ED (good shot) vs. RD (lower my chances, but gives me chance to get full-tuition elsewhere)

Applying to College
1

I think I have a good chance getting in ED at the school I like (not really relevant, but it’s Penn). However, if I apply there RD, I will be able to try for a super-hard-to-get full-tuition merit-based scholarship from Vanderbilt, and I’ll get the chance to see if I get into Stanford or not (not positive about what I would choose with Stanford vs. Penn, but I would definitely choose full-tuition at Vandy over going to Penn). What should I do? Apply ED to Penn and be pretty confident I’ll get in, or apply RD and lower my chances of getting into Penn, but also give myself the opportunity to get full-tuition to Vanderbilt (which, once again, is extremely unlikely) and to get into Stanford (also, obviously, extremely unlikely)?

2

Why would you be confident about getting into Penn, ED or otherwise?

3

@ucbalumnus That’s a good point, but pretty irrelevant in terms of answering my question. Please just assume it is valid for me to be confident I will get in there. Once again, I don’t see how that impacts an answer to my question, though. Guess I should’ve done the “School A, School B, School C” thing.

4
  1. How much does cost matter? It looks like it matters, since you want that full ride at Vanderbilt, but would Penn or Stanford be affordable?
  2. It looks like Penn is not really your first choice.
  3. Do you have a real safety that you are 100% certain of admission and affordability?
5

@ucbalumnus Thank you for the reply.

  1. OK, cost matters to some extent. Penn and Stanford would both be affordable, and my family will be able to pay what either of those schools ask. I would take the full-tuition scholarship to Vanderbilt because it would leave a lot of money to go to grad school and would take somewhat of a financial burden (like I said my family can afford the others, but obviously it is more pleasant to pay 0 tuition than whatever tuition Penn or Stanford offered) off of my family and Vanderbilt is of course a great university.
  2. The dual-degree program I'm applying to at Penn is my first choice, but if I didn't get that and was offered admission to a single school at Penn, I am not 100% sure it would be my first choice. I would have to think about Penn vs. Stanford. Does what you think the right decision is change based on my answer to this question? If so, please tell me your opinion assuming Penn is my absolute first choice and then assuming Stanford beats it.

Thinking about it now, actually, I guess Vanderbilt full-tuition would technically be my “first choice” even though I absolutely like Penn better than Vanderbilt.

  1. Yes.

Sorry if this response is confusing. Please let me know if I need to clarify anything.