<p>For UPenn, legacies are given some preference in admissions ONLY during ED. That is made very clear to alums. Every UPenn grad whose children go through the college process knows this. How many of those ED apps are ED kids? Athlete from my son’s school got into UPenn with SATs in the 1100s and not even a 3.0 average. I know this for a fact. He was the starting QB for UPenn’s football team for some years and from what I have been told, QBs are usually the brainy ones on that team. Got in ED. How many football players are on that team? My son was a recruited athlete, and both of his teammates went (and graduated) from UPenn and they both got iin ED with below mid range SAT scores and ummmm grades. So that ED pool is made up of a lot special entries. Your kid’s stats may even be bringing up the averages for that group. </p>
<p>My college which is a top 25 uni does the same, by the way, though they don’t give football players the pass UPEnn does, that I can guarantee. But at a recent reunion, we were told that the Legacy admit rate during ED is over 80% for that pool. During RD, legacies are given some consideration, but as a tip, not as a separate pool. Penn won’t give legacies even a tip if they do not apply ED, as Ivanka Trump found out when she was WLed RD and then denied. Had she appled ED, she was told she likely would have been accepted, and yes, this is a fact.</p>
<p>But I don’t think anyone is arguing that ED doesn’t give a student a better chance. You get that advantage for giving up the chance to compare offers and for committing to one school early. When it works, it’s beautiful. When it doesn’t, it can cost a student and family grief and problems that are not at all reflected in that blithe brainless statement that I read and hear all of the time, " you can just say no, if the fin aid is not enough". There is not enough information given and the ramifications are not gone into enough, especially families who can use the money. The opposite is pushed by GCs themeselves–“That ED offer is likely to be the best you get”, “colleges tend to give their best offers during ED”. All true statements IN GENERAL, but without the caveats I am bringing up. Heck, I’ve made the statements too. But two members on this board who have gone through this process at generous schools can attest to you, that their kids got offers differing in more than $10K from schools that are the tops in fin aid, do not tend to play games in fin aid or negotiate and supposedly use nearly the same methodology.</p>
<p>In your case, Rebel, $40K over 4 years is not an issue. You are in a position where you feel that it’s worth not getting that money for your student to go to Penn. Not all families are in that postion and they don’t know that this sort of discrepancy can exist. </p>
<p>You and others will find all kinds of articles and support for ED. Nothing new there. The GCs love ED and they get very grave faced when a family consideres backing out for financial reasons, and famililes go into contortions when they probably should have because they really can’t afford the price tag. A minority? Yes a very tiny portion of the group that is hit with a terrible problem and consequence that did not occur to them. </p>
<p>So yes, I hate ED. It puts families who don’t have as much money on the spot, and they are forced to make that decision in a vacuum. I don’t like programs that make it more difficult to those who have less, and give them extra pressure to make decisions that are not financially sound. Enough opportunities to do that. I feel that those families whose EFC is below a certain point should be allowed to enter the ED pool without baiing out on their other schools. </p>
<p>When I see an issue with something, it’s not just that it has drawbacks that make me hate it. Everything has its drawback. It’s when the issues are something that hurt most those who are the most vulnerable and least knowledgeable that make me use a word as strong as “hate”. </p>
<p>For those who are happy with their students ED outcomes including financial aid packages, it’s a wonderful thing. I am not taking anything away from you. For those who need financial aid for their kids and are contemplating ED, don’t take it off the possibilities, but just be aware that it is not so simple as “if it’s not enough aid, just say no”. Start by asking your self what “enough” is. If like most people, you don’t have a firm line as to what you absolutely won’t cross, and have to se it to know it, then you may be going over that true line of what is affordable for your family. (Yeah, I know, that ship’s done sailed for many). The college commitment is different from many others financial ones that are made in not only its magnitude but in the time it can lock you in. For the rest of your life with some loans.</p>