Early Decision Backup Plans?

Many LAC's and others use the Common app. so it should not be too much effort. Pardon my ignorance here but I was under the impression once you applied ED, you were not supposed to be applying to other colleges, unless you get denied. 

JCG,

Very exciting time for you guys!  Fingers crossed that everything works out great!!

My 2016 applied ED with coach support to a high academic D3 and did not get accepted.  Coach was very clear that this was a 50 / 50 proposition, but it was devastating nonetheless for my guy.  You don't really know until...well...you know.

2016 also applied EA to his backup schools.  And RD to those that didn't offer an EA option.

He was accepted to both of his second choices.  One was EA and the other RD.  He ended up picking one of these schools.

Are there other D3 options that you guys are looking at?  2016 chose to fish solely in that D3 pond and was accepted by all his other choices.  And he had Spring baseball roster spots "confirmed" with the coaches before he applied.

We went the ED route with my 2014 son- football- to a highly selective D3.    I wish I had some insight for you, because there was no plan B.   I was extremely nervous about this, but the coach of this school was pretty certain that he was going to get in, so my son took that as a sign that he didn't need a plan B.  Glad it worked out for him. 

Anyway, is the coach of this school giving you any signs one way or another?

BishopLeftiesDad posted:

Many LAC's and others use the Common app. so it should not be too much effort. Pardon my ignorance here but I was under the impression once you applied ED, you were not supposed to be applying to other colleges, unless you get denied. 

I have not read the contract yet, so I could be wrong, but I thought it was ok to apply elsewhere, but that you agree to withdraw all other apps and not do any new apps once accepted.

Side note:  what you say about the Common App is true. However 2017 chose to use the Coalition App, which is also accepted at this school and at about 100 others.  (common app is accepted by over 600)  He chose the Coalition App because the essay prompts were more to his liking. In fact you can write on any topic you like.  If any of your kids are applying to schools that take the Coalition App, I'd advise at least taking a  look at it.

pabaseballdad posted:

We went the ED route with my 2014 son- football- to a highly selective D3.    I wish I had some insight for you, because there was no plan B.   I was extremely nervous about this, but the coach of this school was pretty certain that he was going to get in, so my son took that as a sign that he didn't need a plan B.  Glad it worked out for him. 

Anyway, is the coach of this school giving you any signs one way or another?

 

Yes, according to coach, he is in.  But how many things in life are 100%?  It's a school with a VERY low admit rate so I figure sometimes things happen. My son is friends with a soccer player who applied ED to a very similar school and thought he was in -- until he was not. (it worked out well in the end though)

Branson Baseball posted:

JCG,

Very exciting time for you guys!  Fingers crossed that everything works out great!!

My 2016 applied ED with coach support to a high academic D3 and did not get accepted.  Coach was very clear that this was a 50 / 50 proposition, but it was devastating nonetheless for my guy.  You don't really know until...well...you know.

2016 also applied EA to his backup schools.  And RD to those that didn't offer an EA option.

He was accepted to both of his second choices.  One was EA and the other RD.  He ended up picking one of these schools.

Are there other D3 options that you guys are looking at?  2016 chose to fish solely in that D3 pond and was accepted by all his other choices.  And he had Spring baseball roster spots "confirmed" with the coaches before he applied.

Thanks.

No.  He had other very good options but once he decided he didn't string any others along.  I would guess that if he had to he could find good baseball schools that were still interested, but probably not of the same caliber academically, which for us was really key. I have not talked to him about it yet, but I think in that case he'd probably rather go to the JC and try to set himself up for an eventual D1 or D2 transfer.

Plan B1 and B2  for my oldest son was to apply RD to a similar high academic D1 & D3 engineering school that kept in "recruiting" touch even through the ED process to his first choice.  Plan C was to apply to a state school with a very good engineering program without baseball.

It was a very stressful ED 6-week wait.  He'd hear from one of the coaches every couple weeks.  On one occasion the Head Coach asked him what his cap and shoe size was as an unofficial tip-off to stop worrying....he'd been accepted.  We took the coaches comment as very good news.  A few weeks later we logged into the portal and read his official acceptance letter.  Very memorable.

JCG posted:

BishopLeftiesDad posted:

Many LAC's and others use the Common app. so it should not be too much effort. Pardon my ignorance here but I was under the impression once you applied ED, you were not supposed to be applying to other colleges, unless you get denied. 

I have not read the contract yet, so I could be wrong, but I thought it was ok to apply elsewhere, but that you agree to withdraw all other apps and not do any new apps once accepted.

 

Side note:  what you say about the Common App is true. However 2017 chose to use the Coalition App, which is also accepted at this school and at about 100 others.  (common app is accepted by over 600)  He chose the Coalition App because the essay prompts were more to his liking. In fact you can write on any topic you like.  If any of your kids are applying to schools that take the Coalition App, I'd advise at least taking a  look at it.

Thats right I remember that wording now. Son never looked at ED but I have heard that before. You can continue to apply at other schools until you get your answer. If the answer is yes then you must remove the applications to other schools. 

Thanks for the tip on the Coalition App JCG.  I'm not sure my 2017 has even really looked that closely at it because like most 17 year olds, he is hoping to do the minimal amount of work and the Common App works for most of his schools.

I sincerely hope the ED approach works for you and there is no need for a Plan B.  The best part is if he hears bad news by 12/15, there should still be time for RD applications even at the higher academic schools.

But I am a risk averse person, so my 2017 will be doing the Cal State applications anyway because there is an absolute cut-off and if you do not apply by the deadline, all of those schools are out (and as you note, might be a viable baseball option given many of them are D2s).   The silver lining for him is that the State schools do not require the essay, so it is much less painful.  Of course several of them are very hard to get into and have impacted majors, but better to be safe than sorry.