Changes to ED and May 1st reply date

[Anne Richardson]

Dear seniors and parents of seniors,
Last month NACAC held its National Conference in the US where significant
changes were made to Early Decision and the universal May 1st reply date
for US institutions.
Why is this important? Students applying to colleges and universities in
the US, and perhaps beyond, may be affected by these changes. We send this
lengthy email not to alarm you, but to inform you and to ask that you keep
an eye out for these changes.
*Background*
NACAC (www.nacacnet.org
<https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nacacnet.org%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR0fCyBXZY2iGTl_J6HqM3RgTDNRGCVeWWvXoWcf_rV4FdrstqLajLrqPDU&h=AT1oZqOnQcbBwGBPnf2dBBitHpIqC5cLb7O6SpYKhLoWxRHNyDvoj-qMVUMYOEu5uelo25UOrZ6BbYM40dDZVwsllRCNm-XGX5Mx6cPz1h8Npzf_cbqRxRronL4fNpjSKnYFCFHYhLuvqPsio739XtZG>)
is a professional association of more than 15,000 professionals involved in
the college admission process. ASL is a member of NACAC, as are most
colleges and universities in the U.S. and many non US institutions, as well
as testing agencies, educational consultants and many others who play a
role in this process.
NACAC has a set of rules, our Code of Ethics and Professional Practices
(CEPP.) At the conference, NACAC changed that code of ethics in ways that
could have a direct impact on our students and their college/university
process. We write to inform you about those changes, NACAC’s response to
those changes, and the AACC's plans to deal with the new rules.
For the last two years, NACAC has been subject to an antitrust
investigation by the US Department of Justice. The DOJ holds the opinion
that some of the rules in the CEPP restrain how and when colleges compete
for students.
In an attempt to try to settle the DOJ complaint, NACAC voted to remove
three provisions from the CEPP, one having to do with transfer students,
which does not apply to us, but the other two have to do with Early
Decision applications and the May 1 college decision deadline.
Changes to Early Decision I & II
The CEPP previously stated that colleges and universities could not offer
any incentive to students to encourage them to apply under a binding Early
Decision program. To quote directly from CEPP, "Examples of incentives
include the promise of special housing, enhanced financial aid packages,
and special scholarships for Early Decision admits.”
This prohibition has been removed, effective immediately.
This means that colleges and universities could begin to offer incentives
to apply under a binding Early Decision program, e.g. preferential housing,
scholarships. While it is not likely that colleges will act quickly enough
to begin offering incentives this year, it is possible. Please let us know
if you receive any unusual solicitations (usually through email, social
media or in print) from colleges or universities to apply ED I or 2.
May 1 Response Date
May 1 is the universal reply date: the deadline for students who have not
already done so to commit to one US college or university for next fall.
Previously, the CEPP prohibited colleges and universities from trying to
“poach” a student who has indicated their intent to enroll in another
institution -- no incentives to change their mind, no last-minute
scholarships or other benefits.
This rule was also removed at the meeting, effective immediately.
We are hopeful that most colleges and universities will continue to respect
a student’s right to make a choice, free from the anxiety of counter
offers. It is possible that institutions, in an attempt to counteract this,
may raise their deposit amounts significantly. Again, please let us know if
you receive any unusual solicitations (through phone calls, email, social
media or in print) from colleges or universities after May 1st.
NACAC Response
The CEPP remains a very strong statement of professional ethics and
guidelines and NACAC continues to believe that "advocating for the best
interests of students in the admission process is the primary ethical
concern of our profession.” The new NACAC president has begun her term by
affirming those values and encouraging member institutions to uphold the
CEPP, even in the absence of those explicit rules.
What Are We Doing?
Frankly, our plan for now is to keep you informed, keep actively discussing
this issue professionally, and keep an eye out for changes by the colleges
and universities. You are an important source of information for us, and we
strongly encourage you to let us know if you see any unusual behavior by
any institution.
If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Warm regards,
Anne, Ivan and Nicole


Anne K.W. Richardson
Director of Academic Advising and College Counseling
The American School in London
One Waverley Place
London NW8 0NP
UK

www.asl.org
+44 (0)20 7449 1247
akwor1824 (SKYPE)

ACT International Advisory Committee
NACAC Testing Panel advisor
Member, Government Relations Committee, International Association for
College Admissions Counseling

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