Hi I'm an idiot (Early Decision) Forum

[DamnImDumb]

Submitted an application under ED for a program I'm pretty confident I'll get. I didn't fully read the part about having to withdraw all other applications. Just didn't click for me.

Is there a polite way to get out of it before they make their decision and still continue applying to the school? I was thinking about calling the admissions office and saying something along the lines of "After a lot of careful consideration, I would no longer like to be considered under X program. I am deeply interested in the school but I wish to keep my options open for financial reasons. I am looking to work in public service and debt is a serious factor in my decision"

Yes I know I'm stupid. Go ahead and make fun of me because I definitely deserve it. But after that please share any advice or insight on this situation if you have it.

[Tanicius]

Your options are:

1.) Do nothing and see how it shakes out. If you get in ED, you have to go there or go nowhere for the year.

2.) Withdraw your application from the ED'd school.

3.) Call the school and politely ask them if they would let you amend your application to regular rolling admissions instead of ED. This is the same thing as voluntarily withdrawing your application, because you will not be admitted to the school if you ask them to do this. They will either say yes or no. If they say no, then you're back to looking at options #1 and #2. If they say yes, they will almost certainly later reject you.

[robotrick]

If you can live without an offer from that school I'd just withdraw your app. Do you mind sharing your numbers and the school?

[DamnImDumb]

.

[Stardust84]

When did you submit the application? If it was a day or two ago just call them and let them you made an error and want to be considered for regular admission. I'm sure they won't have a problem changing it. Otherwise you are definitely getting that ED with your numbers.

[DamnImDumb]

When did you submit the application? If it was a day or two ago just call them and let them you made an error and want to be considered for regular admission. I'm sure they won't have a problem changing it. Otherwise you are definitely getting that ED with your numbers.

One issue is that I included mention of the fellowship in my personal statement. Would it be okay if I said I accidentally uploaded an earlier version? Would that make me look super bad or livable bad hah?

Thank you for the help everyone. My heart sank when I realized what i had done.

[Tanicius]

When did you submit the application? If it was a day or two ago just call them and let them you made an error and want to be considered for regular admission. I'm sure they won't have a problem changing it. Otherwise you are definitely getting that ED with your numbers.

One issue is that I included mention of the fellowship in my personal statement. Would it be okay if I said I accidentally uploaded an earlier version? Would that make me look super bad or livable bad hah?

Thank you for the help everyone. My heart sank when I realized what i had done.

No. Do not lie to get out of this. If you're confident you'll get into schools you want to go more than this one, then withdraw. If you're not confident that you'll get into somewhere else you like more, then keep it. Or, just wait a year and re-apply without ED anywhere.

[DamnImDumb]

When did you submit the application? If it was a day or two ago just call them and let them you made an error and want to be considered for regular admission. I'm sure they won't have a problem changing it. Otherwise you are definitely getting that ED with your numbers.

One issue is that I included mention of the fellowship in my personal statement. Would it be okay if I said I accidentally uploaded an earlier version? Would that make me look super bad or livable bad hah?

Thank you for the help everyone. My heart sank when I realized what i had done.

No. Do not lie to get out of this. If you're confident you'll get into schools you want to go more than this one, then withdraw. If you're not confident that you'll get into somewhere else you like more, then keep it. Or, just wait a year and re-apply without ED anywhere.

Hm fair. I'm visiting Oxford this weekend. I suppose I'll make a decision on the withdraw based on my experience there.

[BigZuck]

You definitely need to get out of that binding ED application, unless it comes with a full ride AND you want to live and work in Arkansas long term.

You really shouldn't be applying to law school with those numbers unless you have a burning desire to achieve modest career outcomes in Arkansas. Small firm, local government, things like that. If you are in any way unsure of what you want to be when you grow up and graduate from law school then it is absolutely imperative that you retake the LSAT and hold off applying to law school until you get a significantly higher score. If you 100% know you want to be a prosecutor in Arkansas or something like that then going to a school in Arkansas for cheap is totally fine, but if you're just kinda randomly applying to law school like the vast majority of us then you need to find a way to get into a much higher ranked school. Luckily your GPA is really great and won't preclude you from any school in this country. With a high LSAT score the sky is the limit.

[deant286]

You definitely need to get out of that binding ED application, unless it comes with a full ride AND you want to live and work in Arkansas long term.

