Denver NACAC Saturday

Today is the closing day of the NACAC conference. I attended three sessions today and will leave in about an hour and a half for a tour of University of Denver.

My first session today was called "Beyond Admission" and it was a look at how the College Board SAT data is used by colleges in phases other than just the 'admit' portion of the enrollment cycle. Before admission, come steps like identifying potential applicants and recruiting them. After admission, come steps like getting them to deposit (aka yield), placing them in classes, and making sure they graduate. I was curious to know a little more about the business of buying and selling student names and information (in case you weren't aware, that is how schools get the names of many of the students they market to). Unfortunately, little detail was given about how that process works (or how much it costs). Instead, we heard a bright and shiny review of how the SAT can be used in many other aspects of the college process other than just whether to admit or deny. I think one of the most telling portions of this session was a slide projected by the College Board showing the different score bands of students and a corresponding bar graph with their retention rate year to year in college leading ultimately to graduation. As the score bands went higher, the percent of students retained got higher. The presenter made the comment that this graph was evidence of the SAT having predictive value for retention and graduation. In my opinion though, this use of "data" is a gross overestimation by the College Board in the value of their exam. I would argue that it isn't the ability to score highly on the SAT that has a relationship to the ability to stick with and finish college. To say that overlooks (as one of my fine colleagues pointed out) the fact that, for example, a student with an 800 total score on three sections isn't being admitted to the same school as the student with a 2200. To suggest that they were EVER on a level playing field in terms of likelihood of retention or graduation is pretty absurd. What about socioeconomic status being predictive? Parent education level? Amount of loans a student is asked to take out? Quality of support on campus?

Why does the practice of the SAT being used for other parts of the enrollment cycle exist? From the prospective of the colleges, they find that buying names from the College Board and using those names as a way to fill their pipeline to identify eventual admits and hopefully eventual graduates is a good use of their dollars. Another element to this session, from the presenting colleges, defended the use of a 'wide brush' when choosing which names to buy, since they need to cast a wide net in order to catch those diamonds in the rough that may not have been reached otherwise. I would counter that to say that it isn't a wide brush being used, it is a paint-roller, with students far outside a school's profile often being added to the mailing list and marketed to when the school knows good and well the chance of admission is minimal. I would urge schools (and the College Board) to encourage stronger ethical guidelines in terms of marketing to students that are so far below the traditional admissible range. The panel also made the interesting suggestion that juniors taking the SAT should use their four free score reports to send scores to colleges they like as a way to show demonstrated interest. I can't say I love this idea, but if schools are using that as a way to see who is most interested, I feel obligated to share that on the blog. As you can see, I could go on and on about my observations from this session and what it means for this industry. I guess I'll close with the comment that I found it telling that none of the presenters mentioned the other side of this coin that, in addition to using SAT scores to identify students that may have been overlooked, the far more common scenario is that marketing from College Board Search name buys serves to inflate the applicant pool, allow for more students to be denied, result in a lower selectivity rate, and mean higher rankings and happier trustees. The admissions arms race is real and don't let any glossy brochure make you forget it.

The next session I attended was "Best Practices for Working with the Press to Advance Public Understanding of College Admission." Let me first say, I was motivated to go to this session after a particularly inane question from a member of the press (at a national newspaper) from the affirmative action session the other day. I also thought that as someone that blogs about college admissions, I should hear what the presenters had to say. The session consisted of journalists and authors who contribute to the national conversation about college admission. My main takeaways were that more journalists covering this topic need to either have backgrounds in the field or be open to learning the nuances before writing. There was also the idea that the public must be reminded that members of the press are just like colleges - they are not all created equal. Some are, by nature, going to be sensationalizing and stirring up a panic and others will aim to be factual, fair, and have the goal of making readers informed consumers. During the Q&A, I found the comments made by Duke University to ring true, which were that any time a college is speaking to a member of the press they must assume that every sentence they utter can be quoted without the sentence before it and after it. This is a unique challenge, but is certainly an ongoing conversation about how to best educate the public about college admissions and what language and journalistic techniques can best do that.

