Dear Upper School Parents/Guardians,
Last week, The New York Times published an article (accessible only to Times subscribers) about Tulane University’s decision to suspend Early Decision (ED) applications from a high school where a student violated the ED agreement. This has raised questions and concerns among some parents and guardians, which I address below.
Regardless of whether you read this entire message, rest assured that it’s highly unlikely this scenario would happen at Lakeside. Additionally, all colleges—including Tulane—continue to release students from ED agreements when financial aid awards are insufficient.
What is ED?
ED is an application plan through which students apply in early November and receive a decision in mid-December. It is binding, meaning that the student, a parent or guardian, and the college counselor sign an agreement indicating that the student will attend if admitted (a student can submit only one ED application). If a student applies for need-based financial aid, they receive their financial aid award at the time of admission. The only circumstance under which colleges, including Tulane, release a student from the agreement is when the family believes—after working with the financial aid office—that they are unable to afford attending. If they receive a financial aid award and accept it, they are required to withdraw all other applications. Traditionally, most ED application pools are slightly less selective than other rounds, making ED popular.
Then why did Tulane take action if the student withdrew for financial reasons?
The article doesn’t provide the full story. The student was admitted to Tulane and accepted their spot and financial aid offer but did not withdraw their other applications. The student was admitted to other institutions and ultimately enrolled at another college that provided a stronger financial aid award. Tulane had been holding a space for the student—one that could have gone to another deserving applicant. The university did not take action because the student withdrew for financial reasons; rather, Tulane acted because the student violated the ED agreement by accepting their offer and financial aid package at Tulane but then failing to withdraw other applications.
How did the college counseling office learn details not disclosed in the article?
Shawn Abbott, Tulane’s Vice President for Enrollment Management and Dean of Admission, is a colleague and friend of mine for almost 25 years and provided more context. There is also a counselor listserv of independent school counselors—of which our office is a part—that shared additional information missing from the article. Everyone who knows Shawn and his team, even before learning more details, recognized that the article didn’t tell the full story. Finally, Shawn shared that, as in every year, they released dozens of students from ED agreements last winter for financial reasons and would never expect a student to attend, even if admitted ED, if it would financially strain their family.
Could Lakeside ever find itself in a situation where a college “punishes” us for a student breaking the ED agreement?
This is highly unlikely for two reasons. First, I believe in the integrity of our students and would be surprised and disappointed if one of them attempted this. Second, even if a student were to misstep, Lakeside has policies that would require that student to attend their ED school. In our Family Handbook, we explain that after being admitted ED and, if relevant, receiving an adequate financial aid award, Lakeside will send a final transcript only to the ED school, which is required for college enrollment. This means that even if a student left other applications open and was admitted elsewhere, they would be unable to enroll at another institution. Furthermore, in such an instance, the student would have violated Lakeside’s Community Expectations requiring honesty in all communications and would likely face repercussions at Lakeside, such as suspension.
Isn’t it inequitable that a student for whom financial aid is important wasn’t allowed to reap the benefits of ED (i.e., the less selective pool) and compare financial aid awards from other schools?
Absolutely. This is one of the inequities of the admissions process. Students who apply ED and are admitted must decide whether the ED school’s financial aid package is adequate, and if it is, they must withdraw all other applications. They may not keep other applications open to compare financial aid packages while holding a space at the ED school. To compare actual financial aid awards, a student must apply to colleges only under non-binding application plans.
This inequity is real and problematic, but it does not justify dishonesty or breaking an agreement.
_____________________________________________
For decades, Lakeside has had a reputation among colleges not only for academic excellence but also for educating honest and mature students of integrity. The college counseling office works hard to preserve this reputation—not only because it’s true, but because our students benefit from it in the application process.
Furthermore, despite this inequity, Lakeside has tools and resources, such as its partnership with College Money Method, for families to receive financial estimates, by college, in advance of applying so they can compare potential awards. While this isn’t a perfect solution, it’s a step in the right direction. Hopefully, the entire profession will take additional steps in the near future. (To learn more, check out our Financial Aid Resources Page by College Money Method).
I hope this helps clarify the recent New York Times article. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with further questions at info@lakesideschool.site.
Ari B. Worthman
Director of College Counseling
