A VERY difficult decision: Columbia ED or Yale SCEA?

Chance Me / Match Me!
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<p>Hey, everyone. I have a very big dilemma, and I can't decide between Columbia ED and Yale SCEA. I was previously dead set on Columbia ED, and then I recently switched to Yale SCEA, and now, I can't decide which one. I have received conflicting advice from parents, adcoms, current college students, and my guidance counselor. The sad part is, Columbia is my 1st-choice school, but I have a very strong qualm about the binding nature of ED. The problem with Yale SCEA is obviously the competitive nature of the pool. I have included my chances from a previous thread to give a further understanding. I would appreciate any insight.</p>

<p>Rising senior, Asian (Indian) from a very, VERY diverse public high school in NY</p>

<p>SAT: 800 M, 800 W, 740 CR (2340 Comp.)
ACT: English 35, Math 35, Reading 34, Science 36, Combined English/Writing 35, Essay 12, COMPOSITE 35
SAT IIs: 800 Math II, 800 US History, 780 Chemistry, 780 Biology E, 770 World History
APs:
10th grade: Biology 5, World History 5, Environmental Science (Self-study) 5
11th grade: Chemistry 5, US History 5, Statistics 5, English Language 5, Psychology (Self-study) 5, Human Geography (Self-study) 5
12th grade schedule: Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Physics B, US Government, Calculus BC, Spanish Language, English Literature
GPA: 103/100 Weighted, 97/100 Unweighted (We don't do 4.0 based)
Rank: 1/~350 (this will not change)</p>

<p>Awards:
2-time regional Science Olympiad medalist
2-time district-wide Writer of the Year
National AP Scholar
National Merit finalist (most likely)
~15 or so school-wide achievement awards in different subjects, generally insignificant
Air Force Award
RPI Math and Science Medal</p>

<p>ECs w/ leadership positions, if any:
Asian Club (biggest club at school), (former treasurer, former secretary)
Mock Trial (secretary)
Science Olympiad
Science Research (very involved, exclusive class)
Model UN
Foreign Language/Science/English/Social Studied Honor Societies
Mu Alpha Theta + Math League (president)
National Honor Society (secretary)
Also, I co-wrote the AP Environmental Science syllabus for the class which will be introduced this fall, with the AP Biology teacher.
Volunteered 50+ Hours at local hospital (patient care/front desk)</p>

<p>Summer Activities:
2008: AP Summer Academy at school (6 week intensive program preparing students for AP classes)
2009: Mathematical Modeling Program at Mercy College
2010: Currently doing research at a NJ hospital (in the cardio lab assisting with clinical trials, also get to see open-heart surgeries!)</p>

<p>Work:
Worked at local Kumon Center since September 2008, about 7 hours a week</p>

<p>Essay: should be great, probably either about my experiences at Kumon, the diversity I have experienced at my HS, or my experiences doing research at the hospital)</p>

<p>Recs: AMAZING. I know my guidance counselor very well. One of my teacher recs will be from my AP Bio teacher/Science Research mentor/APES syllabus co-author/NHS advisor/Science Honor Society advisor (basically everything short of a principal) who I have grown a close personal connection to. The other will probably be from my English teacher who I had in 10th grade and will have again for AP Lit in 12th grade.</p>

<p>That was really long, but thanks for the consideration!</p>

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<p>I think that you should apply to Columbia ED since it is your first choice.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the input, VeggieBurger. Are you also a vegetarian?</p>

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<p>I’m a lone carnivore.</p>

<p>Well you’d definitely make it in at Cornell =D</p>

<p>But I’d honestly just go for Columbia. Statistically, a good choice would be whichever school’s SCEA/ED has a higher acceptance rate. Yale’s SCEA is pretty competitive, but if you’re more fixed onto going to Columbia (your first choice), then SCEA shouldn’t even be considered.</p>

<p>I believe Peter Parker and Warren Buffet went to Columbia anyway.</p>

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<p>yup. i say columbia ED.</p>