My final session for the day was "The Model Minority Myth: The Reality of Asian College Applicants in the 21st Century." This session delved into the challenges faced by the Asian community in the college process and beyond. The session first pointed out that Asians comprise about 5.8% of the population of the United States. Especially for those of us coming from the five boroughs, I think we would find this surprising. Asians also recently past Latino/Hispanic as the largest racial group immigrating to the United States. The myth is that Asian students are smarter than and better test takers than other racial groups. When it comes to the admission process, a challenge for Asian students is that there are 24 different ethnic groups withing the box checked "Asian" on the Common App. There are some groups that have a profile much closer to the stereotype and others that are drastically different. The question was raised, if a stereotype is a good stereotype (like, for example, Asians are smart) is that really such a bad thing? But the argument is yes, it is bad, because the reality for Asians is quite different. Context is very important, particularly for colleges, so they can understand if other identity groups (like being low income or first generation American or a certain ethnicity) may actually play a larger role in that student's identity. There is a term, the bamboo ceiling, which refers to the fact that despite being the most educated race statistically, only 0.3% of corporate employees are Asian. If stereotypes are used, one may not realize this disparity. Unfortunately, I came to this session specifically to hear from the college admission side and hear how schools are (or are not) falling prey to the model minority myth. But, the presenter from the college side was not able to attend the session, so I wasn't able to learn about that perspective. The suggestions from the panel encouraged disaggregation of the Asian data, separating out the different Asian ethnic groups and allowing for society to see more of the nuances within the very diverse Asian community.

I have to sign off now to head up to the University of Denver, but the final day of sessions leave me feeling tired but thankful to be able to attend this conference every year. As a counselor that works as "an office of one" (no secretary, no assistant, no other college counselors on staff) the ability to come to this conference and be surrounded by 5,000 other people that are as excited about post secondary education as I am is unparallelled. I re-energizes me for the year ahead and reminds me of how fortunate I am to love my job.

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Denver NACAC Friday

The Friday of NACAC is like the middle section of the SAT. You are already exhausted, but you know that you still have more to go. Today didn't disappoint, and it isn't over yet (it is about 7:30 Denver time as a write this).

I started the day with a session called "Research Meets Practice for Young Adults with Mental Illnesses" run by a mother daughter team that authored the book Perfect Chaos. This session addressed a topic that is rarely talked about openly, and that is a shame. The daughter, Linea, has bipolar disorder but, through treatment, has been highly successful. The presentation was a balance of best practices for counselors (notice every student, refer to a psychiatrist and follow up if you are concerned about a student, never suggest a diagnosis, etc) and excerpts from Linea's journals which are printed in the book gave a touching look into the experiences that she has had through her various stages of depression and mania. One in 5 students has a mental health, emotional, or behavioral disorder. Colleges and college counselors (and parents) need to work together to support all students and remind them that things can get better. I'm a firm believer that there is a college setting out there for everyone and students that fall anywhere on the mental health spectrum can find a campus that will work best to support them toward their ultimate goals. In the case of Linea, she was hospitalized twice, took a semester off, and transferred schools before eventually graduating, but the message is that she did it. Mental health isn't a topic that most people talk about opening and the presenters made the astute observation that the reason it is stigmatized is that the faces of mental illness are in most cases not individuals with their mental illness under control. More people who have treated and stabilized their conditions, so that they live well, need to speak out. Others need to see that over time and by working with a counselor and psychiatrist there can be progress to get mental health disorders in check. I applaud the presenters for being so brave as to share their personal story with the world and hope I can meet the call to notice every student and speak up when it looks like a student needs help. If you or someone you know struggle with mental health, or think you might be struggling with mental health, contact an adult that you trust. Go to www.lineacinda.com to find resources related to this session.

My next workshop was "The State of Affirmative Action" a timely topic given that the supreme court has agreed to hear Fisher vs. The University of Texas. Let me say first that race is an uncomfortable topic for many people (I guess my morning was full of uncomfortable topics), but-- as the panel shared-- race is an integral part of our history and our society's fabric. We have to talk about it. It was a very informative session both about history of affirmative action and the implications that this court ruling could have on colleges and universities going forward. One interesting slide showed the racial breakdown of all SAT test takers and the overwhelming majority (and I'm talking like big huge tall bar vs teeny tiny squatty bar) are white. What does this mean? It means that even if you disagree that race should be considered as schools admit candidates, we are still not experiencing an academic landscape where a huge onslaught of underrepresented minorities are stealing away admission places from white students. If you threw a dart at a board of college applicants in the US - you are almost always going to hit a white applicant. The panic of spaces being given away 'unfairly' is unfounded. It is still a reality that in this country today a white high school student has a far greater chance of moving on to (and graduating from college) than an underrepresented minority. Last year at UCLA, 3.8% of admitted students were black. Three. Point. Eight. This is a topic I can't really fully express through a blog post, but it will certainly be interesting to follow what decision the court makes and how colleges adjust accordingly.

