Can anyone please help me in deciding between the two? The problem is that I’ve a 2070 on my sat reasoning and due to my APs and other exams, I’ll be able to take sat reasoning not before November. Now the early action deadline at that time would pass for most colleges; so kindly help me decide. And moreover is the acceptance rate difference really valid in the case of the elite schools?
What are the schools are you planning to apply to? Your SAT is a really good score. But if you’re aiming for the IVYs then you’ll have to increase it
Every school is different. You have to do your research. Some say than any bump for early applications is due to athletes and legacies.
Early Action (EA): non binding
Early Decions (ED): binding
Single Choice Early Action (SCEA): non-binding but you cannot apply EA/ED to any other private schools.
It seems from my research that there is more bump with ED schools than EA. Princeton said “there is no strategic advantage to applying SCEA. Apply SCEA if you know you want to attend Princeton and want to know early.”
I would add that whether your need the extra time to strengthen your application is key. Early with lower numbers is bad. Wait and submit a stronger package regular decision.
If you are hoping for any merit scholarships, make sure to check each school’s deadlines. There are schools that require applications be in early, often right around the same date as the EA deadline. If you’re looking only at elite schools - might not be a factor as there will be little or no merit scholarship money.
ED or EA can help demonstrate interest, but elite schools don’t typically track to that. ED is often more of a bump because it gets students to commit earlier, but it does have disadvantages.
I believe that some colleges take SAT scores from November as long as you directly sent it to them (means that you don’t get to see what you get). If you are sure you can do better, this is definitely an option.
I would recommend definitely applying to schools early. If you do early decision, you can also apply early action to as many places as you want. However, if you apply SCEA or REA, be careful, because usually the numbers aren’t much better and you can’t maximize your chances to know where you’re going early.
In elite schools, I’ve heard that most of the admits in early rounds are for athletic recruits and such, so it does not make much of a difference to apply early. There are some schools that do yield a significant difference, but as @Sportsman88 says, this mostly applies to ED rather than REA/SCEA.
So basically, if you’re looking to apply Early Action there’s no real reason not to, unless they don’t take a November SAT or if you’re not so sure if you can do better. (2070 is a great score to be proud of! Don’t let CC tell you otherwise :))
I don’t want to dampen your prospects, but a score of 2070 isn’t likely to be quite high enough for elite schools, unless you have a hook. If you wait until November to retake the new SAT, which is now your only option, you are going to have to study for the new test. I think waiting until November is too late. What if you bomb it? Have you considered taking the ACT instead? Also, bear in mind, not many elite schools offer EA, except for the Single choice EA at Harvard and Yale. Maybe SCEA is offered elsewhere, but as far as I know, EA isn’t usually an option at top colleges. I think you need to study like crazy and take either the ACT in April, or the SAT in June. If you need to improve your score, you have a chance in October.
You are an international vying for elites. Your current score is going to need to be improved. You know that. Take its as early as you can.
SCEA is offered by Princeton but they state no advantage over RD.
Another alternative is applying EA to match/low-reach school with your current scores that you would be fairly happy attending. If admitted you can cross off all less-desirable schools from your list and apply fewer places. It’s a big relief and pressure off to get admitted at least somewhere early. With current scores, it might be best to wait to apply to the more competitive schools.