I sent my reply card back to New Haven almost as soon as I got it; there was no question that I would be going to Yale next year.我派我的答复卡回到新的避難所，幾乎盡快我得到它;問題並不存在，我會去耶魯大學明年。 It wasn’t that way when I sent in my application November 1st, though.它不是這樣，當我發出了我在申請11月1日，雖然。 So what changed?什麼改變？

I would not have applied early if it had been binding , but my school strongly strongly urges us to go if we get in. We’re really reminded that our early school should be our first choice school and we are more or less expected to go if we get in. This is a ‘philosophy’ and not a policy. 我也不會適用於早期，如果它已約束力 ，但我的學校強烈強烈敦促我們去，如果我們英寸，我們真的提醒我們的早期學校應該是我們的第一選擇學校和我們更多或更少，預計到如果我們英寸，這是一個'哲學' ，而不是一項政策。 Our CCO will still send out transcripts for EA admits, if they insist, but if you got into your first-choice school, why would you?我們的共同贊助組織委員會仍然會派出謄環境也承認，如果他們堅持，但如果你進入你的第一志願學校，為什麼你會嗎？ This gives our college counseling office the ability to tell an Early Action school, ‘psst, if you admit this kid, you can go argue at committee that they’re going to come because Exeter does it such-and-such way.’ Works well for everyone–more kids get into their first choice schools, schools get better yields, and more people have more chances in RD.這使我們的大學輔導辦公室的能力，告訴一及早採取行動的學校， ' psst ，如果你承認這孩子，您可以去辯稱，在委員會，他們要去來，因為埃克塞特是否如和這樣的方式。工程以及每個人更多的孩子進入他們的第一選擇學校，學校得到更好的收益率，和更多的人有更多機會在路。 This philosophy might also be why the percentage of our class that applied early was lower than some這一理念也可能是為什麼我們的百分比類適用於早期低於一些 otherwise否則 similar private schools.類似的私立學校。

Why then would it have made a difference if yale were EA vs. ED? Financial Aid was not the primary concern, since I’d matriculate and be poor, if nothing else. 那麼，為何會作出了不同的，如果被耶魯大學環境與教育署？財政援助，不是首要關注的問題，因為我要matriculate和是窮人，如果沒有其他。 Essentially, though Yale was, as of nov 1, far and away my first choice, I wanted to retain the possibility of choice later on.基本上，雖然耶魯是，截至11月1日，到目前為止，遠離我的第一選擇， 我想保留的可能性，選擇在稍後。 I wasn’t comfortable with the idea of being bound to attend.我不是舒適與思想的約束出席。 Hypothetically, I thought to myself, I could still apply elsewhere even if I got in, if I really really wanted to even if I had no intention of doing so.假設，我想，我仍然可以適用於其他地方，即使我得到的，如果我真的真的想即使我不打算這樣做。 This was because even if I really, really, wanted to go to Yale Nov 1, or even Dec 16th, might things not change by May 1?這是因為，即使我真的，真的，要到耶魯大學11月1日，或什至12月16日，可能事情不會改變，由五月一日？

Over the course of the 45 day wait, I grew more and more emotionally attached to Yale.超過的過程中的四十五天等待，我增長了更多感性的重視耶魯大學。 This made waiting really fun. By Dec 14 I almost felt that I would have applied ED had the application deadline been right then.這使得等待真正的樂趣。 由12月14日我幾乎覺得我會已申請教育署已申請截止日期是正確的然後。 I was, of course, dizzy from the anxiety right after finals leading into the Dec 15th decisions–so I wouldn’t exactly have called myself mentally fit to make those sorts of decisions.我是的，當然，暈眩，從焦慮的權利後，決賽領導到12月15日決定，因此我不會有所謂的正是自己適合弱智使這些各種各樣的決定。

Now, of course, it’s Dec 21st, and I already did send back my reply card.現在，當然，這是12月21日，我已經沒有傳回，我的答复卡。 Did all those yearnings for choices evaporate?當時所有這些憧憬選擇蒸發？ Not at all.不是所有。 Instead, I ‘ve just looked at things as a matter of probability.相反，我'維生素E剛才看過的東西，作為一個問題的概率。 Certainly, it was tempting to drop all other schools just on the basis of application workloads, but that wasn’t reason enough (a few of the schools, eg Harvard, required no new essays, and I’d already written a few).當然，這是誘人的下降，其他所有的學校只是在此基礎上應用的工作量，但這是不足夠的理由（數的學校，如哈佛，不需要新的散文，我要和已經寫了一數） 。 A different sort of logic was employed.不同的排序邏輯是受僱於。

If I got in anywhere else I might apply–and I had 12 other schools on my list–would I go to any of them, over Yale?如果我在任何地方，否則我可能適用於和我有12個其他學校我的名單上-我會去他們任何人，耶魯大學？ Some of the schools offered merit aid– would I have gone to any of them over Yale even if I got a full ride? The answer was, “probably not” and it was in light of that heavy lean towards “not” that I decided that I would enjoy my break and not apply anywhere else.一些學校提供了優異的援助，我會去任何他們耶魯大學，即使我得到充分共度？答案是， “大概不會” ，這是在根據這一沉重傾向於“ ，而不是”我決定我會享受我的休息並不適用於其他地方。 Plus, with twelve more schools on my list, it was quite possible that I could be denying someone else admission at a school they really wanted to attend if I got in and ended up just going to Yale.另外，與12多所學校我的名單上，這是非常有可能的，我就可以否定別人收在一所學校裡，他們真的很想參加，如果我得到的結束，只是前往耶魯大學。

I have always felt regret that when I applied to Exeter, I applied only to Exeter and didn’t so much as research or visit any other private schools, boarding or day, anywhere in the country.我一直覺得遺憾的是，當我適用於埃克塞特，我只適用於埃克塞特，並沒有這麼多，作為研究或訪問任何其他私人學校，寄宿或一天，隨時隨地在該國。 At the time I was told that Exeter was the best high school I could possibly attend; that was good enough reason for me.在當時，我被告知，埃克塞特是最好的高中，我可能參加，這是不好的原因我。 I think my time at Exeter has been valuable, but I wonder sometimes if there might be somewhere else better suited to me.我想我的時間在埃克塞特已寶貴的，但我不知道，有時，如果有可能在其他地方更適合我。 There were pangs of that as I thought about sending in the Yale reply card, but I banished them away when I thought about just how many hours I’ve spent on the college process.有陣痛的，作為我以為派遣約在耶魯大學的答复卡，但我放逐他們離開時，我還以為剛才多少個小時我已花了對高校的進程。 Visits, research, reading, talking, questioning– everything adds up to one fact, one which says: Yale is the best school for me.訪問，研究，閱讀，交談，質疑- 一切都添加到一個事實，其中說：耶魯大學是最好的學校，為我。

Let’s just hope that’s turns out to be true!讓我們只希望的，原來是真實的！