Applying ED vs. applying RD and waiting for mid-year grades

Colleges and Universities A-Z Brown University
1

<p>I’m not going to touch on my extracurriculars as much because i think i’m okay in that area (submitting a photography portfolio, photos published in online magazines, officer position in youth and government delegation, several hours of community service etc etc), but as of now, I have a weighted 4.0, with a 31 ACT (taking again this weekend) and a 2040 SAT score (taking again in oct).</p>

<p>I’ve been set for a while on applying ED to Brown with hopes that my extracurriculars, photography portfolio, essay, and recommendations will shine more easily in a smaller applicant pool. Upon reading more posts on CC, however, I’m not sure if I should anymore. I am proud of my grades and scores, but I’m not the 4.7, 36 ACT kinda guy that Ivy’s seem to accept, and it seems like ED acceptance rates are flawed because of athletes, legacies, etc (can someone verify this?)</p>

<p>Basically, does applying ED give me ANY advantage in my situation? Or would it be smarter to wait for my midyear grades to bump up my GPA and retake my tests additional times, but risk getting lost among several thousand more applications (30,000 compared to something like 3,000-4,000 for ED)?</p>

<p>Thanks in advance, I’m kinda getting stressed out about apps</p>

2

<p>there is definitely an ED advantage for those students who are ready to apply. But they do not lower their averages for ED applicants - it just increases the odds for the best candidates. Since your numbers are on the lower end of the range for Brown, raising your SAT’s and GPA would far outweigh any advantage of applying early. Because you can raise those numbers, applying early in your case would seem to be a disadvantage.</p>

3

<p>I agree. Kicking up a few points on your ACT and/or SAT will be of better boost you. Frankly, your situation is the exact one where the colleges say wait for RD rather than EA or ED. </p>

<p>Good luck</p>