The final session I attended (or at least half way attended, because I was camped out outside the door since the session was full. But then they let me in ;) was about the new Common App that is coming out in 2013. The main news to report is that the plan is to eliminate the 'choose your own topic' essay question. Let me tell you, I've been coming to this conference for four years and I've never heard a gasp that large in a session. People seriously started freaking out. Personally, I think people are overreacting. They say they are going to provide essay topics that are broad enough that students will be able to choose one where they can essentially write on whatever topic they want, but you would think that the presenter had just announced that puppies would all be stolen away from their owners. If you hear me Common App, I have your back.

The rest of my day consisted of a massive college fair. And tomorrow is the final day of the conference. Stay tuned for more updates and enjoy the long weekend!

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(If you are too young to get this picture, google John Denver. If you don't know who Kermit is, you lost out as a child.)

Denver NACAC Thursday

I already had to remind myself that despite feeling like I have seen so much and talked with so many people, we've only just completed Day 1 of the conference. Today's opening general session included a keynote speech by Jane McGonigal. Her message centered around the idea that video games are worth much more than what meets the eye. That there are actually deep and meaningful life lessons and coping mechanisms gleaned from playing and that those claims can be backed up by research published in peer review journals. I had two favorite parts within her address. One was an awesome project she did for the New York Public Library where 500 young people were locked inside the Bryant Park location overnight to work together, discover artifacts, and write a book. Learn more here, but she had me at New York Public Library. My other favorite part was when she discussed the fact that 80% of video game playing is failing. In other words, video games are about the only thing around that people voluntarily do where they know they won't succeed very often, but they still try again. There is resiliency, hope, and an optimism that you might make beat the level the next time -- it sheds a whole new view on the stereotypes of video games being a waste of time or the hobby of the lazy. Don't misconstrue - I'm not suggesting that highly selective colleges will start viewing 4 hours of video games a day as a strong resume builder, but it does beg the question of how many positive attributes and strengths are being overlooked in our young people just because their generation uses technology as an outlet.

There was only one educational session offered today and I chose to attend the one called "Commitment to Transparency: The Financial Aid Shopping Sheet." Essentially, the Federal Government has a new initiative to try and encourage colleges to adopt this "shopping sheet" that will be a uniform breakdown of financial aid awards along with information about that school's graduation rate, loan default rate, and how much the family will actually be paying out of pocket. To date, 316 schools have signed on in only a few short months. My mind was already fast forwarding to the dream of the government having a web based shopping sheet where families could plug in aid awards from non participating schools and print their own shopping sheets from home. Like most things full of data, the shopping sheet isn't perfect (as the panel pointed out, the graduation rate may not be an accurate representation of the segment of the population that the student is looking for --- ie graduation rate may include online students, notorious for low completion rate). A one page sheet also can't represent fit -- I would be a bad counselor if the only thing I asked students to use when picking where to deposit was cost. But, I think this tool is absolutely a step in the right direction, helping more families make more sense out of the often murky waters of financial aid. I applaud the schools that have volunteered to be early adopters and hope that it is mandated for all schools in the next five to ten years.

This evening, I finished up by walking through the vendor hall and attending the Big XII reception. All in all, I'm ready for day two!

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Pre NACAC CU Boulder Tour

Today is the first of a very long few days. I've arrived in Denver for the NACAC conference and look forward to tomorrow when the first sessions begin. Today, after landing in Denver I headed over to Boulder to visit University of Colorado, Boulder (aka CU Boulder - yes, I realize your gut says it should be UC, but it isn't).

The Director of Admissions presented to us and I learned a lot about what this campus has to offer and what makes it unique. The campus is sandwiched between two opposite settings, the city of Denver with 2.5 million people forty minutes in one direction and 100% pure unadulterated nature with a population of zero the other direction. Since 1917, the buildings have all been constructed in the same architectural style (see photo above) with stones that really tie the entire campus together in a cohesive way. 42% of students come from out of state and all 50 states are represented. There are a wide variety of majors to choose from in Arts and Sciences, Business and Engineering. Aerospace Engineering is a flagship program, a huge percentage of astronauts went to CU Boulder. Mechanical Engineering is one of the most selective programs (the average SAT score on the first two sections is a 1500). Only one other school in the country sends more students abroad than CU Boulder. Only one other school in the country has graduates who have a higher average starting salary ($48,000, in case you were wondering).

