Please help! I’m so confused/conflicted as to whether or not I should apply EA or ED to one of my top-choice schools. Here’s my predicament:
-my two top-choice schools are Yale and Princeton
-I originally wanted to apply SCEA to Yale (so I could compare Financial Aid packages and do overnight visits at several schools… not be bound to just one)
-I’ve heard that I won’t get accepted early to Yale, because most people in the EA pool are either recruited athletes, minorities, uber-geniuses, etc.
-then I considered applying ED to Princeton, because I’ve heard that in the early decision pool (vs. early action) my chances would be considerably higher, despite my lack of a “hook”
-then I thought I would be better off not to apply early anywhere because supposedly the Regular Decision pool is less cut-throat competitive
-now I’m thinking I should definately apply early at one of these two schools, because with the rare chance I should be deferred (instead of the more likely outcome – rejected), I would have a better chance in the Regular Decision pool
So… my question is: what is the best choice? Should I apply early at my no. 1 choice (Yale EA)? Should I apply early to my no. 2 choice (Princeton ED)? or should I apply to all schools RD? I would also like to know… are Yale and P.ton more likely to defer or reject an applicant who isn’t accepted in the early round? Thanks so much for your advice! Please only post if you somewhat know what you are talking about and aren’t just going by rumor, b/c as you can see, I’ve already heard plenty of uninformed opinions which aren’t helping me at all!!
<p>This is just MHO but I do not think ED helps a great deal unless you'd be a strong candidate anyhow. A prolific poster, mini, thinks ED is built for athletes and applicants who do not need aid and I tend to agree with his analysis.</p>
<p>If you need financial aid, it is very complicated. You can generally determine your EFC if you have a cut and dried financial situation, so at a school that meets 100% of need and is known for great aid, it may be okay to apply ED-- but proceed with caution. Be very very careful that your FA projections are correct.</p>
<p>Also, if yo are in stat range for P'ton and Yale, there are MANY excellent schools out there that would give you tons of aid. Look at some of the merit aid threads in the Parents Forum for ideas. (There was a poster, evilrobot, who selected a merit ride at Vandy over Yale and is very happy.)</p>
<p>I believe ED is an advantage but only if FA is not a big considertation.</p>
<p>Perhaps you should apply EA to a school that you know you'll get into and maybe they'll even give you some scholarships during the interim period between their acceptance and your decision by offering more scholarships, all the meanwhile the load will have lifted from waiting on the decisions from Yale and Princeton (which can be truly agonizing, for sure). Best of luck,</p>
<p>"I would have a better chance in the Regular Decision pool" not necessarily for example last yr the RD acceptance rate at Harvard was 5%, Yale 6% and Princeton 7% and i bet it will be even lower this year b/c of their improvements in finaid. While u look at the EA/D stats it's at least double that for each school and of course the applicants pool is slightly stronger. We can all speculate, give u advice but the final choice is up to u! Last year i thought about applying early but backed out at the last minute b/c of concerns about finaid and the binding aspect a choice that i do not regret b/c i got in at HYPCD and other schools during RD and had the opportunity to negotiate my finaid...again it's all up to u;-D
Good luck!!!</p>
<p>Only a complete disaster of an applicant would apply ED to their second choice school. And the complete lack of logic of doing so suggests you are thinking so much about gaming the process that you have lost all notion that you are trying to go to the place that you think is best for you.</p>
<p>What about someone who has HYP as a first choice, but who realizes it is unrealistic to expect admission? To some extent EVERYONE applying ED is "gaming." The best advice I've seen on ED: only apply ED if it is a place where-- should you be admitted-- you'd want to jump in your car and drive 5 hours to the campus to buy a decal.</p>
<p>The more important consideration is Fin Aid.</p>
<p>I agree with gabe25 and massguy. The top colleges are not as unpredictable as some of the whinier kids on these boards have made it out to be. There have been many examples of the BEST- no just good- applicants getting into all of the top schools with ease; it's just a matter of exponents ~ good applicant gets into none, great applicant maybe gets into some, best applicants get into all. </p>
<p>"What about someone who has HYP as a first choice, but who realizes it is unrealistic to expect admission? To some extent EVERYONE applying ED is "gaming."'</p>
<p>I strongly disagree with SBmom on this one. First off, there is a presence of a "silent majority" of students who have genuine interests in schools that apply for Early Decision, and it's not the "Game" as is commonly dramatized on these boards. Anyone who favors "HYP" has done so through flawed logic. The OP has said that Yale is his number 1 choice, well, there's a huge difference in terms of what he can expect at Yale and what he can expect at Princeton.</p>
<p>I do agree, however, that the OP's most important consideration should be financial aid. If he's even worrying about how much he's going to receive, then he should just wait until the regular decision rounds to come and not fret over what he simply cannot control (fin aid). Best of luck,</p>
<p>SB Mom writes:
"massguy, that is not fair. </p>
<p>What about someone who has HYP as a first choice, but who realizes it is unrealistic to expect admission? To some extent EVERYONE applying ED is "gaming." The best advice I've seen on ED: only apply ED if it is a place where-- should you be admitted-- you'd want to jump in your car and drive 5 hours to the campus to buy a decal.</p>
<p>The more important consideration is Fin Aid."</p>
<p>If H or Y or P is a first choice (and by first choice we mean ONE college that a person feels is the best match, not three) at which a student truly would want to go, then you apply early to one of those schools, and if the school only offers early decision, you apply early to that one school.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, SB Mom, you have bought into the HYP hype when you suggest that everone applying ED is gaming. Actually, many people are making educated decisions about their future academic career.</p>
<p>I am being entirely fair to the original poster, who clearly doesn't understand that ED or EA is for people who have made a choice about a school and definitely want to pursue a degree there. It is NOT for people who are applying to their second choice school. If you have a first choice, but don't pursue it, you really should not apply early to your second choice. You are only asking to regret your decision and wonder "what if" forever : the unfortunate side effect of gaming the system.</p>
<p>I meant that someone's REALISTIC #1 might be a #2 or #3 on their 'pie in the sky' list. When I said 'to an extent everyone is gaming,' I meant that you are likely to be picking your favorite school from those to which you have a decent chance of acceptance. You have already narrowed the list down, based on how far you are going to reach.</p>
<p>For some kids there are two or three schools that are neck-and-neck for tops. There is no compelling reason NOT to pick one for an ED application so long as you would be elated to attend that school. </p>
<p>As one coach who recruited my D said-- hard decisions don't often get easier if you wait to make them.</p>
<p>She decided to just PICK between two very appealing schools and not let the chance for the ED advantage pass her by. (BTW recruited athletes are expected to apply ED.)</p>
<p>If you can't be decisive from among top choices and you feel you might regret making an ED commitment-- okay, don't apply ED.</p>