Exeter strongly encourages students to apply early only to their first-choice college, even if the school has a nonbinding Early Action policy, said Exeter’s Director of College Counseling Melissa Dolan. “We do not have a policy about Early Action admissions; we have a philosophy,” Dolan wrote. “And at this point [in] time, we believe all of our students are served well by this philosophy.” Dolan said that Exeter also encourages their students to attend their first-choice schools if accepted early. Dolan said that exceptions may be made for students seeking financial aid. “If a student’s EA/ED [Early Decision] financial aid package is not adequate, they are encouraged to continue with the process, looking at their state institution or other merit-based colleges,” she wrote. John Anderson, Director of College Counseling at Phillips Academy, said that Andover believes Early Action was created to give applicants the opportunity to apply to more than one college. “We see our stance as one that acknowledges that there is more than one chance to apply to a number of places,” he said. According to Anderson, a “fairly high percentage” of Andover students apply to other schools after being accepted through Early Action admission. Dolan wrote, “Our philosophy parallels the spirit of the Academy’s motto of ‘non sibi’ and allows the greatest number of Exonians to be favorably considered at the most selective colleges.” Anderson, however, disagrees with this belief. “[That student] doesn’t take seats away from other candidates,” he said. “Colleges don’t have quotas on our students. They’re going to respond to the fit of each individual applying,” Anderson added. “Just because a student applies early and decides not to go…doesn’t mean that spot would be held open.” Luciana Steinert, a Senior at Exeter, said, “[College counseling] is also making sure you’re thinking about where you want to go, instead of just saying I want to apply here and here and here and thinking about it later. They’re making you be proactive in making decisions as soon as possible.” Exeter Senior Max de la Bruyere applied Early Action to Yale, his first-choice school, after visiting its campus last spring, and received full support from his college counselor after making the decision. “[My college counselor] said ‘If Yale is your first choice, it would be wise to apply there early,’” de la Bruyere said. Steinert said she applied early to two schools – a state college with rolling admission and an Ivy League school with Early Action – and received full support from her college counselor as well. “It’s kind of a natural part of the process to apply to a state school as early as you can regardless of whether you’re applying anywhere else,” Steinert said. “[College counseling] doesn’t consider it early because state schools have rolling [admission].” Exeter Senior Doug Schwartz said that, despite his college counselor’s recommendation to apply to his first-choice school, he applied to Early Decision to Dartmouth, which was not his top choice. “[I] had a more realistic chance of getting into Dartmouth. Dartmouth was my top choice out of the schools I could get into plausibly.” Schwartz said he made the decision to apply to Dartmouth largely on his own. “[College counseling here] is not going to put up a fight with a kid if it seems like they know what they want,” he said.
