What is the point of EDP?

[FredAstaire]

Hello everyone,

Right now, I'm so confused about EDP. I thought that through EDP, the adcoms will see that you are committed to attending their school and will let you in with stats LOWER THAN THE regular average acceptee.

Now, I'm reading that people with EDP need to have much higher stat than the average acceptee. But, if you have stats higher than the class average, what is the point of gaining admission early then? Don't you rather want to apply to a whole bunch of schools AND the school you wanted to EDP to?

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[lostking243]

Basically the point of EDP is it allows a school to secure great applicants. It lets the applicant avoid the stress/hassle of applying to a bunch of schools if they are a competitive applicant and are set on one school. That's my understanding...

 

[mspeedwagon]

I think you have completely missed the point of EDP. The main benefit of EDP is if you have very strong stats and really, really want to go to one school these makes it clear to the school that you are committed to them. As you know those admitted EDP are destined to go to the school. It's an easy way for schools to admit strong applicants that will definitely come.

It's actually the same for college ED programs. The stats for ED applicants are much higher than the regular pool (at least into the Ivy League).

EDP only makes sense for the following people:
- High stats and strong geographic restriction (married with kids and don't want to move, single mom that has childcare support in one place, wife has a job and husband can't move or vice versa).
- High stats and have strong ties to one school (maybe you were an undergrad and would like to continue at your local state school for tuition benefits).
- High stats and don't have the money to apply broadly. Thus putting your eggs into one basket, but with good reason.

EDP makes absolutely NO sense for any one else.

 

[LizzyM]

I don't know how it works for med school but EDP for college means you are much less likely to get merit awards... the school just doesn't feel the need to lure you with $ because you've pledged to attend regardless.

EDP is mostly a rich applicant's game although it may appear attractive to applicants who don't have much money for applications, travel and the like.

 

[FredAstaire]

If you have high stats, you would have been admitted ANYWAYS during the regular admission. You are denying yourself the safety net of applying broadly if you do EDP...

Sounds to me like a you lose-they win situation.

 

[mspeedwagon]

Every school rejects applicants with stronger stats than their averages (as well as accepts some with below their averages). If you have ONE school you want to attend then it's a WIN-WIN situation. Otherwise, it's definitely a you lose-they win situation.

EDP makes sense for a very small subset of applicants. I would argue, mainly non-trads with strong geographic constraints who have strong stats and want to increase chances drastically that they will get in to one place that they are fairly confident that they can get into during the regular cycle.

Sounds to me like a you lose-they win situation.