You really shouldn't be applying to law school with those numbers unless you have a burning desire to achieve modest career outcomes in Arkansas. Small firm, local government, things like that. If you are in any way unsure of what you want to be when you grow up and graduate from law school then it is absolutely imperative that you retake the LSAT and hold off applying to law school until you get a significantly higher score. If you 100% know you want to be a prosecutor in Arkansas or something like that then going to a school in Arkansas for cheap is totally fine, but if you're just kinda randomly applying to law school like the vast majority of us then you need to find a way to get into a much higher ranked school. Luckily your GPA is really great and won't preclude you from any school in this country. With a high LSAT score the sky is the limit.

Do you know if pulling your ED app and asking to be considered in the RD pool actually hurts your admission chances? This is the situation I am in with one of the schools I applied to and, having read what one of the above posters wrote, I'm now wondering if I should even be getting my hopes about an acceptance. I'm not sure if he's just talking out of his ass or if there is any merit to that claim.

[DamnImDumb]

You definitely need to get out of that binding ED application, unless it comes with a full ride AND you want to live and work in Arkansas long term.

You really shouldn't be applying to law school with those numbers unless you have a burning desire to achieve modest career outcomes in Arkansas. Small firm, local government, things like that. If you are in any way unsure of what you want to be when you grow up and graduate from law school then it is absolutely imperative that you retake the LSAT and hold off applying to law school until you get a significantly higher score. If you 100% know you want to be a prosecutor in Arkansas or something like that then going to a school in Arkansas for cheap is totally fine, but if you're just kinda randomly applying to law school like the vast majority of us then you need to find a way to get into a much higher ranked school. Luckily your GPA is really great and won't preclude you from any school in this country. With a high LSAT score the sky is the limit.

That's actually what I had in mind and that's what the ED comes with. In my work experience so far, I've enjoyed working on a local level in the South. Ole Miss is a consideration due to relative costs and family there as well. I just kind of freaked this morning when I realized what I had done. Thank for you the advice as well.

[DamnImDumb]

You definitely need to get out of that binding ED application, unless it comes with a full ride AND you want to live and work in Arkansas long term.

You really shouldn't be applying to law school with those numbers unless you have a burning desire to achieve modest career outcomes in Arkansas. Small firm, local government, things like that. If you are in any way unsure of what you want to be when you grow up and graduate from law school then it is absolutely imperative that you retake the LSAT and hold off applying to law school until you get a significantly higher score. If you 100% know you want to be a prosecutor in Arkansas or something like that then going to a school in Arkansas for cheap is totally fine, but if you're just kinda randomly applying to law school like the vast majority of us then you need to find a way to get into a much higher ranked school. Luckily your GPA is really great and won't preclude you from any school in this country. With a high LSAT score the sky is the limit.

Do you know if pulling your ED app and asking to be considered in the RD pool actually hurts your admission chances? This is the situation I am in with one of the schools I applied to and, having read what one of the above posters wrote, I'm now wondering if I should even be getting my hopes about an acceptance. I'm not sure if he's just talking out of his ass or if there is any merit to that claim.

high-five similar-issue-buddy!

[deant286]

[BigZuck]

I think there is a not insignificant chance that switching from ED to RD could result in a rejection. But there are very, very, very few instances where people should apply ED to a school anyway (especially when the school in question isn't Northwestern). Does it matter if you get dinged when you otherwise probably would have got in if you had applied RD to begin with? Probably not. Even if that does sting, the sting of getting in ED is almost always worse than the sting of getting rejected when you otherwise should have been accepted.

In general, ED is a very, very, very bad thing and people should just say "No," outside of a very limited set of circumstances.

[deant286]

I think there is a not insignificant chance that switching from ED to RD could result in a rejection. But there are very, very, very few instances where people should apply ED to a school anyway (especially when the school in question isn't Northwestern). Does it matter if you get dinged when you otherwise probably would have got in if you had applied RD to begin with? Probably not. Even if that does sting, the sting of getting in ED is almost always worse than the sting of getting rejected when you otherwise should have been accepted.

In general, ED is a very, very, very bad thing and people should just say "No," outside of a very limited set of circumstances.

ah fuck i didn't want to hear that lol

i realized applying ED wasn't the right move after I already submitted my app, so I pulled it. but it was to a school i consider my top choice, all else being equal, so knowing i hurt my chances there does sting

[ManoftheHour]

Switch to RD. Hope for the best.