<p>So I'm debating on whether I should apply to Cornell for early decision on a 3.8 GPA, 700 Math 680 CR or waiting til January and apply with hopefully 750+ in both sections. I know early decision has less requirements but is the better score with a lower acceptance rate better?</p>
<p>Even if you could guarantee a 750+ on both sections, I’d say it’s a tough call. Your SAT scores are certainly on the lower end, but within the admissible range. If Cornell is your top choice, I would probably just do early decision. I’m one of the people on these boards who feel that for quality candidates, ED helps a lot and for borderline candidates it helps a little. If you have a strong essay, good EC’s, and your GPA puts you at/near the top of your class (with a rigorous schedule), I don’t think the SAT is all that much of a concern. However, if your GPA is relatively weak (meaning your class has many people with higher grades/harder classes) and your EC’s are ho-hum, then it may in fact be worth it to score higher on the SAT.</p>
<p>SAT isn’t meaningful for applications unless it is, if you know what I mean. If you are a male applying to Engineering for example, you’d likely want a higher math score…</p>