ED at other schools or RD at all?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
1

<p>Hey, I'm a junior and am very interested in Duke. After hearing about the record-setting number of applicants this year, I realized that the acceptance rate won't go anywhere but down. Duke is definitely a top school for me, and I would love it there. I KNOW that I want to pursue pre-med, and Duke has great resources for that. </p>

<p>However, I don't know if I should apply to Duke ED or RD next year. Here's the situation: my stats are pretty good... not AMAZING, but very respectable. If I applied to Duke RD, that would give me a chance to apply to Harvard as well. If I got into Harvard, there's no doubt that I would go there. However, if I got rejected by Harvard but accepted by Duke, Northwestern, Penn, etc. there is no doubt that I would pick Duke. </p>

<p>So basically... is it worth it for me to even try Harvard? They are super competitive in their admissions and I don't know if I would even stand out enough to gain acceptance. The chances are super slim, but there's still a chance. And if I end up choosing RD, then my chances for Duke go way down too... I'm puzzled. Please help!</p>

2

<p>

They sound like contradictory statements to me.</p>

<p>I’d say go ED to Duke. Don’t sell your heart out just for prestige. You’ll get in and be happy at Duke, but will most likely get rejected by Harvard (as do 93% of applicants).</p>

<p>If you’re applying to Harvard just for the prestige, forget about it. Go with your heart (Duke) :)</p>