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Hey, so I am applying to a school and for my Why X essay, if I write that the school is my first choice, and I would like to ED, but I can't for logistical reasons, does this constitute a binding "letter of intent"?

Basically, my questions is, how far can I go before I cross the line, where I pretty much have to go there if I get accepted?

My LSAT/GPA are both near their mean, and they really are my first choice, but if I am not ED'ing there, I don't want my Why X to become a binding document.

Thanks for your help!

If you don't accept / sign the ED contract, then you're not bound to attend the school, no matter what you write.

After all, you might tell school X that it is your first choice, but then get offered a large scholarship by school Y, or learn new information about School X, or your personal circumstances might change in a way that affects your preference for X (your partner getting a job in a different state, for example). The statement only has to be true when you write it.

That said, you probably shouldn't write something like "if accepted, I promise to attend your school" in the PS - just to be on the safe side. And you probably shouldn't tell multiple schools that they are all your first choice.

AntipodeanPhil wrote:If you don't accept / sign the ED contract, then you're not bound to attend the school, no matter what you write.

After all, you might tell school X that it is your first choice, but then get offered a large scholarship by school Y, or learn new information about School X, or your personal circumstances might change in a way that affects your preference for X (your partner getting a job in a different state, for example). The statement only has to be true when you write it.

That said, you probably shouldn't write something like "if accepted, I promise to attend your school" in the PS - just to be on the safe side. And you probably shouldn't tell multiple schools that they are all your first choice.

Thanks for the quick response! Yeah, I definitely will not tell multiple schools that they are my first choice.

My only concern is that if I say "I would have ED'ed if it weren't for blah blah blah", then if I get accepted and get offered a scholarship, and choose to go elsewhere, is it bad form? (I'm talking about Michigan's summer start, I have obligations preventing me from EDing)

Basically, which one of these carries more weight:
-"You are my first choice"
-"I would have ED'ed if it weren't for blah blah blah"

Essentially, I don't want to get into a situation where I overstep my boundaries.. I'm not trying to pull a fast one, I really do want to go there, but I want to know what I am getting myself into when I say these things

S30V wrote:Basically, which one of these carries more weight:
-"You are my first choice"
-"I would have ED'ed if it weren't for blah blah blah"

As a general matter, I think making excuses looks bad in a context like this, so I would go with the first.

Also, a lot of people (most, IMO) ED just to get in to the best school possible - they ED to a school that would otherwise be a reach. So saying you would have EDed doesn't establish that you have special reasons for attending the school - it might just as well indicate that you think the school is a bit of a reach, or that you think you won't get in to anything better.

AntipodeanPhil wrote:

S30V wrote:Basically, which one of these carries more weight:
-"You are my first choice"
-"I would have ED'ed if it weren't for blah blah blah"

As a general matter, I think making excuses looks bad in a context like this, so I would go with the first.

Also, a lot of people (most, IMO) ED just to get in to the best school possible - they ED to a school that would otherwise be a reach. So saying you would have EDed doesn't establish that you have special reasons for attending the school - it might just as well indicate that you think the school is a bit of a reach, or that you think you won't get in to anything better.

I never thought about it that way, thanks for your insight!