<p>So, in my research I've seen that early action rates are usually higher than regular decision rates. But I'm beginning to question whether they only let in more early action because there are more qualified, prepared candidates? Is it actually hard, when overall stats are higher for early action applicants?</p>
<p>Early Action usually doesn’t improve your chances. The pools are often more self-selecting, leading to a higher admit rate and the perception of lower selectivity.</p>
<p>BillyMc nailed it. Early Decision, on the other hand, can slightly improve chances because you’re committing, but the higher rates are mostly due to the smaller, more qualified applicant pool. It’s still quite difficult to get accepted to an Ivy and the whole HYPSM group with EA, so don’t let the stats fool you.</p>
<p>thats what I thought. Are there any sites that have the average gpas and test scores for EA admits?</p>
<p>^I’m not sure that information is published, though adcoms do say that the ED pools tend to be more homogeneous than the RD pool. ED pools also lack competition from the really tremendous applicants, as they’re more likely to wait for HYPS RD or SCEA, so the average GPAs and SATs are probably a tad lower than the overall pool. For the “average” applicant to a given school, ED can tip the process in your favor.</p>