<p>I want to apply ED to a school but I want to use it wisely. I don't have a good gauge on what kind of schools would fit me, so please help me out!</p>
<p>I'm an Asian female from southern CA; also an only child with a single mother, and having cousins that graduated from college 20+ years ago, no one can really give me accurate input.</p>
<p>Weighted GPA (10-12): 4.31
Unweighted: 3.9</p>
<p>SAT I: CR - 780, Math - 750, Writing - 730
(that's the combined score of two SAT Is)
SAT II: Biology M - 620, Spanish - 580 (LOL)</p>
<p>AP Bio: 4
AP Lang: 5
AP Euro: 4
AP US: 4</p>
<p>Current classes: Photography, Physics, AP Gov, AP Lit, AP Spanish, AP Stats</p>
<p>EC: I'm the president of two clubs: American Cancer Society and Youth Action Team (Youth Action Team is also a paid job for the city I live in). I've also been in National Honor Society and California Scholarship Federation since sophomore year.</p>
<p>So I feel pretty average, like a typical Asian with no sports, so do I have a chance of getting accepted?
And I've never visited the campus, so can anyone tell me what it's like plus what the surrounding area is?</p>
<p>I think you’re misunderstanding what ED is for. ED is not a “ticket” you use at a school to boost your chances at getting in. It is used for a school you absolutely love and will definitively attend if accepted. Can you say that about Wesleyan, even without having been to campus, or any other school, for that matter? </p>
<p>Applying ED doesn’t necessarily give you a better chance of getting in, it’s that stronger applicants typically apply during ED, so that’s why the ED acceptance rate is higher than the RD rate.</p>
<p>You definitely have the numbers to get in, and would stand a chance both ED and RD, but I caution you about using ED on a school you don’t absolutely love.</p>
<p>smartalic34 makes an interesting point, which my husband and I have been discussing/pondering lately. Our younger S is planning to apply to Wes ED because he loves it and can see himself there more than any other college he has visited or considered. He likes a number of schools, but Wes is number one by a long shot. We believe his GPA, SAT, ECs, etc. are within the range to get him into Wes (although we understand that noone can ever be sure or even too confident). The reason he is applying ED is to save himself the need to apply anywhere else if he is accepted, since he anticipates that he would go to Wes if accepted RD. That said, we can’t help thinking that maybe, just maybe, applying ED will increase his chances of admission just a bit.</p>
<p>As a general matter, does ED help applicants who are not well within the range, whatever that means – i.e., candidates that are possible admits but who are far from confident because one of more indicators are low? My husband can’t see why a college would accept anyone but strong candidates ED. His theory is that if schools want to or have to accept weaker candidates, they are better off doing that later in the year on the chance that the applicant pool will be strong and they will more or better choices. In this regard, I note that Wes has two ED cycles, which permits it to manage admissions through three application cycles.</p>
<p>My older son, who applied ED to an Ivy, which accepted him ED, thinks that schools do and will accept less strong candidates ED because they are locking in tuition dollars and minimizing the risks associated with waiting. I suppose both sides are true to some degree. My question, though, is whether the conventional wisdom – that applying ED will give one a better chance of admission – is true. Under my husband’s logic, the answer should be no. Under my son’s, it should be yes.</p>
<p>Linde, great post :D. I have asked this questions for millions times on CC (i 've made 2 threads and posted many questions on topics) but different ppl have different opinions. Some say it depends on the school I apply to (it may be true). Some say yes, some say no. But I think that if you have a good profile, applying ED may help. But applying ED because of having a bad profile doesn’t.</p>
<p>Linde: Your older son’s argument that a school may be locking in tuition dollars is moot at this level, whether Ivy or elite small liberal arts college, because the schools are need-blind. Does it “help” your application by applying ED? Of course - you’re showing intense commitment to the school, and that is always a positive. I think that is where it helps your application - you can’t show that level of dedication at the RD round.</p>
<p>However, I do agree with your husband about stronger students - Wesleyan even stated last year that it took 48% of the class ED because the pool was so strong. Your younger son is applying ED to Wes for the right reasons, and is a smart move (I was ED myself…)</p>
<p>To recap, I do think applying ED helps, but only minimally, in that your strong interest in the school will help you. If you aren’t a strong RD applicant, you certainly won’t be a strong ED applicant.</p>
<p>In answer to katelu’s other question, “what’s Wesleyan like?”, all I can say, is that Wesleyan is one of the few colleges in the country where people can have fairly intense arguments over architecture. Thanks to its 300 year-old host city, Wesleyan has never had to worry about where to put an extra faculty office or conference room; it just converted an old home and made sure it was added to the campus map. I think as a Californian, the OP would have a definite sense of being in a different region of the country, one with deep roots in America’s past as a British colony and as a shipping and trading power up to and through the outbreak of the Civil War.</p>
<p>Middletown was once a county seat for Midddlesex County, an archaic bit of political nomenclature that is no longer widely in use, but, it nevertheless retains some of the feel of a place of great bustle during the day but, a fair degree temperateness at night. That is to say, residents of the core neighborhoods surrounding Wesleyan tend to be made up fairly young families who rise early in the morning and go to bed early at night, leading to some tensions around music and noise.</p>
<p>Wesleyan occupies an open, hilltop campus that overlooks the populated areas to its east and blends into orchards, woods and condos to its west. You can walk from a “Food Not Bombs” action (basically, giving away free food to people who need it) on Main Street and fifteen minutes later spot a red tailed hawk munching on a squirrel near the freshman dorms. People have called on Public Safety for everything from home invasions to invasion by bats (the flying kind.) I would not call Middletown a particularly dangerous place, but, you do have to be aware of your surroundings, particularly when walking alone late at night. </p>
<p>Personally, I think Middletown is a great place to practice what you preach in terms of civic duty and local community affairs. It’s not a retirement commmunity or an artist’s colony; I don’t think I’ve spotted one antiques store. The lady who takes your meal points at the dining hall probably lives next door to you. I would say, nine out of ten residents could care less that Wesleyan is where MGMT, Bill Bellichick, Ted Kennedy, Jr., or Ted Mosby went to school; they just want you to turn down the music and clean up your Solo cups.</p>
<p>Thanks, johnwesley
And thanks to smartalic too-- I’m rethinking my ED choice now. Since I don’t really have one top dream school school, should I forgo the opportunity altogether?</p>
<p>I wouldn’t do ED unless you would unequivocally attend that school if accepted. Remember, ED is binding. Only do ED if you can absolutely see yourself somewhere. Otherwise you’ll regret it.</p>
