<p>My number one school is G'Town SFS, with Columbia as a #2.</p>
<p>I wanted to maximize my chances of getting into atleast one of the schools, what's the wisest way to use the early admission "card"?</p>
<p>ED Columbia has a ~20% rate vs 5.4% rate in RD round - and generally ED acceptance boosts admissions chances significantly more than EA chances.</p>
<p>G'Town's EA percentage is actually lower than it's RD round because it's non-binding and non-restrictive. I figured, however, that I'd have a better chance of admission if I got infront of the adcom twice. </p>
<p>Opinions on how to maximize my chances for acceptance to either school using early admissions?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Obviously your highest chance is Columbia ED, but you said it yourself, Columbia is your number two school. Don’t apply ED to a school unless it is your number one choice. Apply to Georgetown EA, you want to go there more.</p>
<p>^then there is the distinct possibility I get into neither.</p>
<p>your issue is your cum GPA and medical dx.</p>
<p>You might repost on the Parent’s Board and ask if any of them had children with an undiagnosed condition that led to a spike in GPA, and how they handled it with college apps.</p>
<p>My guess, and its only a guess, is that Adcoms will want to see senior year grades of ~4.0 to get comfortable that Jr year was not a fluke.</p>
<p>@HeliosToWin Statistically there is a good chance that you will get rejected by both regardless…</p>
<p>Isn’t that obvious? If I was likely for both, this wouldn’t be a question.</p>
<p>The question is how to maximize the chances of admission to either school.</p>
<p>You can’t judge the numbers like you are. You have to think about the type of people that would apply ED to Columbia. Obviously asa group they’re going to be more qualified than the random throngs of people RD. Just like Harvard’s EA rate is so high.</p>
<p>My friend made a dumb mistake like this - he had his first choice school but applied somewhere else SCEA instead (top choice was ED) and ended up not getting into either. I really think he had a great chance at the ED school.</p>
<p>Don’t apply to game the system. Apply to Georgetown EA.</p>
<p>Just because Columbia has a 20% ED acceptance rate doesn’t mean anything. They still judge you by the same standard, so contrary to popular belief, it is NOT easier to get in ED than RD. The rate for ED at all those top schools is inflated because, A) All the recruited athletes apply ED, and B) Most of the other people who apply ED are more qualified than the overall applicant pool, and they know it (that’s why they do it!).</p>
<p>There’s a really good book about Ivy League admissions, it’s called “A is for Admission”. It’s written by a former Dartmouth admissions officer, I would highly recommend checking it out on Amazon. :)</p>
<p>I’m applying EA to SFS too and RD to Columbia. All the best! :D</p>