I'm interested in Carleton College and curious if applying Early Decision 2 might improve my chances. How does ED2 influence acceptance rates and financial aid opportunities here?
Applying Early Decision (ED) to colleges, whether it's ED1 or ED2, can indeed potentially increase your chances of acceptance. This is largely due to demonstrating your strong interest in the school—since ED is a binding commitment, the school understands that you're highly likely to attend if accepted.
Figures differ by institution, but on average, applying ED can give you a 60% increase over your regular decision odds at highly selective colleges. However, for a school like Carleton, this increase might not be as pronounced due to its relatively smaller applicant pool.
Keep in mind, though, that applying ED obligates you to attend the college if you are accepted (as long as the financial aid package is adequate), so it should be your top choice.
As for financial aid, Carleton pledges to meet 100% of demonstrated need for all students, irrespective of their application plan. If you have concerns about affordability, you can use Carleton's online net price calculator to get an estimate of what your financial aid package might look like.
Do remember to carefully assess these factors before deciding to apply ED2—it’s a binding commitment that should be backed by strong interest and thorough research about the institution.
CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.