Help Me Decide Where to Apply EA

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>My top 3 colleges at the moment are Stanford, Cornell, and Princeton, respectively. I really feel like if I don't go to one of these schools, I won't be very happy. I'd probably end up going to my state school. So I'm looking into ChemE, and need to decide whether to apply to Cornell ED (33% acceptance) and increase my chances of getting into one of my top 3, or apply to Stanford SCEA and had my acceptance rates be 12%, 10%, and 6%. So I was wondering if you guys could tell me whether it's realistic to shoot for Stanford and gamble, or just hedge my bets with my 2nd choice—Cornell.</p>

<p>GPA: 4.6 weighted, 3.98 unweighted.
6 APs: World History, Gov, Calc BC, Lang, Chem, Psychology. Mostly 5s.
Senior year course load: AP Lit, AP Bio, AP Physics B, Calc 3, Econ.
ACT: 35
SAT IIs: Chemistry: 780 Math II: 800</p>

<p>My essays are decent, but not outstanding. I think my recs are really good.</p>

<p>ECs:
Paid Work: Church Organist
Paid Work: Paper boy
Orchestra: Section Leader, Chamber Orchestra, play in the pit if my local professional theatre, commissioned for weddings and other events.
Engineering Club: Team Leader of RWDC Challenge project. Designed a functional UAV. Design placed 2nd in state.
Boy Scouts: Eagle Scout. Senior Patrol Leader.
Student Council: Parliamentarian.
Tennis: JV/Varsity
Drama: Member of Thespian Society. Played piano for musicals.
Quiz Bowl: Captain.
Jazz Band: Played piano in the jazz band.</p>

<p>Over this summer I did a 6 week research program and I'll use a rec from my mentor and be sending in my abstract. Don't know if this helps.</p>

<p>Thanks for your opinions.</p>

2

<p>I’d say cornell is your best bet since scea isn’t worth the trade off. And if it’s ed you have a good chance of getting in. Make sure finances aren’t a problem since it is binding.</p>

3

<p>“Make sure finances aren’t a problem since it is binding.”</p>

<p>If an ED FA offer is insufficient to support attendance, you can decline the ED acceptance. Here’s the rule:

<a href=“https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/docs/downloadforms/ED_Agreement.pdf[/url]”>https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/docs/downloadforms/ED_Agreement.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>But ED should be attempted only at your by-far number one choice; imagine forever wondering, when you’re unhappy with where you land, if you might have been accepted at your first choice.</p>

4

<p>As vonlost said, if you make it ED, you’re always going to wonder if you could have made it into your dream school. I don’t know if you’re okay dealing with that, as you stand a good shot as any at Stanford!</p>

5

<p>All right. I’d honestly be happy at either Cornell or Stanford. Just a bit more at Stanford. But it would be bad if I didn’t get into either. For various reasons, these are the only three non state schools I’m considering. I dunno haha. Hard decision.</p>

6

<p>I’d ED at a school that, while a reach RD, is reachable.</p>

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<p>if you want to guarantee one of the 3, i would say cornell ed. if you want to take a 50/50 shot i say do the stanford SCEA(my guess is that you will get in). Just saying, if cornell isnt your top choice, dont apply ed to it. good luck!</p>

<p>chance back?
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1541877-list-accurate-i-will-chance-back.html#post16280457[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1541877-list-accurate-i-will-chance-back.html#post16280457&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

8

<p>I think you should ED to Cornell. I’m in pretty much the same boat as you right now with Columbia so I know exactly what you’re thinking. I think Cornell is a reach for you and ED will help your chances (as if low reach/match). I think you show little science interest outside of school for you to be shooed into an Ivy, but your music interest is not a terrible thing. Read my post about Stanford EA (basically it isn’t very helpful to do so). </p>

<p>Please chance back! <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1536047-chances-harvard-stanford-columbia-other-top-universities-2.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1536047-chances-harvard-stanford-columbia-other-top-universities-2.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

9

<p>All right thanks guys</p>