There are 4-5 people from my school that is doing EA, and I’m the only one who is applying as ED, so I was wondering if Early Decision and Early Action are considered separately from each other (although they are both “Early”).
Absolutely as you have committed while the others have not.
Chances are that you will be the only one admitted, happened several times just like that last year (4-5 apply EA - no admits, 1 applied ED - admit)
@psh1318 - do you have any idea of what happened last year at your school? You can probably piece together the story from Naviance (or whatever college tool you are using) and your GC and that can help you gauge your chances, now that you know how many EA’s vs. EDI’s this year (and assuming that your application is competitive). In my own daughter’s case EDII made the difference as she had been deferred from EA along with everyone else at her school (and there were several in all). She was the only one to switch and the only one accepted, as it turned out. Prior Naviance data for that high school is consistent with this outcome; the big question would have been which ONE (if any) to admit. There were definitely a few others who were major contenders. However, it turned out that D’s willingness to commit distinguished her from the rest and gave her the edge.
I think that if you have stronger or around the same stats as your peers and wrote some killer essays, you’ll probably get admitted over the EAs!
i am SO scared by this as well…around 10-15 people from my high school are EAing to UChicago, but I’m the only ED. I believe last year from my school no one applied ED and only 1 person was accepted EA; I go to school in New Jersey. anyone know what do my chances look like?
Hard to say, @friendfiend. All else equal, ED gives you the edge, of course, but other factors are in play such as stats, fit, essays, and the size of the applicant pool(s). One thing that anecdotally appears consistent is the large number of EA applicants relative to ED, if you and OP are correctly observing the choices at your respective schools. Do you have additional info. such as how many applied EA last year at your school, whether anyone switched to EDII, why that one EA was admitted (hook of some kind)? That might give you some idea of how it will play out this year. Last year UChicago accepted twice as many EDI’s as EA’s despite what looked to be a smaller EDI pool (at least based on the Early Results thread), which obviously threw a significant advantage to the binding option. And reports are that they chose at least 50% more binding than non-binding overall. So it’s reasonable to think they will throw the advantage again to EDI and EDII, (2:1? 1.5:1?) as long as “quality” hasn’t changed.
It seems that in last year’s round about 60% of total UChicago admits and over 80% of the enrolled class of 2021 were ED (see this post and #100 on the same thread: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/20906027/#Comment_20906027) - draw your own conclusions…
ED is the move to make to increase your odds, but there’s no guarantee they’ll use it the same way they did last year. It was a new policy then and presumably they’re still working out the kinks. Good luck to you both!
@JBStillFlying around 10-15 (Same as this year) applied EA last year, and the one EA accepted had legacy through her aunt & uncle (she also had great stats, I’m sure). No one switched to ED II, and 4 others were accepted in the RD pool (~30-40 RD applicants from my school). I go to a magnet public high school in the East Coast, so we usually have ~5 UChicago acceptances per year.
@friendfiend if your appication is competitive then hopefully the ED will give you a lock on an early acceptance - but if each year about 1/3 of your school’s early applicants gets in eventually then you are already facing enviable odds even w/o the ED. 
Sorry I didn’t ask this earlier but what % of your school’s acceptances actually attend UChicago? If, for instance, only two of those five commit every year, then including the ED acceptance will raise the yield from your school - something that every regional counsellor wants to happen. That’s a very specific way that ED can help you.
My son goes to a rural public school in North Florida. He is the only National Merit Semi Finalist in his school and the only one that will be applying to U of Chicago. Would this work in his favor for EA application? He is also applying to Florida State University and they will give him a complete scholarship if he gets National Merit Finalist so he doesn’t want to go ED and have to give up the possibility of a full ride in state. I think his application is competitive (34 ACT, 1470 SAT) 3.98 unweighted and 4.39 weighted.
@okeydokeypokey My information is way out of date, but it used to be the case that Chicago was on the alert for promising kids who came from less well-travelled places - such as the southern states, such as small towns or the actual countryside. I believe those kids had an edge as against urban kids and kids from private schools, all other things being equal. That was my case, many many years ago. Others on this board will be better informed than me as to the present situation, but there seems little doubt that if your son really really wants to go to the U of C he would be well advised to apply ED. Chicago needs bright kids from the hinterlands, so as an alumnus I hope he does that, but, whether or not he does, I hope he makes it there in some way. That will be good both for him and the University. Easy for me to say, but don’t let the financial part of it bulk too large in your thinking if your son is really set on going to Chicago.
