<p>Just got deferred from Chicago few days ago. I'm strongly considering applying to either Swarthmore or Washington University of St. Louis for ED II, both are intellectual schools that set their students up well for graduate work. </p>
<p>I was just wondering how I might stand in the ED II pool, and if ED II would help my chances (to what degree?)</p>
<p>SAT: 2340
SAT II: 800, 800, 710
AP: English Lang-5, English Lit-5, Macro-5, Biology-5, Env Sci-5, Geog-5, US Hist-5, W.Hist-5, Music Theory-5, Psychology-5, Euro Hist-5, Gov-4, Micro-4
UW:3.42; </p>
<p>Awards(Major):- 3 international website design awards sponsored by Oracle, US Dept of Defense and the United Nations
-Several performances at Rice University's Shephard School and a few performances at Jones Hall-One accompanying Houston Symphony</p>
<p>Recs:I have seen both recs which state I am one of the best few in each teacher's respective career.</p>
<p>Sorry if this is bothersome and intrusive. I am just wondering so I can decide which place would be a better application, since both are almost similarly ranked on my list. Thanks for any help.</p>
<p>Well I had real similar SATs, similar courseload (yours is harder, though I don't know how strong your school is), but your ECs blow mine out of the water. I got deferred ED1, and I'd say you have a better shot than I did. I can't imagine a rejection, I'll put it that way.</p>
<p>Thanks for the comment. I went back through the posts and found your stats. You were/are a very strong applicant still. The only problem is the secondary report for me. Do SATs/APs offset some poor school grades?</p>
<p>thatindiandude,
Swarthmore and Wash U. seem like quite different schools to me. Are you really sure enough about what type of school you are looking for to put in an ED application? As I am sure you have heard, grades are very important to Swarthmore. You certainly seem to have excellent standardized test scores, but I don't know what you mean by "poor school grades." Of course, you would have to demonstrate a real passion for Swarthmore in your essays. Best of luck with whatever your decision is.</p>
<p>mom: the reason i'm interested in both schools is because of their very intellectual campuses, and emphasis on learning rather than pure prestiege. My first choice school was Chicago, and I was deferred. I applied ED to Brown and was accepted to PLME, but they provided very, very little financial aid and the admissions office has allowed me to apply elsewhere to seek comparisons. Both Swat and Wash U. offer great aid.</p>
<p>One thing I'm unsure about is that I applied for Swat's Discovery Weekend, and was not accepted. =/ Was that an early sign that this not the place for me?</p>
<p>
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My first choice school was Chicago, and I was deferred. I applied ED to Brown and was accepted to PLME, but they provided very, very little financial aid and the admissions office has allowed me to apply elsewhere to seek comparisons.
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</p>
<p>I don't understand? If Chicago was your first choice, why did you apply binding early decision to Brown?</p>
<p>There is every reason to shop financial aid packages, but I'm scratching my head why you would apply binding ED if aid was an issue? To get out of your commitment to Brown because of financial aid and then turn around and apply binding EDII to another school is particularly troublesome to me. Seems like that's being dishonorable to the commitment you made to Brown?</p>
<p>IMO, if you are financially able to honor your end of an ED bargain, then you owe it to Brown to enroll there. If you are not able to honor your end of the Brown ED commitment, then how can you justify making a binding ED commitment to either Swarthmore or UWash?</p>
<p>Now, I'm really confused. In addition to your ED acceptance to Brown, you have also written on this board regarding your acceptances last year as a junior that "I got into UPenn, Cal Tech, UMichigan, Rice, and the Juilliard School."</p>
<p>I guess my question would be, if you already have acceptances from Brown (binding ED), UPenn, CalTech, UMichigan, Rice, and Julliard, why were jerking UChicago around? And, why would you consider jerking UWash or Swat around with an ED application that you may or may not have any intention of honoring?</p>
<p>If you don't really have as many admissions "pelts on the wall" as you claim, then how about shooting straight with us about what you are looking for?</p>
<p>Ah, too much. But basically, here's how it goes: I applied ED to Brown because I had already auditioned at Brown and the music professor listening to me told me he would be able to get me a great financial aid package. As I ED'd to Brown, I EA'd to Chicago because I also really liked the school. I was accepted into Brown, but deferred by Chicago, but Brown offered me little aid. They acknowledged this when I spoke to them, and have allowed me to apply to other schools in the RD round. I was just asking for my chances for Swarthmore so that I might be able to evaluate how my financial options would be here. </p>