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<p>sd6, I would also say Columbia ED. It is the “easier” of the two schools to get into, so your odds go up slightly of getting accepted. IF you would second-guess this choice after the fact, then just apply RD to them both.</p>

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<p>sd6, ED Columbia. if it’s your first choice, then obviously you should go for it. is sd6 from the show Alias? :D</p>

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<p>Thanks for all the input, guys. I just wanted to add one thing; my main reservation against applying Columbia ED was the idea that I would get less fin. aid because I would be required to go there if accepted. Is this true, and if so, to what extent?</p>

<p>@mickjagger, that’s like the third time I’ve heard that on CC!! No, I never really got into Alias; my username just consists of my initials and my favorite number.</p>

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<p>^And ironically, that just happened to be my 666th post. =DD</p>

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<p>No, this won’t be an issue. The ED contract you sign has one loop hole: if the college can’t offer an appropriate amount of financial aid (where the applicant is unable to attend), then you can get out of the binding decision and apply elsewhere.
So yeah, apply with ease sd6.</p>

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<p>You want a cookie?</p>

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<p>^ Supposedly using the loophole has its consequences too. </p>

<p>@ sd6, Didn’t you list Yale as your first choice in your last thread? lol</p>

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<p>Yeah, though, hopefully he won’t need it anyway.</p>

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<p>Remember that you can always appeal your aid package. From what I’ve heard, appeals are accepted more often than not.</p>

<p>As an Indian from New York, you need to have some pretty distinctive traits to stand out in Columbia’s application pool. </p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

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<p>Before my younger son applied ED to Columbia, I used to play the “hypothetical admission” game. I would sit him down in a quiet room, tell him he’s got two, and only two, admission letters in front of him, one from Columbia and one from _______ (Yale or Harvard or Brown or Stanford or…we filled in a lot of blanks). I then told him to think about it, look out the window, take his time…and then tell me which one he chose. In every case, he picked Columbia. He applied ED, got in, and is ecstatic with his choice. (He’ll be a sophomore next month.)</p>

<p>Unless you pick Columbia every time, don’t do it. (You may wonder later whether you could have attended ______.) If you do, apply ED to Columbia and don’t fret!</p>

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<p>@PrincetonDreams, haha, I never explicitly stated Yale as my first choice, if you can recall. That was like one period of time where I decided to SCEA Yale because of the whole uncertainty over the binding nature of ED. Obviously, my mind was never made up. Columbia has always been my #1 school. But, thanks for your continued help, PrincetonDreams. From what I can recall, you are also applying Columbia ED, right? Good luck to you as well!</p>

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Ugh, HONORLIONS, if I didn’t know you personally, that would just be asking for a flame war, haha.</p>

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<p>@pbr, yes, I would pick Columbia over all of “the usual suspects,” without a doubt. The only reason I hesitated was because of the nature of ED itself; it had nothing to do with Columbia.</p>

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<p>=) In time, sd6… in time…</p>

<p>Though I’d try out your stats at other HYPS schools. For an Asian-Indian (woot), you have some unique stuff. You could definitely get in at schools all the way up there, like Cornell.
Though Columbia’s your first choice, and if the acceptance rate difference between RD/ED is sizable, shoot for it.</p>

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<p>@ sd6: No problem. Glad to help a fellow desi out. :slight_smile:
And yep, I am also applying ED to Columbia.</p>

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<p>This is so weird. I’m having the EXACT same dilemma right now and I JUST had an hour-long conversation with my parents about it. I’m completely torn between the two.</p>

<p>Our stats are pretty comparable (yours are better). If you don’t mind me asking, why is Columbia your first choice? Do you plan to apply to CC or SEAS?</p>

<p>I figure we can try to help each other out with this tough decision.</p>

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<p>i’m having the same problem – yale SCEA vs. columbia ED! please let me know what you decide :slight_smile: maybe we can discuss it sometime too! i need someone to help me sort out my thoughts, haha</p>