<p>Many schools offer an EA program (including top schools, such as University of Chicago and Yale) by which you apply early but are not bound to attend if you're accepted. The acceptance rates are MUCH higher EA and you get your decision much earlier. </p>
<p>Why then doesn't everyone who applies to Yale, University of Chicago, etc. apply EA? What's the catch?</p>
<p>A) Acceptance rates for schools EA are NOT much higher.</p>
<p>B) Yale is SCEA; if you apply there early, you can't apply anywhere else (i.e. UChicago, MIT, CalTech) early.</p>
<p>Edit: But yeah, I see your point. EA is great for people (like me :)) who aren't sure where they want to go yet but still want to know SOMETHING in December.</p>
<p>My EA notices don't come in until Jan :(. I hope my little safety state school sends me a happy letter in Dec, though!</p>
<p>Since their program is non-binding, how would they know if you applied anywhere else?</p>
<p>It has been mentioned that those top schools share identities of those admitted EA and ED. A different issue is risk of future ramifications. If there is single choice and you violate policy that can be a reason to withdraw admission if they ever do find out, not the kind of letter you would want to get in mid-August the day before you are about to show up on campus.</p>
<p>First of all, every school that offers an early option has a different way of treating it.</p>
<p>If you apply to Yale "early," you are not bound to go if you get in, but you CANNOT APPLY ANYWHERE ELSE EARLY. That's the catch. So if you want to pick up the admissions "bonus" at Yale early, you can't also pick it up at another school.</p>
<p>Chicago does not restrict where its applicants apply-- it's like the parent who says, "as long as it's all right with the other one, it's fine with me." So while applicants can combine Chicago and MIT early action, they can't combine Chicago and Yale early action. Some ED schools also don't like when their applicants apply EA. This is really why you have to check with individual schools!</p>
<p>Chicago and MIT, I should mention, don't give any kind of bonus and admit similar percentages of students early and regular. At Chicago, applying EA means faster notification and preference in dorms, while RD gives you a chance to work on the application. I don't know MIT well enough to know what the advantages of applying EA are.</p>
<p>Chicago's RD rate is 38% and it's EA is 49%. Although Chicago's applicant pool in general is very strong, 49% still gives superb applicants (which I hope to be by the time I apply) a huge chance at getting in. You said that it doesn't give any bonuses for EA. Do you mean that the 38% and 49% are not very dissimilar or that the EA applicant pool is stronger than the RD pool and so compensates for the added 11%? </p>
<p>Assuming I enter the application phase with my envisioned credentials, I plan to apply ED to Columbia, and, in light of the fact that Chicago is not SCEA, EA to Chicago. (I already planned to apply to Chicago, so it's not as though I'm only applying because it is non-SCEA.) In my eyes, the 49% acceptance rate for Chicago negates the need of applying to a safety school (at least before I get the decision in mid-December), but if the applicant pool is that much stronger, then I need to re</p>
<p>At most top colleges, such as the U of Chicago, the early applicant pool is academically stronger then the regular pool. An additional benefit of applying early at Chicago[ if you are accepted] is you can send in your Housing reservation request 4 months before regular admissions decisions are made, thus ensuring that you have strong chance at getting your first choice.</p>
<p>EA candidates are in theory stronger. But at my school; out of 4 Chicago EA; 3 are weak (very weak) while one is match HYP caliber candidate.</p>
<p>I asked my friend who is an admissions director why a college would offer EA a bit of an advantage or why have EA at all, since I too wondered. I understand why a school would have ED, and think that it is shame that it has turned into a game of sorts for so many. It was a beautiful and simple idea. </p>
<p>First of all, it gives the admissions officers a good preview of what is out there. Since most of us do tend to procrastinate, most apps come rolling in at the deadline. Which does put a crunch on the admissions staff since most deadlines are around 12/31 for the more selective schools. Since most schools are on holiday at that time, it really gets crazy as pieces of the app packet come in and the office has to get it all together before evaluating. That really does not leave much time to get a sense of the what the field is like, and put together a class. Especially when the college may have some requests on what they want in their admits that year. EA allows the directors to get a good start on the apps and in putting a class together. By the time the regular apps come in, they have already read a number of stories. They have some basis of comparison instead of starting blank with the piecemeal madness in January. </p>
