Hello Fellow Parent, and Welcome!
Spoiler alert: my feelings about Early Decision (ED) do not feature unicorns and rainbows. But I believe we must seriously consider it as an option.
Early Decision (ED) in a nutshell
If you’re just joining us, here’s the scoop. If your kid has a first choice college she’d love to attend, she can submit an application around November 1 and sign a binding agreement to attend that college if admitted.
I have a whole section in College Admissions Cracked about the myriad other ways students can apply to college, but we’re dealing with ED today; the deadline is looming.
The Pros of applying ED
Pros for the college: ED is a boon for colleges! During COVID shutdowns, many colleges started admitting a larger percentage of the class ED because those students were “sure bets.” The colleges knew they would yield every ED applicant they accepted, and “yield rate” helps a college’s popularity and rankings. Win-win for the college!
Pros for the student: If admitted, the whole college admissions process ends mid-December of senior year, when an ED notification arrives. The holiday season is a true celebration, and spring semester is a much more relaxing experience (for everyone).
The Cons of applying ED
Cons for the college: None that I can see.
Cons for the student: As you already know, I’m obsessed with doing something to mitigate the crisis in teen mental health. That’s why I wrote College Essay Confidence, to help relieve anxiety through at least one common stressor, the formidable personal essay. I consider ED a (borderline) criminal act, creating pressure on teenagers to pick a “dream school” (already problematic) and commit to it with no guarantees of financial help (very uncool).
But Jill, how do you really feel?
Once I learned about a college that admitted over half of the class from the ED applicant pool (significantly smaller than the Regular Decision (RD) applicant pool with deadlines around January 1), I knew that I could not steer you away from applying ED with a clear conscience.
- Applying ED gives the student a genuine boost in the odds for admission if that student has the credentials to begin with. It’s the ultimate “demonstration of interest” in that college.
- Applying ED to a realistic “target” school (rather than a shoot-for-the-moon college) ups the odds that the college admissions process will end for your family this year.
- The financial aid office is open for “appeals” to the aid offered, no matter when the student is admitted. If the financial aid offer falls short of the number spit out by the college’s calculator on their website, or your financial circumstances have changed, appeal!
I also cannot steer you toward ED with a clear conscience.
- Some students feel pressure mounting and “eeny meany miny moe” their way to deciding which college to apply to ED, just to play the game.
- Some students feel pressure to rush to submit an application they haven’t had time to polish (or even finish).
- Others feel coerced into committing to a specific school someone else thinks is perfect for them.
- Still others, facing the very real risk of rejection, are ill-equipped to pivot quickly from the devastation of a denial or deferral toward refocusing on regular admission deadlines which are often only a couple of weeks away.
Sanity Saver
To get us all through Nov 1 ED deadlines, mid-December notifications (for better or worse), and beyond, here’s a brain boosting exercise from my new book College Essay Confidence that you can pre-order now:
Invite Awesomeness
Instructions
- Go outside without your phone and walk or just hang out.
- Notice how insanely tall trees are.
- Notice all the life teeming around you, even if you’re on a seemingly empty street.
- Notice what you’re noticing, what you see, hear, smell, taste, and feel, and what you’re thinking.
- You can go back inside when you’ve recognized the awesomeness of nature and the world around you and replaced anxious thoughts with awe and wonder.
Surrounding yourself in nature relaxes the brain and invigorates the senses. You are now ready for whatever comes next.
More Resources
Lots more sanity savers, clarifications on all the ways your kid can apply to college, and step-by-step guidance can be found in College Admissions Cracked.
Download free resources here.
Reach out here and let me know you’re okay (or ask a question if you’re not). I’ve got you.
Warmly,
Jill
