<p>The past couple of months I was pretty set on applying to Yale SCEA as well as some elite publics. Recently, though, I've been considering to Harvard SCEA. I like Yale slightly more than Harvard because it's more laid back and social IMO (based on my campus visits). Why I'm considering the switch:
1. I've heard that while SCEA at Yale isn't really an advantage because of the stronger pool, Harvard actually gives a slight boost.
2. Harvard also gives a slight boost to Massachusetts residents, which I am.
3. Finally, I've heard that applying early to a school can help you in the regular round, as it gives you experience in the application game, so you can adjust your essays, help your ECs, etc.
Thoughts?</p>
<p>SCEA gives a slight boost at both schools, but looking at admission numbers, it is clear that the effect is larger at Harvard. </p>
<p>Also, getting deferred does not increase your chance. In fact, it makes it worse, as a deferment is nothing more than a soft rejection.</p>
<p>I know people who were deferred at both Yale and Harvard and then got in.</p>
<h1>3 makes no sense</h1>
<p>@Brownparent - if you read #2 the poster refers to an EA deferral as a “soft rejection”. I have not found that to be the case, as least from people in my town as I know people who were deferred EA from Yale and Harvard (the two schools in question in this post) and were then accepted in the RD cycle. Therefore, I do no not believe that an EA deferral is a soft rejection, rather that they are holding the application to consider with the full pool of applicants. Hope that clarifies my comment.</p>
<p>I wasn’t really clear on #3. I wasn’t talking about the same school. I was referring more to applying Harvard early, and then using that experience to help in the process for Yale. I’ve seen some posters here say that applying SCEA was very helpful for them in the RD round.</p>
<h1>3 makes perfect sense. Georgetown does the same thing</h1>
<h1>3 makes sense as anecdotal information, but is not a direct answer to your question.</h1>
<p>I think you are just over thinking this whole thing. The problem is that these schools have tons of exceedingly well qualified candidates not all of whom will gain admission. I’m not sure what “experience” you will gain from one SCEA application that would help you in this process. By the time you hear back form your SCEA school in December, you won’t have the time to totally revamp your application, nor will be able to change your extracurriculars. In addition, you will never know exactly what your SCEA school liked or didn’t like about your application. You could be changing your essays or putting a different emphasis on your extracurriculars when those things might have been deemed the strongest part of your application. And if you want college interview experience, you can go to more of a safety school before you interview at either school. </p>
<p>IMO just pick one and apply SCEA — I’d opt to apply my top choice as my SCEA school but if you think there is a measurable advantage for you applying SCEA to Harvard and you are willing to wait to hear back from Yale, then by all means use it at Harvard.</p>
<p>The Massachusetts boost you think you are seeing at Harvard may not be a state issue, but a reflection of the huge numbers of highly qualified faculty and staff children who happen to live in Massachusetts.</p>
<p>
I think so too haha. School hasn’t even started and the college application process is already stressing me out. I think I’m just going to apply to Yale early since it is my first choice. Thanks for the advice everyone!</p>