<p>So everyone always talks about how applying early is better because the admittance rate is higher etc. but is it really?</p>
<p>My university placement advisor at school said that is all a misconception. It is true that the admittance rate is higher for ED but she also said that the pool is MUCH more competitive. So, the ratio of places to applicants in ED s lower than the ratio of places to applicants in RD, but the applicants applying to ED are all very qualified. </p>
<p>Also, I heard that rarely does one get accepted RD after they have been deffered in ED? </p>
<p>Can somone clear this up? Is it beneficial to apply ED or RD?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>1) ED is good if you’re a legacy or a recruited athlete as ivies seek to secure those kids early for institutional purposes (alumni donors on the one hand, and the thing about bringing in athletes regular is that they might not attend, but will attend if they are admitted early).
2) ED is good if you love columbia, have testing and gpa to match, and can strongly and fully explain your interest in columbia as being genuine. that is to say - you don’t need to be a true rockstar, but you’re strong. it is the genuine interest in columbia that helps you.</p>
<p>3) ED is not good for someone who just wants to apply early to a school, as the top two groups tend to be the majority of the applicant pool and the majority of those that get admitted. Also, as pwoods describes - you can love columbia and another school and apply ED to columbia, so it is not as if you have to have only one love, but i know a fair number of kids that applied ED to schools that they couldn’t even tell you where the school was located.</p>
<p>4) if you’re a rockstar, you could be admitted RD, but few folks are rockstars. </p>
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<p>so the question is usually are you a 2 or a 3. if you’re a 3, then applying ED is not really an advantage. your chance of admission probably is as small as applying RD.</p>
<p>of the folks that get deferred, my guess is the vast majority are 2s that might need just a bit more to push them over. columbia officially says that it is as difficult to be deferred and admitted than just applying RD; so there is no difference (i don’t know if i buy that, but that’s the company line). and i’ve known a fair share of deferred students that have been admitted. perhaps having first term grades come in, more awards will help those kids. but it is hard to be admitted RD anyhow (we’re talking 6% for the college, like 8-9% for SEAS).</p>
<p>You’re asking a very cliched questioned, whatever.</p>