MIT has always been my dream school. I fell in love with it a few years ago and ever since has been the only school I ever considered my “dream” school. I’ve never really felt drawn towards a specific school, and I really love MIT. But I’m aware that I really don’t have a high chance of getting in. I do have good grades and high test scores, but I think not enough ECs or awards (actually almost none tbh). So I was considering applying ED for Cornell (counselor showed me that ED acceptance rate is much higher for Cornell, almost 26% I believe) because I do like the school and it is also a slightly safer choice for me. But I’m conflicted whether I should choose my dream school and take a big risk, or choose a safer choice but to a school I don’t “love” (I really genuinely like the school and its programs, like the research they do, but I’m not completely in love with it and definitely not my first choice of school).
I hope I don’t come off as arrogant because that wasn’t my point; I’m aware both are highly competitive and I’m not really in the position to choose since?? I’ll most likely get rejected which is sad but true lol. I just want to make sure I don’t make decisions that I’ll regret.
Without directly answering your MIT vs Cornell question, I don’t think it’s a good idea to apply ED to a school unless it’s your #1 choice and you’d be delighted to attend.
How well do you understand what MIT looks for. Or Cornell?
3 out of 4 chances of a rejection does not make a safety. The kids who are advantaged by Early apps, other than athletes or other hooks, are spot on in their full records and their full apps.
@squijee You may just have to go with gut feelings. If you are successful in ED Cornell you will always wonder what it would happen with MIT. Id say go with MIT EA. But if you want to perform some dispassionate analysis to inform your decisions (in MIT fashion) here is something you can do:
Assuming an MIT acceptance brings you 100 happiness and Cornell only 70, using the following admission data:
MIT: EA 6.9%, RA 6.6% (3.9% for the deferred)
Cornell: ED 24.3%, RA 7.6% (assume 5% for the deferred)
you can calculate the expected happiness from the two strategies.
For EA MIT: Hm=6.9%x100+93.1%x(100x3.9%+70x7.6%)=15.5
For ED Cornell: Hc=24.3%x70+75.7%x(100x6.6%+70x5%)=24.7
Clearly, in this case you should apply Cornell ED. But if your happiness going to Cornell is 20 vs MIT 100 you can substitute 70 with 20 in the above formula and you get the numbers Hm=11.9 vs Hc=10.6, which means you should do MIT EA.
The break even point is 26.3. So the question is: are you more than 26.3% happy going to Cornell vs going to MIT? If yes, then ED Cornell. If you are still unsure you can put it in dollar terms (as a crude proxy to happiness). If MIT costs you $70k/yr and Cornell costs $70kx26.3%=$18.4k/yr, which one would you rather go?
Of course, all of the above are based on the assumption that your admission odds are at published averages and your happiness can be quantified (like an MIT solution).
It is very important to remember that while the % of admits is often significantly higher in the ED round, that group also normally includes a much larger number of students in special categories that are significantly more likely to be accepted, such as recruited athletes. The ED applicant pool and the RD applicant pool are very different groups.
Unless Cornell is your own true first choice, wait and apply in the RD group.
