decision, you agree to forego comparing financial aid offers and accept the ED school’s definition of your need and how it is to be met. Students who need to compare aid offers should not apply ED. Yes, there are rare instances in which a school will release a student from a binding ED commitment, but only for extreme financial reasons and only to attend schools that are not the ED school’s competitors (i.e., state schools).</p>
<p>I think the colleges all know that stuff for each applicant comes in at different times. My son applied ED at another school this year, but his teachers all sent their recommendations in to all of his schools at the same time. Same thing with the school’s registrar, she sent her stuff in to all of his schools at the same time. Teachers and registrars don’t generally send things in gradually depending on your application deadlines or if you are applying ED or EA to one school or another–that would be way too difficult for them to track, at least at a large public high school. If Yale receives test scores or counselor/teacher recommendations for you before your application, they aren’t going to scrap them. My guess is that they will start a file assuming the remainder of your application is on its way–you have until the deadline to get it in–and if after that, they don’t see your application, then they’d just consider that you had changed your mind. That being said, if you do get into Penn ED and have to withdraw from other schools’ consideration, I think it is appropriate to let them know officially even if you never sent your application in.</p>
<p>I figured they would just hold onto my items expecting the final part of the application to come in. If I am admitted to Penn ED, I would notify them that my application would not be coming.</p>
<p>All of this is really just precautionary. I won’t here of my status with Penn for two more weeks, and after that (due to Christmas break) I would have one week to get everything out to all my other schools. And because I go to an extremely large school, I want to get my stuff out early to ensure that it makes it to its proper destination in plenty of time.</p>
<p>It IS possible to get out of an ED agreement; there are several threads on this topic (use the search function). If the financial aid package at the ED school truly is not enough, most ED schools will offer more or let you out from what I’ve heard. However, if you renege for any other reason, you might still get out (what school really wants someone who feels forced to matriculate) but your HS and guidance counselor may be penalized or even blacklisted. I think Penn and other Ivies with ED are expecting more kids to try to get out of the ED commitment this year as compared to prior years (because some kids would rather go to Harvard or Princeton but can’t apply there early any more).</p>