<p>I my college list is rather screwed up with no clear cut number ones, twos or threes..just a bunch of schools that I really like, sort of like, and safeties. I applied to Swarthmore Discoverey because from what I heard of the school I really liked it. However, I wasn't accepted, and chose to go to apply Early to the schools I knew and enjoyed.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, it didn't turn out the way I wanted, and I'm here reapplying. I was merely asking for chances, I didn't want to create confusion. And I already told Brown I feel guilty for doing this, but the my regional admissions offier and one of the evaluaters for PLME both told me this was perfectly agreeable by them. </p>
<p>Sorry for the long response. I just needed to explain myself. Sorry for all the confusion, idad, i'm just a bit flustered/dejected after the low finaid offer and the Chicago deferral that I"m seeking a bunch of different avenues. Thanks, again.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I was just asking for my chances for Swarthmore so that I might be able to evaluate how my financial options would be here.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>We can't evaluate your financial "options" at Swarthmore. It's a need-based aid school. So any financial aid package would be based on your financial aid forms....just like at Brown. It's conceivable that Swarthmore could look at the same forms and arrive at a different number, but how would any of us be able to predict that?</p>
<p>I don't mean to challenge you or anything. But, the idea of getting a release from an ED commitment for financial reasons and then turning around and submitting another binding EDII application really sticks in my craw. I'm all for "gaming" the system, but that's just flat out dishonorable.</p>
<p>idad, I was not trying to game the system. I legitimately considered Brown would provide adaquete financial aid for me. The only reason I am even considering Swarthmore ED II is because I hear from friends who attend(ed) there that they were given tremendous aid. Otherwise, I would not apply.</p>
<p>This similar to the situation that happened last year. I applied as a junior and got into UPenn, however the finaid offer they provided was not at all good, so I had to defer(nonbinding) matriculation. </p>
<p>Honestly, I'm not trying to game the system, and I'm not asking for evaluation of my financial options. I was just asking, basically, for my chances at Swarthmore. Nothing more, nothing less. I feel bad that you think that's what I'm doing, when in actuality, I'm looking for the best place for me that will provide my family the greatest ability to finance a college education. Sorry for the extended misunderstanding, and I completely understand your position. </p>
<p>Please remember that my posting Swarthmore's ED II as opposed to regular was just to see the difference ED II would make as opposed to regular. Primarily, I just want to see my chances at Swarthmore. Thanks again.</p>
<p>I guess no further responses are necessary on this thread. I had a lapse in judgement when making the post, and have created confusion and irritated some qualified posters. Sorry for the misunderstanding, but thanks for the advice, idad,descant, mom and njpitcher. Appreciate it.</p>
<p>It sounds as if financial aid is a major consideration. Furthermore, from Brown's offer, it sounds as if your family does not qualify for sufficient need-based aid.</p>
<p>If that is the case, then you need to focus your search on schools offering substantial merit aid and where you will be at the top of their applicant pool. That is generally the best strategy for higher-income applicants looking for the best financial aid.</p>
<p>I came into this conversation late, but:
My son goes to Swarthmore and he has a close friend at Wash U. Wash U's look-and-feel is absolutely not the same as Swat. Wash U is very good for medical sciences and lifesciences but they are not similar in any way.</p>
<p>i was just wondering, if a person posts frequently on cc and they claim that they got accepted to brown, would it be likely that they post on the brown forum that they got accepted ed or is it more likely that they would post on the cornell forum that they were rejected by cornell?</p>
<p>Yes. I was curious about his getting accepted to Brown ED, but never having posted on the Brown forum.</p>
<p>As near as I can piece it together, Indiandude simultaneously applied binding ED to Brown, binding ED to Cornell, non-binding EA to Chicago, and now wants to apply binding EDII to Swarthmore or (and?) UWash.</p>
<p>If that is really the case and he is sending applications in direct violation of the terms of the ED process, he is playing with fire. I have my doubts because ED applications usually require the signature of a guidance counselor to ensure that students understand the commitment they are making with an ED application.</p>
<p>my take is that there was no brown application, no upenn caltech, umich, julliard acceptance. no 2390 sat score, possible 3.4 gpa, maybe lower and no credibility whatsoever.</p>
<p>what i predict is a selective school shutout because once conell, the easiest ivy to get into, falls, and uchi and their 40% acceptance rate falls, we're talking freefall into the second or third tier.</p>