ED only makes sense if UChicago will be affordable. May be no problem for families with very low or very high HHI, but if you’re in the middle, crunch the numbers before you choose ED over EA.
When dropping D17 off at Move-In, I definitely noticed a decent representation from “flyover country” as well as the large urban areas. It was great to see so many smart kids from all over the place. A competitive applicant and (hopefully) NMF from rural FL will definitely have an edge not just at UChicago but other places as well. @okeydokeypokey, my bias leans toward your son finding his place at UChicago! My daughter was in the same situation - as an NMF she basically had tuition covered at her state flagship (UMN so comparable to FSU in terms of overall ranking and prestige) and was accepted into one of their more competitive colleges as well as the honors program. I’d say if NMF money is part of your college decision at this point do not apply EDI - stick with EA for now and see where it gets him. If deferred, he can always switch over to EDII and try from that angle (should he change his mind and decide UChicago is his #1). Make sure to talk to FA and work with the online net cost calculator before signing any binding agreement.
UChicago is going to be more expensive than FSU - perhaps by a lot - but there is also a huge difference between the two institutions. Has he visited yet?
Thank you all for the encouraging words. We have not visited yet, but you should have seen him light up when he received the t-shirt they sent. He is a pretty studious, serious student and an introvert. I think the atmosphere at Chicago is more his style than a large football weekend party school. However, FSU has a great College of Music and he is pretty serious about continuing to play (alto sax) and FSU offers his two loves of both Physics and Music.
Our income is OK for our area, but not private school income, so we do need to take all that into consideration.
Ha - my kid did NOT get a tee-shirt and she was deferred from EA. And some kids who did get tee’s last year were accepted. Wondering if we can read the “tee” leaves and predict a good outcome LOL 
@okeydokeypokey UChicago’s dept. of music is not going to be comparable to a school of music in terms of offerings (for instance, no performance specialization). A student can certainly replicate a conservatory experience with a music major and membership in some of the ensembles. A lot depends on whether he wants to go whole-hog with a dual degree - B.Mus and BA/BS (Physics) - which would suggest FSU, or is satisfied with the BA - double major physics and music - which would suggest UChicago as an option (though he could do the same at FSU of course). UChicago’s rep. in physics speaks for itself. For music, you specialize in composition or theory or history (or more than one? not sure) and then join an ensemble as a co-curricular activity.
The advantage of the BA-double major at UChicago is that he’s out in four years and only has to satisfy one set of college requirements as opposed to two (one from the college where the physics dept. is located, the other from the college of Music). The disadvantage is that he’s not in a “real” conservatory and that might manifest itself in terms of lack of support for instruction etc. (not sure about that, however - it bears checking out).
My S19 is facing this decision as well. He’s leaning toward something like Beinen at NU and combining a music degree with something from their college of arts and sciences.
Here is a NYTimes piece from May which tabulates for some 170 colleges the average annual “net price” (i.e. gross cost less scholarships) for kids described as “mid. income”:
The figure for UChicago is $9,000, which is less than or comparable to that for most other schools, including many state schools (the University of Texas is $15,000; the University of Florida is $8,000). Only the most well-endowed of the ivies are by this measure significantly cheaper than Chicago (Harvard $5,000, Princeton $6,000).
Of course these are averages, but if they are at all applicable to your situation, @okeydokeypokey , the cost of a Chicago education might not be as daunting as at first blush the sticker price appears to make it. If your son has made U of C his first choice, applying ED would certainly give him an edge in realizing on that dream. If accepted, he ought to be prepared to do his own part in funding some of the additional cost, if any, through part-time or summer work - something I myself did throughout my college years and which I count as a real part of my education.
Though desirable, that might not however be necessary: the admissions policy at the University is “needs blind”, which means that once a kid is accepted, the University supplies such assistance as is reasonable in the circumstances of each family in order to make it possible. The Odyssey Scholarship program in particular was created for the specific purpose of relieving students from the necessity of taking loans or working. If, however, the financial package the University offers proves to be insufficient, I understand that that is a basis for further negotiation with them or, in the last analysis, refusal of the acceptance, leaving your son free to pursue RD applications at all other schools in the same way as if the ED application to Chicago had never been made.