EssaySnark

($) Should you apply Early Action / Early Decision?

by EssaySnark - Discusses ,

We’re reblahgging this from the ‘snarchives since it’s an important topic!! You can see some comments below from BSers who’ve gone before, asking about their own strategies — feel free to post your own such questions too if you have them!   Should you apply Early Action? (Note: Not to be confused with MIT Sloan’s…

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Here's what others have said about this:

  1. Consider many admission consultants would actually encourage folks treat Columbia ED as a ‘insurance’ for Harvard/Stanford/Wharton, Snark is brave. I’m going for the ED this year and would happily attend CBS 🙂

  2. This is why I wish Tuck’s EA round was binding. Since it’s not binding, it’s fair game to be used as insurance for HSW, etc.

    • Maybe… except we see a lot fewer people who try for Tuck overall. Either they’re deterred by location, or they don’t feel the name has as much prestige. Plus, the chances between Tuck EA and Tuck November Round aren’t all that different, so the incentives aren’t there. Columbia ED is WAY easier than Columbia Regular Decision. You’re definitely right, in that some people mistakenly use Tuck as a “safety school” (hahahahaha), but that’s gonna happen regardless of the Early strategies employed or not.

  3. I have to ask – what can the schools do if you decide not to respect that “binding” agreement? If you pay their deposit but don’t withdraw other applications or ultimately just give up their offer?
    If the answer is “nothing”, then this binding agreement isn’t really binding (putting your honesty/moral-values aside for the sake of the argument)…?

    • First: We have covered this already.

      Second: That is an impossible hypothetical. How can you “put aside your honesty/moral values”? This is your LIFE – your character – what kind of person are you to reneg on a commitment? You are asking for special treatment from Columbia because you are telling them that they are your first choice. If you want to play like that, the karma is on you.

      Third in case that’s not clear: This attitude is REALLY LAME. EssaySnark is about empowering people to gain success in their lives – honorable people, who will do good in the world. We don’t want anything to do with assholes like this. Please go away.

      Now before you say “Sheesh EssaySnark, chill out, I was just wondering about it, I wasn’t actually going to do this!” – we will say Why are you wondering if you’re not actually going to do it? People who are honorable and stick to their word don’t entertain such questions, to the point of asking about them on an internet forum. The questions don’t even come up in their heads. They definitely don’t ask questions about “putting moral values aside for the sake of argument” – because man, that is a slippery slope. If that’s how you roll… no thanks.

      • WOW, I wasn’t really expecting this, beloved Snark.

        I was educated (as a person and an engineer) to always ask questions and always raise doubts, to always think of issues from multiple directions. Thankfully enough, the internet is a great place to do so, and your sincere approach (on this and other issues) is exactly the desired result, as I see it. I REALLY don’t see the harm in asking such things (as opposed to asking “please help me get away with this binding action thing”).

        Second, I do believe that this opportunity (to gain easier access to schools) comes with a responsibility and commitment on the applicant’s side, and I really respect schools that offer this kind of agreement because it shows that they take the applicants very seriously.

        Now, for the “entertaining the thought” thing: I have not thought nor will I in the future, of doing such a thing. That’s not how I roll. I think that it might be a rude and unethical act to take advantage of such schools. I haven’t offered to commit murder, just kept thinking on the issues you raised as I came across this article.

        And please Snark, relax. The application season is a stressed out time for all of us, and you could use a short vacation somewhere once you finish with all of us here 🙂