<p>Hello I am Sarthak from India.
I am confused about where to apply early- Stanford or Cornell. I have got a 2240 in my SAT:
740 Maths
740 CR
760 Writing
I have given the SAT subject tests ( physics chemistry and maths level 2) and am positive I will get 750+ in each.</p>
<p>I don't come from a very wealthy background and so I face two choices : either studying abroad in US or studying in my home country. I very much want to study abroad but if I fail to get a good scholarship, I will have to do my bachelor's degree in my home country and then go abroad for master's. Now the thing that is confusing me is that Cornell has Early Decision, which means as long as they provide a good enough scholarship, I cannot turn them down if I apply there in Early Decision. Cornell is a great university for engineering ( which I plan to pursue) but the only thing that is holding me back is the thought that if I get selected, I will have to cancel all other applications, means I will be having some side thoughts like I could have gotten into Stanford or MIT but I will never know now.</p>
<p>The other is Early Action - Stanford. Now getting into Stanford is way tougher than getting into Cornell but if I do get in, it won't be binding. However, my chances in Cornell are higher so I don't know if I would lose my edge of getting into Cornell by applying regular decision there. My ECs are not very great, just some SOF world olympiads, FTRE - a national level examination, some competitions in my city and that is all. I did however get a 94.8% in my ICSE examination, which is quite good. Also am a class topper in my school.</p>
<p>So I really want advice as to whether I should go for ED Cornell or REA Stanford. Thank you.</p>
<p>Sarthak, though I am not going to answer your question directly, I do have a suggestion. Do your undergrad at one of the IITs (especially in one of the 5 original ones) and then apply for your Masters to Stanford or Cornell. You, most probably, will not even get admission to either of these schools based on the info you have provided (no mention of your school record or ECs). My D had better stats (and with a terrific school record and ECs) and she did not make it to MIT or Stanford. Even if you do get admitted, getting financial aid is highly unlikely.</p>
<p>I am planning to do that if I am unable to get into any of the good universities of US with a good financial aid package. I will at least try to get into them, so need advice with which one to apply in early. Can’t let them go without trying, at least.</p>
<p>They do give financial aid but my main query is should I go ED with a college where my chances are more or EA in a college where my chances are a little less but the college is better. Seeing that ED is binding, I would also like to know if there is any way to refuse to go the college even after getting accepted through ED. Thanks.</p>
<p>You can turn down any ED acceptance if the financials don’t add up. Just make sure you submit the proper FA paperwork, which is likely different for internationals than it is for US students.</p>
<p>Your chance is lowest at Stanford. They have the lowest early acceptance rate. Apply to Princeton if you don’t want to be locked in at Cornell and you can still apply to Stanford RD.</p>
<p>Since you’re sort of taking a chance with this whole process anyway, why not apply where you really most want to attend (sounds like Stanford?) – then you will have really given it your best shot, and no 'what if’s to contend with. If REA at Stanford results in rejection or deferral you still have RD to apply to Cornell, P’ton etc. Don’t ED to Cornell (or anywhere) that you aren’t ready to commit. If you’re already planning to back out, it’s not the right choice. </p>
<p>How about “Need-blind” and “Meets full financial need including international students” colleges? You can search them up and apply ED to your top choice in that list.</p>
<p>How different is EA from RD? Is there a huge difference in competition or just a small one?
I think my chances at Princeton in REA are better than at Stanford but I am kinda leaning towards Stanford as the university I like more. What should I do?</p>
<p>To be totally honest, your stats are not good for either those schools, particularly because you are international.
My kid had better stats than yours and she was rejected from Princeton, her only reach schools. She was waitlisted from MIT. Stanford REA is like throwing your application fee away. Princeton has higher acceptance rate for REA but I don’t think your stats will get your accepted there either. On top of weak ECs and international and so so standardized test scores( for those schools). You can apply but you will waste your application.</p>