<p>Also, it allows them to work with some borderline applicants who may really want to come to the school. With the multitudes of apps at RD, you have to make that decision and move on to the next kid. With EA, you can vacillate, and make notes and stipulations. If the kid calls, shows up or the GC calls and you find out it's first choice and extra effort comes forth from the kid,you can still consider him. </p>
<p>Also, kids do not usually like filling out apps. I know a bunch of kids from my older kids' years who stopped the process as soon as they got into a school they liked. Why torture oneself over the holidays? At very least, they do not apply to as many schools RD so that the chances that they will come to your school increase.</p>
<p>You also have the opportunity to sweeten the pot for the kid to come with a merit award, a special visit invite, etc. </p>
<p>An example: Young man has 10 schools on list. Is rejected by first choice ED school which was a big reach. Accepted to EA school which is a slight reach. The only other schools he will apply to are possibly other reaches or for financial reasons. He may not even want to apply to other reaches if he likes EA school enough because that reject hurt so much, and his visit to EA school after acceptance felt so good. No reason to apply to safeties anymore either. Had he applied to all 10 schools RD, the EA school would have a smaller chance of being chosen. The safeties might offer some merit money. It really is nice to get this whole thing done and over with. So if a kid accepted in December just may not want to do more apps. There is a closure to sending that housing deposit and visiting that school and getting that hoodie.</p>
<p>Godfatherbob, your Chicago admissions rates are circa 2000. EA admissions at Chicago runs closer to 35ish%. Not to mention there was a 40% increase in apps this year...</p>
<p>I only wish 49% of EA applicants were accepted!</p>
<p>Godfatherbob, there is no catch to EA. Many kids do what you plan to do, ED Columbia, EA Chicago. It is a favorite combo here. Some even go farther, with additional EAs to less selective schools including a safety. And/or rolling admissions as well. My son's close friend has applied ED Columbia, EA Chicago and a bunch of Catholic schools including BC, rolling to Michigan and some state schools. He is already in Georgia Tech, Michigan, and some state schools. He is awaiting the rest of the field and will apply only to some more ivies or other highly selective schools if not accepted to Columbia. It's all gravy to him at this point as he really wanted to go to Michigan anyways. The only deterrent would be an ivy acceptance or merit money that would halve the Michigan cost, his mother says.</p>
<p>davnasca is right. Chicago's EA rate is actually lower than the RD rate now.</p>
<p>cptofthehouse - I hope you are mistaken about your son's friend. Boston College's EA program is restrictive -- he can NOT apply EA to BC if he applied to Columbia ED.</p>
<p>Worried mom, I hope so too. Unfortunately since EA is not monitored closely as ED is, it happens. The rules change year to year, and sometimes families who had kids apply EA at a school when it was not restrictive can mistakenly think it is still that way. I just talked to the mom today, and I am pretty sure she said BC, but I am not going to double check that one, not worth it. Both of us have kids who applied and were accepted to BC early some years ago when it was EA and not restrictive. My current senior crossed BC off of his list so I did not bother to look at its current EA policies and her comment did not flag as a result. But from my other kids, I can tell you that it does happen--kids apply restrictive EA and with other schools by accident. My older son's girlfriend did apply GT and other schools EA, along with an ED school some years ago. Oooops. What can you do?</p>
<p>
[quote]
davnasca is right. Chicago's EA rate is actually lower than the RD rate now.
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</p>
<p>Hmmm. Collegeboard is out of date I guess. (I got that 49% vs 38% figure from their page on UChicago, College</a> Search - University of Chicago - Chicago - Admission.)
I've noticed some inconsistencies with them, but I didn't think they were THAT out of date, lol.</p>
<p>Besides the SCEA policies, which may or may not be closely monitored, I guess there's no catch with EA :D (Except that it doesn't really help at UChicago). I'm still going to do it though. If I don't, then I'll have to apply to safety schools if I'm rejected from Columbia ED. This way, even if I am rejected, assuming I'm accepted to Chicago EA, I won't have to cram 1-3 safety school applications into a few weeks before the deadline. (I assume it's a bad idea to not apply to ANY other schools before the ED/EA decisions.)</p>
<p>Most schools usually tell you the same things. Those who apply EA are just more qualified.</p>