The most exciting part of the day though was that I got to meet up with three very special freshman, Morgan, Briana, and Nicole - ElRo Class of 2012! The overwhelming response was that they LOVE school so far. We ate lunch in the dining hall and I have to be honest in saying I'm not sure I've seen a dining hall at a large public university with anything even close to the quality and options that CU Boulder has. With Denver being a city known for its healthy lifestyle, I shouldn't have been surprised. I also made sure to ask about class size and our ElRo alum confirmed for me that while they may have a few large lectures they also have many smaller classes. The freshman RAP classes help students make a living learning community where they take a course in their dorm that is capped at about 20 students. That is how you make a big school personal. I also have to give a special shout out to Briana - she is the first girl in the history of CU Boulder to have tried out for and made the MEN'S ice hockey team!

For any student looking to be at a large school, with a high quality of life, beautiful facilities, and a national reputation, check out CU Boulder. The direct flight for me from LaGuardia was under 4 hours and cost only about $250. Today was a great day, I can't wait for the conference to officially kick off tomorrow!

 (Disclaimer for picture above, I got up at 5 am NYC time this morning)

NACAC National Conference, here I come!

My goal was to AT LEAST get my summer posts finished before leaving for NACAC. Since I leave tomorrow for a very early morning flight, it is clear that isn't going to happen. So, stay tuned for NACAC updates and then my final summer visit post.

It is always tough being out of the office for this conference, but the benefits of going far outweigh the challenges. I will first be visiting the University of Colorado, Boulder and then attending the NACAC conference. Check back here for updates about my trip!

Summer College Visits: Part 4 of 5

Ack! The year has really gotten away from me already - school has started and I'm still blogging about summer! My apologies, but hopefully you'll enjoy this installment. This day of our trip was centered around Ithaca, New York. It was my first time to Ithaca and it I really enjoyed it! We visited Ithaca College and Cornell University - and made more than one trip to Collegetown Bagels -- ok, fine, it was four trips, but we only bought food three of those times. . .

On the larger side for a private school (with 6,000 students), Ithaca College offers a lot of different liberal arts and pre-professional options. Known for being strong in communications (check out the Parke Scholars program), Ithaca also has fantastic facilities for students in the arts and business. We past by a business lab that offers a live trading station-- not too shabby for upstate New York. Students are required to live on campus for the first three years (always adds to a sense of community and school spirit) and it is a nice example of a school that still gives out merit aid. For the first time this year, Ithaca is going testing-optional so that makes it an even better option for students that are not happy with their test scores. I was really impressed with the people that I met and offerings that I heard about at Ithaca. Admittedly, similar to schools like Hampshire, they are fighting an uphill battle as a school that moved to their current campus in the 60s and thus have no buildings that predate that era architecturally. If you want stained glass and gothic spires, you won't find it. But they have done a great job adding new green buildings to campus and really taking advantage of the amazing views and vistas that surround them. Plus, if you really need a break from the more post modern look, students can take up to 12 credits at Cornell so go down there to get your brick and ivy fix. Ithaca was one of my favorite visits this summer, thank you to our tour guide and the admission staff for taking the time to show us around!

Next up came Cornell University - a real enigma when it comes to colleges. What is its identity? Ivy League School? Land Grant University? Pre-professional behemoth? Stress factory? Chill large school in a small town? A little bit of all of those things? After walking around my conclusion is Cornell's identity depends on who you ask. Like many large schools, I get the sense that different people, with different experiences, would classify it as it uniquely applies to them. I would venture to say that the students learning about bovine farming have a drastically different perception of the school than the students in hotel management program and those different from the engineers and those different from the Political Science majors . . . . Thus, all the matters is if the niche you'd like to be a part of can exists there. An additional layer of mystery exists for New York state residents, who have the opportunity to pay in state SUNY tuition at some of Cornell's schools. While the university strongly tows the party line of 'choose the school that fits you best' - I would have to strongly encourage any student from a middle income family to explore if their major of interest exists in one of the SUNY tuition colleges. Fit is certainly important, but avoiding loans is too. (I say middle income because low income families should get financial aid packages to cover the cost and high income families may not have price as a major concern in the college process). Cornell is a place with a long and deep history. The admissions counselor we spoke with described it as a collaborative environment, but one where no one will hold your hand; independence is essential in order to thrive. Interestingly, she also made specific mention of Tompkins Cortland Community College as a feeder school for their transfer admissions. More to come on TC3 in the next post. Finally, I couldn't resist taking a picture in the student bookstore of one of the largest index card section (with its own sign) I've ever seen ;)

