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<p>Precisely. They may compute your GPA without freshman grades, but if you got two C’s and a handful of B’s freshman year, even if you maintained a 4.0 through the end of junior year, it’s highly doubtful that you’d be in the top 10% of your class. And for schools like Princeton and Stanford, being outside that magical 10% is an ominous sign that indicates your chances are very low, unless you attend a prestigious boarding school such as Andover or Exeter, or a renowned public school such as the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.</p>
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<p>That may be the case for Stanford. But Penn, Dartmouth, Cornell, Brown and several other top schools have Early Decision which, although not a huge boost, does offer a considerable advantage over RD applicants.</p>