<p>Smith is my first choice and I am sure this is where I want to go. My question is will Early Decision give me a better chance of getting in?</p>
<p>Because if it doesn't then I will try to raise my GPA and apply regular decision.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>If your GPA is a little weak its better to apply Early Decision, especially if you’re certain you want to attend, it general applying ED raises your chances.</p>
<p>At the same time, if you’re in desperate need of Financial Aid, it might be better to wait until regular decision. That way you’ll be able to compare financial aid packages from various schools. However, Smith does promise to meet 100% of your demonstrated aid.</p>
<p>My D applied ED and got in with a good financial aid offer however I don’t know if it lessens your chance of getting one of the STRIDE type scholarships. You will also have your first quarter grades from senior year to send so if those shoe improvement it should help. There is also the ED 2 option. It was nice for my D to know in dec that she was in.</p>
<p>ED applicants have a very slightly higher acceptance rate than RD applicants, but really only because it is a self-selecting pool. The people that choose to apply ED tend to mostly be very good fits for Smith, so that ups their percentages slightly. So really, you get no distinct advantage from applying early. </p>
<p>If financial aid is not huge factor for you, and you’re positive Smith is good for you, I would go ahead and apply ED, but keep trying to lift your grades. Best case, you get accepted. Worst case, they roll you into the RD applicant pool because they want to wait and see how you do grade-wise by the mid-year point. If you’re sure Smith is your first choice, you don’t gain or lose much by applying ED. </p>
<p>As for merit aid, I’m sure that officially it doesn’t lessen your chances, but I don’t know anyone who applied ED who also got a STRIDE. They give out so few STRIDE scholarships that I think logically they save them to sweeten the deal for the people they really want to lure, rather than give them to ED students who are a sure bet. Of course, that’s not to say that a really exceptional ED candidate might not get a STRIDE, but you would probably have to be <em>really</em> exceptional, like “I’m working on a cure for rare juvenile bone cancers in my spare time” exceptional. Again though, this is just my speculation sussing this out, take it with a grain of salt.</p>
<p>ED acceptance is 16% higher (64%) than the total acceptance rate of 48%</p>
<p>Obviously, the RD acceptance percentage is lower than 48%</p>
<p>I think I will apply Early Decision, then…I also want to play field hockey there, do you think that will up my chances as well?</p>
<p>Talk to the field hockey coach if you haven’t already. She may be able to help you some. When I applied I was talking to both the crew and lacrosse coaches and my interactions with them were great and made me like Smith even more (though I don’t think they helped with my admissions)</p>
<p>Definitely talk to the field hockey coach. Most coaches submit a wishlist of players they’d like to have for the team. While it won’t get you in by itself, being on such a list may give you a boost.</p>
<p>Thanks so much! I’m so nervous- I want to go to smith so badly!</p>
<p>At Smith it will. I read somewhere that the ED acceptance rate was double that of the RD one a few years ago. As Smith as become more selective, there probably still isn’t that radical a gap now, but since a good amount of RD accepted students don’t enroll, Smith will try to “lock up” as many students early as they can without compromising RD spots too much.</p>
<p>But remember that it’s binding! If this is a problem (ex. money is a huge issue), if you got in ED, you’ll probably get in RD.</p>
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<p>Never was ED acceptance double, or close, RD at any seven (five) sister college.</p>