Summer College Visits Part 3 of 5

My second college visit trip took me to upstate New York (with a small pit stop in PA). We started the day with a visit to University of Scranton, a Jesuit university in Scranton, Pennsylvania. To say that Scranton (both the city and the college) exceeded my expectations is an understatement. This small college (only about 4,100 students) prides itself on capping all classes at no more than 35 students. If you think you'd excel in a place where you get individual attention, this school will fit the bill. (Note the individual welcome the 'Allison Cohen Group' got at reception in the picture above). As a Jesuit school, there are two theology and philosphy courses that are required as part of the curriculum, but don't let that scare you - students can choose what exact courses they are interested in. Though the vast majority of students are, indeed, Catholic I was very surprised to learn that one of the largest Orthodox Jewish communities in Pennsylvania is located two blocks away and there is a Mosque on campus. Unique aspects include a 7 year Physical Therapy program and an equestrian club. Standardized tests are not required if students meet certain minimum requirements and there are merit scholarships that the majority of ElRo students would qualify for. Housing is guarantee all four years. If your only frame of reference for Scranton is The Office, I definitely encourage you to come out and see the city and campus for yourself. Dunder Mifflin may have put Scranton the map in the collective consciousness of pop culture, but don't let their comic interpretation of the city be the end of the story. Oh, and one final thing, they have an AMAZING magical milk shake machine in one of their dining facilities.

Next we made our way up to Binghamton University- arguable the most selective (or second most selective, depending who you ask and what data you look at . . . ) SUNY campus in the entire 64 campus system. We had a really nice tour of 'The Brain' (as the students refer to the main campus buildings) and had a chance to learn more about the campus structure. I don't have to spend much space here describing why Binghamton appealing. With affordable in-state tuition, a strong reputation beyond just the state of New York, a location that is drive-able from NYC, and opportunities for research Binghamton is a frequent choice for our students. It was particularly nice to see the sense of identity formed by the housing structure - with students assigned to various housing communities each with their own personality and flair. It was also hard to ignore the significant upgrades being made to the physical plant of the school - SUNY is starting to break away from the square brick building stereotype they may have been known for in the past. We got to tour a brand new dorm facility with expansive views of the surrounding wooded hills. Sometimes students and families criticize Binghamton for not having much of a town nearby. I can't say they are wrong. But, what I would counter argue is that schools like Binghamton - with 12,000 students - do a great job of having enough on campus programing to make the immediate surroundings borderline irrelevant. Word to the wise, Binghamton has an Early Action application that is due November 15 - if you want to maximize your chance for admission, I strongly encourage you to file by this date. The biggest mistake students make with Binghamton is assuming they will get in - Binghamton has had to become more and more selective each year so if this is the only SUNY on your list, think again.

Summer College Visits Part 2 of 5

The second day of the Pennsylvania tour brought us to Lehigh University and Lafayette College.

The joke on Lehigh University's campus is that you won't gain the freshman 15 -- the hill won't let you. They aren't wrong. A small university on a hill overlooking Bethlehem, PA - Lehigh may not be too far back in your memory after their win over Duke this past spring. For a school of less than 5,000 undergraduates, Lehigh is known for being a highly selective school with an emphasis on flexibility. There are no major requirements and students frequently combine courses of study to pursue their specific interests. They are looking for students that do more than just study - they want students that are active in their community and who want to look at the world with a global perspective. More than half of the students hail from only three states (New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania) but given how easy it was to get to Bethlehem from New York City I can see why. They are one of a growing number of schools that have pledged to remove loans from financial aid packages for students with a household income of less than $50,000. And even for families with higher income ranges they have a track record of minimizing the gap between what families can afford and what they are asked to pay. In line with my blog entry from earlier this summer, Early Decision applicants do make up a huge percentage of their freshman class, so if you fall in love think about applying that round. Unlike ElRo, almost 60% of the student body is male - possibly due to the fact that Lehigh is very strong in the Engineering and STEM fields - areas that still enroll more men than women.

