What is the incentive for schools to offer ED? Forum

[jasonredranger]

After sending in my Cornell ED I started thinking about why schools would offer an option that ostensibly allows applicants with (at least slightly) weaker numbers to attend their institutions. Aren't numbers pretty much the most important criteria by which schools are ranked?

[hephaestus]

Because then they don't have to give you money. They maintain at least one median by taking splitters and then cash in on the full 57k.

[Daily_Double]

.

[jordan15]

Plenty of reasons.

It's been shown that ED at many schools does not give you a much better chance, if any at all. They aren't letting in many substantially weaker students.

Using ED increases their yield.

Full sticker price.

They can snag students who aren't confident their numbers. I've read a lot of posters on here who are just hoping to get into G and then end up getting T6 with $. Some people with high numbers will not know how far their numbers can take them and ED at a lower ranked school because they think that's all they can get.

In other words, there are plenty of reasons why law schools have ED but not many reasons why we should take advantage of it.

[girlmonster]

It's been shown that ED at many schools does not give you a much better chance, if any at all.

I've seen the information that indicates early (RD) applications no longer have the same advantage that they used to before 2010, and to which schools this applies. However, is there a list indicating which schools have an ED advantage over those who don't? All the resources I've been able to find were created before the decrease in applicants. Also, I've played around with LSN, but the sample sizes are really small.