If I get accepted Early Decision for another college do I have to withdraw my USNA application?

I mean I knew what ED was I just didn't read the fine print that said you could only apply to ONE school. I was thinking "well what are they going to do if I decline? Arrest me?"

@Nomak54, your stock is not rising, in my eyes. Since this is your approach, I strongly suggest you go read all the fine print associated with USNA. There’s stuff there you might find interesting, such as: candidates may not apply for nomination from MOCs outside their home state, graduates must serve at least five years on active duty, midshipmen are required to live in Bancroft Hall all four years at USNA, plebes may not opt out of plebe summer...and so on.
 
I mean I knew what ED was I just didn't read the fine print that said you could only apply to ONE school. I was thinking "well what are they going to do if I decline? Arrest me?"

OK...I'll pile on. There is an old saying, "Ignorance of the law is no excuse." "I didn't know" is not a valid answer, particularly when the relevant information is right in front of you. In fact , I suspect that you signed or clicked and acknowledgment agreeing to the terms of ED. Here's a free lifetime hint --DON'T SIGN THINGS (or click accept) WITHOUT READING THEM. Attention to detail is an important life skill...whether you go to USNA or not.

Now make it right...withdraw all but one Eds, and if USNA is your first choice, withdraw all ED's.
 
@Nomak54. I concluded you are not foolish but flagrantly unethical. You cannot out fox the system. It will catchup to you, especially with 5 EDs on the plate. You clearly lack the ethical standard as a Midshipman or a Cadet. I would not want you at any SAs or any ROTC programs seeking commission to our fine military. It’s an easy fix changing ED to RD you should do it for yourself and for your classmates at your school. Your actions are very shameful! You have time to correct it. Go do the right thing!
 
OK,f good news, I was mistaken and two of the schools I applied to were under EA, not ED. The other 3 are applications I have not submitted yet so I changed them all to EA/RD. So you all are saying I absolutely cannot do ED for any college?
 
So you all are saying I absolutely cannot do ED for any college?

ED means they are giving you preferential consideration and you cannot change your mind if the ED school says yes.

This means you will be unable to accept any SA appointment if the ED school accepts you.

What don't you understand?
 
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A number of years ago I had a terrific candidate. For reasons I won't explain here to protect privacy, he was one of literally 100 exceptionally stellar candidates in the country. He went through the application process. USNA loved him. He simultaneously applied ED to an Ivy League school, who not only admitted him but also gave him a full ride. He had to withdraw his USNA application and attended the civilian college -- as he told me, "I committed to them if I was accepted." Absolutely right.

ED gives folks an edge (small to huge, depending on school) in admissions. Colleges like ED b/c they know the student will accept, which helps them with their yield. Students who have a definite first choice like ED b/c they do have an advantage in applying. The process works b/c the decision is binding both ways.

The SAs responded to this with the LOA process. It's very different, but the best they could do given the limitations of medical issues and the nom system.

If a SA is your first choice, then the civilian school to which you might apply ED is not. ED is not a Plan B for SAs. It is Plan A for a civilian school that is your first choice overall.
 
So you all are saying I absolutely cannot do ED for any college?

After all of these messages, that is what we call quibbling. You are knowingly trying to cheat the system. There's no room for that in the military. I think it would best if you withdraw your academy application. It isn't the right place for you.
 
Good move. I wouldn’t limit being attentive to the near future.

Desirable traits in junior officers include paying attention to detail, exercising due diligence, employing critical reading skills, exhibiting thoroughness and a willingness to work in a world of structure and policy.

If you succeed in becoming a military officer some years down the road, and are supervising people, and because you can’t know everything they are thinking/doing - one of your biggest internal fears will be that one person who doesn’t read the instructions and charges ahead, who figures that it doesn’t apply to him or her, or decides to get creative in how to interpret a policy or instruction - with sometimes lethal (and that is meant literally) consequences.

The military is made up of all kinds of folks, including those who learn from their mistakes and curb slippery thinking. I hope you are one of those.
 
If you do what you are doing (applying to ED but are not planning on definitely going if you get accepted), you are trying to take advantage of the benefits of ED (a better acceptance rate) and none of the downsides (committed to one college).

If you would attend a service academy if admitted, I would suggest notifying the college you don't want to do ED (no harm no foul) but would want EA or RD instead. Then that is fair all around.
 
ED gives folks an edge (small to huge, depending on school) in admissions. Colleges like ED b/c they know the student will accept, which helps them with their yield. Students who have a definite first choice like ED b/c they do have an advantage in applying. The process works b/c the decision is binding both ways.

By the way, and completely unrelated to the OP question but relevant to those trying to learn about the ED process. ED is a disadvantage for those applying for financial aid. My eldest daughter applied ED and was accepted to a well known (and costly) East Coast college, and then applied for a Dance scholarship. She was really disappointed when she didn't get it until I explained that the College had no incentive to discount full rate tuition to someome that was already committed. Somebody else here may be able to explain how financial aid packages work with ED (I paid full freight for both daughters), but seems to me if you are looking for financial aid, regular decision is the way to go.
 
Somebody else here may be able to explain how financial aid packages work with ED (I paid full freight for both daughters), but seems to me if you are looking for financial aid, regular decision is the way to go.

I would agree. Anyone who needs financial aid should NOT go ED. A college has zero incentive to hand out financial aid to an ED applicant. They have you by the "privates" as you are essentially giving up on all other opportunities in exchange for "priority" consideration.

The only clients of mine that I know who apply ED are those who are willing to pay full retail for tuition and R/B.
 
Somebody else here may be able to explain how financial aid packages work with ED (I paid full freight for both daughters), but seems to me if you are looking for financial aid, regular decision is the way to go.

I would agree. Anyone who needs financial aid should NOT go ED. A college has zero incentive to hand out financial aid to an ED applicant. They have you by the "privates" as you are essentially giving up on all other opportunities in exchange for "priority" consideration.

The only clients of mine that I know who apply ED are those who are willing to pay full retail for tuition and R/B.
Its like asking a Mercedes dealers saleman for discount after telling him or her that they want that particular car from only their dealership
 
Its like asking a Mercedes dealers saleman for discount after telling him or her that they want that particular car from only their dealership

It's a good thing to know, although I will never have to worry about being in a Mercedes dealership!

Stealth_81
 
I went to a Mercedes dealership once.

Once.
 
I went to a Mercedes dealership once.

Once.
Well i dont own one either although I have been in their showroom. This is California, they are all over the place. When my son went to college in Indiana, it was interesting seeing how different the cars there were. In Los Angles, you cant help seeing a Tesla where ever you go. Cant say the same for Indiana or where my son is doing UPT
 
Well the only ethical reason to bail on an ED acceptance is not affording the school, so if they really want you they have to make the money work. In the end the whole point of offering ED is to lure in the best and most interested students by dangling earlier decision dates and a bit of a thumb on the scale in exchange for their commitment. If you're good enough to be accepted early then you're usually good enough to get some money.
 
In the end the whole point of offering ED is to lure in the best and most interested students by dangling earlier decision dates and a bit of a thumb on the scale in exchange for their commitment. If you're good enough to be accepted early then you're usually good enough to get some money.

I am sure that ED lures in good candidates but my suspicion is that ED is there so that the prestigious colleges with tiny admit rates can fill in the front of the airplane with full paying customers. There is a reason a school like Duke continually has admittance classes where 50% of the class pays full freight on tuition, room and board even though they claim to be need blind, etc.
 
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