Our last stop in Pennsylvania took us to Lafayette College in Easton, PA. About half of the size of Lehigh, Lafayette is the smallest Division I school in the nation. The admissions officer that we met with took an enormous amount of time out of his afternoon to speak with us and show us the campus - a personal touch that really mirrors the individualized support that Lafayette prides itself on. Strong career services and robust alumni connections a community that goes beyond the bounds of campus. As a school that only serves undergraduates, Lafayette doesn't need to spread its resources across anything other than the undergrad experience. The faculty mentorship is top notch -- our admission officer touted a professor that let him do his laundry at his house and who he still stays in contact with now that he's working at the college. On the tour, I loved the integration of the newer structures among the more traditional buildings. The motto of Lafayette is Cur Non, from Marquis de Lafayette's family motto "why not." (He's the bust pictured above). So if you are looking for a strong liberal arts or engineering experience less than two hours from New York City, get yourself to Lafayette to check it out. Cur non?

(Added Lafayette bonus -- Easton is also the home of Crayola Crayons - scene of my favorite Sesame Street clip ever! I want to major in crayon making!)

Summer College Visits Part 1 of 5

Over the past two weeks I've been to ten college campuses. This post will be part one of five to describe where my travels have taken me. Every summer I look forward to seeing more campuses in person and this year was no different. A few colleagues and I got together for two different trips - one to Pennsylvania and one to upstate New York.

The first campus we visited was Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania. This is a school that I am really surprised doesn't have more ElRo applicants and deposits. I can't help but wonder if part of that could be that on paper it may seem like a small religious school. But that would be a mistake. It is by no means large, but I think a student looking for a small liberal arts environment would be very happy with a place about five times as large as our high school. And though the school is Lutheran, there is one Jewish student for every Lutheran student (each make up about 30% of the student body) making it one of the highest percentage of Jewish students in the nation. Moral of the story being not to judge a school only by its cover. I was impressed with the athletic facilities for a Division III school and love the feel of the campus. There is also a strong arts community on campus, so many different types of students can find their niche. This is the kind of Admissions office that remembers the names of their applicants-- I casually mentioned that I knew two Muhlenberg grads and the Admissions officers knew both of them. The red doors come from the Lutheran roots and are meant to be welcoming. They are.

Next, we visited Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. One of the biggest assets for Moravian is the town of Bethlehem - it really had a vibrant and bustling vibe and seemed like the type of place that I would want to spend the afternoon exploring. Moravian's campus is historic in nature with a few rooms on one of their main campus buildings visited by our founding fathers. I was also interested to see that even in this economic downturn, Moravian had a ton of construction going on - always a good sign to see that a school has funds to invest in infrastructure, campus expansion and improvement. Moravian has two separate campuses that are connected via shuttle. I thought one of the best highlights of the tour was the fact that studio art students are given individual studio space - a nice bonus for art majors.

Both campuses visited on this day are EXTREMELY easy to get to from New York City -- our drive only took about 90 minutes but it felt like we were a world away. Next up -- Lehigh and Lafayette!

What's All the Fuss About? Early Action and Early Decision Decoded

At College Night this past year we had a question from the audience about Early Decision - mainly why it exists and what the point of it is. The panel was already off to a late start and we had only a few minutes before we started our workshop sessions. I tried to address the question quickly, but promised that I would explore it more deeply on the blog. So, here we go!

First, we need to understand the definition of Early programs. Early Decision is a binding admission program where students submit their application by an earlier deadline in the fall and get their outcome earlier than the general pool (usually by the last week in December). Because the program is binding, students can only apply Early Decision to one college. Some schools have even more restrictions, but for now, just remember ED is binding and you find out if you get in or not in December instead of April (when most Regular Decision letters go out).

An offshoot of the idea of ED is Early Action - a non-binding admission program where students submit their application by an earlier deadline and get their outcome earlier than the general pool but are NOT required to enroll. One more time - all together now -- Early Decision is BINDING, Early Action is NOT BINDING. I'm going to focus this post on ED, since it seems to cause more confusion.

(This is a long one - click below for the full post)