Am I making a mistake by applying to Stanford REA instead of UPenn ED?

Stanford is my dream school but I’m very very very worried that if I apply REA there, then I’ll be shooting too high and losing out on applying to second choice, U Penn, ED and risking a worse chance at getting in there. What do you all think?

Here’s my profile:

Indian male; parents attended an university in India (parents are immigrants.) Attend International School in India. I think I will be able to put up some pretty good essays (but based on the prompts, I think Stanford’s essays may be a little better) and I have good recommendations coming (including an additional recommendation from a Stanford professor who gave me a really really good evaluation)

GPA: 6.2/7 UW (IB Students don’t usually get calculated a GPA and this GPA only reflects two years of school) SAT: 1540 (Math: 800 Language: 740) Class Rank: School does not rank.

SAT Subject Tests: Will take Math 2, Physics, and Chem in October. I think I’ll get close to an 800 in Math and Physics and a 750+ in Chem.

AP/IB Courses: Full IB Diploma Program candidate. Courses in the IB - Mathematics HL, Economics HL, and History HL, Spanish B SL, English Language and Literature SL, Physics SL (there’s also the IB core - Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge.

Predicted Grade for IB Diploma - Not received yet but will be between 40-43.

Extracurriculars:

Model UN - Delegating as various countries in different committees and agendas, organizing 2 conferences as Secretary General (350+ Attendees and 200+ Attendees) and Deputy-Secretary-General (200+ Attendees), Training 150 middle-school students in MUN, and staffing conferences as executive board.

Auxilia - I run an registered NGO which organizes health camps at a school for over 300 students and sponsored hygiene kits for all of them in addition to prescribing and providing medicine to 200+ kids suffering from anemia. Sponsored glasses, appendicitis medicine, and a surgery.

Aurora India - I run another registered NGO aimed at educational enrichment. I’ve volunteered with the organization by teaching spoken english and tutoring local youth on weekends. Now i’m running organization now with programs in 5 schools and serving 300 students.

Literacy Club - Leading English classes for 10-15 school sub-staff members (maids and drivers) in free blocks and after-school with 4 other students as volunteers.

7 Cups - Active listening and emotional counseling on 7 Cups, an online mental health and wellbeing organization, as a volunteer. Till date, I have supported 86 people, have been community verified, and have a 4.5-star rating based on 41 reviews. 100+ Hours

TEDx - Spoke at a TEDx conference on my interactions with Indian culture. Organizing team member in the organization of my school’s TEDx conference in 2017 and co-organizer of my school’s TEDx conference in 2018.

400+ hours of volunteering, wether through counseling at summer camps or teaching kids to code.

Duet - In a duet with my friend called “Rule Number 4.” We both sing and I play the ukulele as well. We perform often at school events.

Teaching at Student Global Leadership Institute 2018 - Oahu, Hawai’i - Teaching Assitant for a community leadership summer program (70 participants from 9 countries) at Punahou School. Had to design activities, facilitate discussion, take on residential advising responsibilities, and help with project planning.

Stanford Pre Collegiate Studies - Summer Institutes - Course in “International Relations and the Global Economy” with Stanford University professor. Program included multiple research projects.

Academic Awards:

National Merit Scholar Semi-Finalist

Academic Achievement Award (for being top of the class) in Mathematics, Spanish, and Theory of Knowledge

Academic Interests:

International Relations/Global Studies

Computer Science

Looking to combine the above through a double major but will apply as an intended international relations major

Let me know if additional info is needed. Thank you.

If you do get into UPenn ED, would you regret having to go and not taking your shot at Stanford? If you won’t have any regrets with UPenn, then apply ED, however, it seems as if you would as Stanford is your dream school. My advice would be to go for your dream school in the early round.