The Early Decision Lie

Last December, our client, from a tony, private NYC high school, was admitted to an elite New England Small College Athletic Conference college as a football recruit.  He applied Early Decision, the way all recruits do.

But after he was accepted, he had second thoughts about going.  So he and his mom, Lauren, spoke to Pearl (the better half of Lockwood College Prep) about his misgivings.

“You can get out of ED,” quoth the first lady of our firm, stunning our clients, who thought Early Decision was “binding.”

Before I continue this yarn, a brief overview is in order:   There are several ways to apply to college, depending on each college’s policies, including:

• Early Decision (apply to only one college, fake binding)
• Early Action (non-binding)
• Restricted Early Action  (non-binding but limits the colleges you can apply to)
• Regular Decision  (deadlines tend to be early January)
• Early Decision II (apply to only one college, used if you get denied or deferred by your ED I school, early January, also fake binding)

This time of year, thousands of Class of 2026 students are wrestling with the highest stakes decision they’ll make in the process:  to which college they’ll “go ED”.  Statistically speaking, admissions odds are far greater this way.

But here’s the thing:  the statistics are misleading.   More than 50% of Early Decision admits are special categories who get a thumb on the scale in the admissions process:  recruited athletes, legacies, underrepresented minorities recruited to the college, kids with a “hook” from a trustee or university muckety-muck, more.  They skew the numbers.  I

t's harder to get into college if you’re not a special category, even with ED.  ED is helpful, but not as much as you might think.

Back to our reluctant NESCAC ED admit.  Pearl told Lauren that she had a “financial out.”  The ED agreement specifies that you can be released if you find the financial aid package to be inadequate (paraphrasing).

Not to mention that minors lack the legal capacity to enter into a binding contract, and that nobody can force you to go to any college and pay a specified price.

“But there’s no way we’d even qualify for financial aid!” Lauren said.

“Exactly,” Pearl said. “Let’s file your FAFSA and CSS Profile, get an offer of zero, and invoke the financial out.”  

Lauren and her son met with her school counselor to discuss the matter.  The counselor was LIVID.  She scolded Lauren for even hinting at withdrawing from her “commitment,” which, in the school’s eyes, was the moral equivalent of murder, adultery and the violation of a third commandment to be named later.

Pearl pointed out to Lauren that none of these reasons had anything to do with her son’s best interests. They centered on protecting the counselor, who was worried that this elite, aspirational college would shut the door on every applicant from her high school for all eternity.

Lauren and her son pressed ahead.  That day, they called the admissions officer and asked to be released from ED  Here’s what the admissions officer told them:

“OK.”

It’s just not a big deal.  In college admissions, remember that your child and you are in charge of making the decisions that are right for you.  Not your high school.