Son with 3.6+ GPA, 2380 SAT, and potentially 750 for SAT Math II and Eng. Lit. Considering all LA schools. Trying our luck with Northwestern, NYU & Boston College. ED stats for these schools are 35%, 38% & 41%. He doesn’t have sports, only summer camp experience with business and policy camps. Volunteer at local acquarium and youth court. What do you guys think? It’s like gambling here.
It’s not at all like gambling.
First of all, the best data for you, is from your own HS which shows who got in where with what stats. The opinions of a bunch of strangers on the internet who have no idea whether a 3.6 at your HS means that he’s at the tippy top of the class or the middle of the pack ain’t worth much.
Second- what is a potential SAT II score?
Third- what can you afford and will any of these three be affordable?
Fourth-Why apply ED if your son doesn’t have a clear cut favorite? He’ll be obligated to attend- if you’re tossing a coin, why commit so early in the game???
By applying ED at those schools could give OP’s son a bump that he wouldn’t otherwise have at RD. It is a known fact that many schools accept large % of students during ED. I am assuming OP could well afford those schools, or he could decline after acceptance if finance is an issue.
ED is a free option, people should use it wisely. Unless OP’s son is at top 10% of his class with 3.6 GPA, he would just be throwing his ED away by applying at Northwestern.
What’s a policy camp?
Boston College does not have an ED option. It has EA which is non-binding.
However, you cannot apply ED at another school while applying EA at BC
https://www.bc.edu/admission/undergrad/process/freshman/deadlines.html
You might look at Vassar. I loved the school when we visited, and boys have a huge edge in admissions. The acceptance rate is something like 18% for girls, 33% for boys. I’m not sure how much ED helps, and I don’t know what your DS’ chances would be, but I think they’d be higher than at Northwestern or NYU, and Vassar is a great school.
I told our daughter she could visit three out of state campuses of her choice before submitting her applications. She did her research in advance as I did and we traveled together about a year ago to visit her top three wish list colleges over a period of one week in three different states. She even sat in on a class at her top choice school and we were able to get an office call with the Dean of Admissions there.
Upon our return home, she applied ED to her top choice (which has a 39 percent acceptance for ED applicants), recognizing she was not a top tier candidate there.
She was accepted to all three, but her ED choice didn’t offer her any merit aid and only moderate need-based aid; however, we anticipated that possibility up front.
Still, she is happy about her choice and my wife and I support her.
Had she not been accepted to her ED school, she had two strong back-ups that she would probably have been OK with.
She is currently enrolled at her ED school as a Freshman, seems happy there, and appears to be a good fit academically and socially.
I would recommend you and your son visit at least his top three choices if possible before he applies ED anywhere. Depending on where you live, it may be expensive, but considering the cost of 4 years at a private college, we consider it a very worthwhile investment.
I can’t imagine what it would have been like if she applied to a pricey private college ED only to find out after she arrived that she doesn’t like it and is miserable there.
ED stats overall or for his combination of grades and SATs? Is the 3.6 weighted? Unless it is a tip top high school or he has taken a very very challenging course load (so his weighted is over 4.0), will not have a 35% chance of admission at NW or 41% at BC. With the exception of a recent recruited athlete, the lowest accepted GPA was 3.84 (which is weighted). The average ED accepted GPA was 3.99 (weighted).
Chose the one he likes best or the one he is most likely to get into and would be happy at to apply ED. And have some great backups where he would excel and be happy. He has a good profile and should be accepted at some good schools.
what’s ED II?
Some colleges have two options for ED consideration. The college my D is attending has ED I applications due November 15 with admission decision notification by December 15. ED II applications are due January 15 with admission decision notification by February 15. Regular decision applications are due January 15 with admission decision notification by April 1.
Not all colleges offer two ED options. My D applied for ED 1 at her top choice college and we had a Merry Christmas since she was accepted and notified of the decision before Christmas.
Thank you so much! Congratulations on your D’s acceptance. Wish we could get there.