<p>Son is planning to apply EA by the 11/15 deadline, but am wondering if he might be better off waiting for RD if he would be considered borderline academically and might have a better chance getting admitted RD...</p>
<p>GPA: 3.6U / 4.2W (All core honors or AP classes / 6AP classes total)</p>
<p>ACT: 33</p>
<p>Excellent EC's and Recs.</p>
<p>Mostly worried about GPA, since it looks to me they tend to place higher emphasis on GPA over ACT scores. Not sure what their policy is on EA acceptance. Is the bar typically set higher ED than RD. Heard it is some places. Thoughts? </p>
<p>It is true that some places the ED is a higher bar, but not usually EA, which this is. In any case, for Tulane definitely apply EA. The worst that will happen is he gets deferred to the RD pool, although if the rest of his app is of good quality and he completes both essays well, I think his chances are good. Tulane rarely denies admission at this stage anyway, and virtually never to a student of his caliber. So he has nothing to lose and an earlier admission to gain by going EA.</p>
<p>I advise your son to apply Single Choice Early Action if he hasn’t already applied Early elsewhere. Tulane offers the rare opportunity to apply EITHER Single Choice Early Action OR just plain old regular Early Action. By choosing SCEA, students send admission officials a message that suggests that Tulane is their first choice–much as Early Decision does–but SCEA isn’t binding, as ED is. So SCEA can be a wise bet for borderline applicants because showing their love may tip them in. </p>
<p>The admission officials will evaluate your son’s GPA in the context of his course load and will also give him the benefit of the doubt if his lower grades were in his freshman and sophomore years or in the most grueling subjects. </p>
<p>Good luck (there’s always an element of that, too!)</p>
<p>Great advice, Sally. I should have thought of it. Thanks. Definitely true that Tulane looks at SCEA quite favorably.</p>
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<p>I was actually surprised that you didn’t. This could be a sign of old age (but, since I’m older than you are, I guess I’m the one should should really be worried). ;-)</p>
<p>When I went to the Tulane info session in the Boston area in September, our regional rep, Antoinette Abboud, pointed out that SCEA can be an especially smart idea for borderline candidates.</p>