<p>In my experience, guidance counselors notify schools involved in these sorts of situations so the student’s action isn’t associated with the school and future applicants. These cases are extremely rare. I can think of one in the past five years or so.</p>
<p>If financial aid is an issue, many schools will release a student from the ED contract. The counselor usually goes to bat for the student in those cases.</p>
<p>Your future isn’t “blown”. At the time when you filed your ED application, I imagine you were quite happy with the option.</p>
<p>That being said, I’m glad we don’t have to deal with this anymore.</p>
<p>Cogit, if you’re concerned about not knowing “what might have been,” think of it this way. It would be exponentially worse to think what might have been if you had done the right thing and not been rescinded at the LAC and have nowhere to go.</p>
<p>“You’re don’t want hear the truth, which is that the only reason people GET AWAY with backing out of ED commitments is because of FA needs .”
I actually know someone who got out of ED for non-financial reasons, but the reason was very, very compelling and completely out of the student’s control – and documentable.</p>
<p>This has been a very interesting morality play and I have enjoyed it immensely. I have been working on a very boring proposal all afternoon and breaking off to read the posts in this thread every 1/2 hour or so has really helped me keep my sanity.</p>
<p>To the OP: Good luck to you. My suggestion is to do what you think is right.</p>
Exactly, the cases I have first-hand knowledge of were cases where the GC actively went to bat for the student/family and believed that the switch from ED school to another school (schools which had been applied to FOLLOWING THE RULES (ie EA/rolling allowed by the ED school) and which were equal or safer schools for the student and thus offered better $$) was acceptable and would be seen as such by the ED school. The cases I have first-hand knowledge of were ones where the student wanted to be sure it was okay by the GC and college so as not to adversely affect classmates or future applicants from the hs. </p>
<p>I have heard second hand of ONE case (and there have been legions of similar threads on this forum, btw) where Harvard allowed an ED-reneger to come. The situation, as it was described here, was a URM several years ago when URMs were maybe even more important to Harvard than might be today. </p>
<p>I normally shy away from threads involving ethics, morals, “trigger topics”, like sex, gun control, politics. While it limits intelligent discourse, these are areas normally not effectively resolved on internet forums.</p>
<p>There have numerous prior ED threads within these forums asking similar questions to the OP’s. I would urge the OP conduct an exhaustive search and reading.</p>
<p>Many of the points made by those who have responded here have been covered repeatedly within a multitude of similar posts addressing hypotheticals and actual backout scenarios regarding violating ED agreements. </p>
<p>cogitoergosum, from my perspective I doubt you will get the responses you want to hear. So be it. The advice presented to you has been sound, ethical, and within the bounds of the contractual ED agreement which you voluntarily entered.</p>
<p>The fact that you do not agree, did not understand, or now wish an alternative is irrelevant; should you chose not to honor it, either or both of the schools involved may invoke any and all remedies they have at their disposal.</p>
<p>Since I do have an anecdote, I’ll post it. Two years ago, my best friend’s daughter applied ED to a top school (not HYPS, but a LAC). Over the Christmas holidays she was hit by a car and seriously injured and didn’t withdraw her other applications immediately upon receiving decision. After physical therapy, around the middle of April she requested to be released from her commitment. I read the letter, so I do know what it said. She included documentation (including a news article) about the accident, a letter from the doctor explaining that she had been seriously injured, a letter from her GC saying that she had applied in good faith AND a letter from her explaining that she was no longer the same person as before the accident and was just not emotionally ready to go so far away from home. She was released with good wishes and attends a local school where she can come home on weekends. But she wasn’t trying to game the system at all and really isn’t the same person.</p>
<p>My niece’s boyfriend broke an ED contract at a university for financial reasons. Unfortunately when he applied to college he was not advised not to apply ED if you have severe financial constraints. He could not afford the school with the financial aid package he was offered. The college did not let him out of his contract easily. He ended up at a community college for a year. He is now at a top LAC on a scholarship.</p>
<p>Cogitoergosum — Were you seeing a consoler or physiatrist at the time? If you were, and if they are willing to back you up by confirming that you were not thinking clearly or making rational decisions at the time, you might (MIGHT) be able to get out of your ED contract in good standing. But you’d have to start now, get your GC in the loop, etc. You can’t wait until you find out if you’ve gotten in elsewhere: either you made a mistake applying ED when that was a bad choice overall because you were depressed and desperate, or you made a “mistake” applying ED because you’ve realized you could get into a better school. The former might be true, but if you don’t start arguing that case now, I doubt the colleges will believe that it wasn’t the latter.</p>
<p>How did you manage to get mid-year reports sent to all your RD schools after your ED acceptance? Since ED is binding and effectively ends the college search, I’m certain your GC would not have been willing to send them to Harvard or any of the other RD schools on your list, and you can’t get admitted without mid-year reports. </p>
<p>So all your agonizing may be irrelevant. Your RD applications will be automatically denied because your file is incomplete. Or you may be a ■■■■■.</p>
<p>^It is kind of a mix of the former and the latter.I signed the contract just not to let the LAC slip through my hands.And many people said that applying early to this school increases one’s chance exponentially.
There is more story but it would clearly identify me.Sorry.</p>