Cornell ED or Johns Hopkins ED? (or other universities like WUSTL, Duke, etc. ED)

Chance Me / Match Me!
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I am torn on whether to apply to Cornell or JHU ED. I really like both universities and would be equally happy for both. Now it comes down to which I would have a better chance of getting in if I applied ED. JHU has a slightly higher ED acceptance rate but Cornell seems to care more about standardized test scores, ECs, etc which I have a good amount of. Which do you think I should ED to based on my acceptance chances? Link for my stats:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1791315-chance-me-johns-hopkins-ed-cornell-ucla-ucsd-ucd-ucsb-uci-emory-st-louis-washington-duke.html#latest

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anyone?

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Overall, I think that Cornell has slightly - ever so slightly - more prestige than JHU. But that should not be your top priority.

  1. What do you want to study? Researching both schools' program in your desired major, which seems to have the edge?

Regardless of that answer, you might change your mind… so also look at overall academic strength. In this case, both are quite strong all-around.

  1. How much can you and your parents afford to pay, and have you run Net Price Calculator estimates for both schools?
  2. Have you visited both schools? Which presented a better vibe? Would you rather live in a metropolitan area or in the middle of nowhere? / Which dorms/living arrangements would you prefer? / Which campus would be easier for you to traverse and navigate? --- These are all "fit" questions and they are of the utmost importance when you are choosing between two relatively equal options.

As for ED, do not do it unless you are 100% sold on your choice; you really need to be in love with a school to apply ED. You need to be able to afford it, regardless of financial concerns, and you need to know that if a HYPSM admits you, that you won’t regret going ED to Cornell or JHU. Do not take it lightly.

Anyway, at the very top I gave Cornell a very thin edge in prestige, and I stand by that, but really the quality of education probably will be the same. Base your decision on your intended major, finances, and fit. And for heaven sakes, don’t go ED if there is any doubt left in you…

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Duke and Wash U are also excellent schools. The same applies to them (added to the mix with with Cornell and JHU):

  • Price
  • Major strength / overall academic strength
  • Fit
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@prezbucky if I emailed Wash U with questions, does that show them that I am interested in their university, as it appears that they consider student interest. Also, I really like Cornell, JHU, and WUSTL and would love to attend any of the colleges, so which would you say is least difficult to get into as ED if I had a mediocre GPA (3.75 UW, 4.03 W) but stellar test scores and ECs?

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  • Yes. And if you can find the time and the cash, scheduling a visit will really help to emphasize your interest.
  • I think probably most of the elite private schools consider genuine interest, assuming they have a way to track it...

3.75 is going to hurt your chances a bit, but by no means are you out of the race. It seems that WUSTL values test scores more than Cornell and JHU do - that is apparent per their 25th-75th percentile SAT scores for admitted students. Surely Cornell and JHU have as many high-stat kids applying as WUSTL does; WUSTL simply seems to accept more of them, given the higher test averages. So I’d say your high test scores might be slightly more appreciated by WUSTL than they would be by Cornell and JHU.

on the flip side, maybe JHU and Cornell are a bit more holistic; maybe great extracurriculars will count more with them.

I can’t be certain; nobody except those schools’ admissions counselors can tell you what the exact formula is.

But the reported test scores do perhaps shade WUSTL as being a bit more dependent on scores than Cornell and JHU are.

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