<p>is there any advantage admissions-wise in applying ea to chicago</p>
<p>No. If you're going to get in, you'll get in EA or Regular. If you're going to get denied, you'll get denied EA or Regular. The only advantage is knowing which choice they've made for you by December instead of waiting until April.
Statistically, the percentage of people that get in EA is higher than the pecentage of people that get in regular, at least from what I've seen. Don't let this fool you- it basically coincides with the fact that people that apply EA are really interested in attending and tend to be very qualified for admission, and very few apply EA "just for fun".</p>
<p>Statistically, last year there was no difference (both had 40% admit rates). This year, EA was about 38% and they're expecting the overall admit rate to be about 37%, so EA will probably be 35.5-36%.</p>
<p>The difference, then, is much less pronounced than it is at a school like Cornell, which accepts almost twice as many in the ED round.</p>
<p>I think the Chicago admissions office has a real preference for people who can substantiate their (real) feelings about why Chicago a school they really like. There was an interesting article in the Maroon about how lots of NE prepschool students are applying to Chicago because it's admit rate is higher than the Ivy League, and this year it was USNWR's #9 (ahead of Brown, Cornell, Northwestern, JHU - schools that are more similarly or more selective). The school, then, must try hard to differentiate between the students who are applying for the right reasons, and those who are applying for the wrong reasons.</p>
<p>This relates to EA in that a typical EA student at Chicago values the school more than any of the ED-offering Ivys or SCEA-offering H/Y/Stanford (and is therefore more likely to matriculate). </p>
<p>This is probably more complicated than you need to think about. If there's no school that you love that has ED or SCEA, then apply EA to Chicago (or, of course, if Chicago is your first choice).</p>
<p>You are forgetting about defferees! If the EA admit rate is 38% and RD is 36%, one could say that there's not much of a difference statistically. But since about 15% of those deferred EA (about 1/3 of those applying EA are deferred) get in RD, that kicks up the EA admit rate to 43%. Since this has a smaller upward effect on the "true" RD admit rate, you should be comparing a 37/38% RD admit rate to a 43% admit rate. It doesn't have that big of an effect, and you can debate why the difference is there, but the numbers are still there. IMHO, applying EA demonstrates your interest in the school that RD kids will have to convey better in essays. Also, and this is huge: if you are deferred, you get a chance to redeem yourself! Unless you are someone who isn't going to get in anyways (ie would be rejected EA), you basically get TWO shots!</p>
<p>Dude yea! Deferral rocks! I will get to read not only one disheartening deferral letter, but later a rejection letter as well! So beautiful. I want to go there..</p>
<p>You're so optimistic, Notsomuch.</p>
<p>Wow. No wonder you're so sure you're going to get rejected!</p>
<p>EA gives you a complete peace of mind. The last few months has been a glide through high school, and finally I can really enjoy everything about it. It's really great not to have college to worry about!</p>
<p>I'd like to think EA people are cooler, but that's just my opinion.</p>
<p>There was a huge debate about this question a while ago, on this thread</p>
<p>But if you're not interested in that mumbo jumbo, I completely recommend applying EA, just because that's what all the cool kids do. Unbiased opinion, here :)</p>
<p><em>passes the pen</em> yea, it's just a one time thing. What could it hurt? You'll like it.</p>
<p>well i really wanna go to chicago. right now its a tie with cornell but i saw somewhere on that thread that i have a better chance getting in regular so now i dont know what to do</p>
<p>If you are going to ace your senior classes- then apply regular.</p>