<p>of course not, but GPA/SAT correlate strongly enough with odds of admission, that as they increase, so do the odds.</p>
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<p>I highly doubt any GPA/SAT score combo has a 30% admission rate regardless</p>
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<p>the <em>overall</em> ED acceptance rate is around 30%. clearly, there are particular GPA/SAT combinations that exceed this average.</p>
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<p>because it's much harder for RD applicants to gain admission than for similarly qualified ED applicants. the disparity might be tolerable if, like penn, princeton and others admitted that applying early confers the advantage that it does. but they actually insist otherwise, so tens of thousands of highly interested applicants apply RD instead of ED and face severely lower odds.</p>
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<p>It costs the same to apply ED as it does to apply RD, and the financial aid you get will be virtually the same however a candidate is admitted.</p>
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<p>"virtually" is the key qualifier. an ED admit does not have the ability to use competing aid offers as bargaining chips to lower his ED school's own offer. although schools insist that they only "reconsider" their calculations in light of new information, what they actually do is match offers made by their peers, so as not to lose their admits. in this way, ED is unfair to ED applicants. it's outweighed, i think, by the unfairness to RD applicants.</p>
<p>The bottom line is that stat for stat it is ALWAYS easier for ANY early applicant to get in early at virtually ANY school (except maybe MIT) than it is applying RD.</p>
<p>Whether you WANT to apply early is another question - requiring consideration of other factors such as: </p>
<p>(1) financial risk, since binding ED admits don't get a chance to shop for the best aid deal,</p>
<p>(2) the willingness to "settle" for a binding ED school which is good but not your first choice in order to increase your odds of admission, or, </p>
<p>(3) conversely, the willingness to "gamble" the ED (or SCEA) card on your dream school, despite the odds, on the ground that your chances are, at least, better than they would be RD.</p>
<p>(4) and finally, a binding ED admit simply loses the chance to change his or her mind after maturing and changing his or her outlook between September and May of senior year. Many people change their mind about which they like best after visiting several schools to which they have been admitted. That's why schools have admitted student visiting days.</p>
<p>The only "non-strategic" applicants for whom ED or SCEA always make sense are those applying to their one and only "dream school."</p>
<p>Again, whether its easier to get in early is a college-by-college thing. I can tell you for a definite fact that it is much harder to get into the University of Chicago early than it is regular. The early pool is just a lot stronger, period. Im sure schools like CalTech and MIT are similar in that regard. Thats why I advise talking to students at the schools you are looking at and asking them how they went about the application process.</p>
<p>You must be one of those persons, because the rest of this debate was clearly regarding only the topic. If you want to make it personal that is your prerogative. Say something relevant or dont say anything at all.</p>
<p>I will say something relevant: scottie and others have tried to tell you the facts of life about binding ED, SCEA admit rates etc., with citations, and for reasons that are unclear, you stubbornly refuse to accept those facts.</p>
<p>I am providing a different point-of-view. That is the purpose of a public forum. I am not refusing anything, and if you read any of the previous posts you should have realized that. Again you try to debase me, and it will not work.</p>
<p>Your response when facts are presented to you, with citations, by scottie. speaks for itself. No wonder he has given up trying to set you straight. Now I will similarly retire from the field, allowing you to present your "point of view."</p>
<p>I don't see the point of trying to play the system anyway. I did not apply early to Princeton because I wasn't set on going there; I didn't want to bind myself to a school that early in the process. One of my good friends did apply early. He was dead set on Princeton, and a very strong candidate. He got deferred, and then rejected. It happens. The system is unpredictable for each individual, despite the trends. In short - apply early if you really love Princeton and you are sure you want to go there. Evidence does suggest that it confers a certain advantage, so why not use it? But don't try for that advantage if you're not SURE you want to go to Princeton.</p>