I know a lot of the class is admitted ED this year, but how helpful do you think it is? And does ED 1 vs ED 2 make a big difference?
bump?
I don’t think anyone can really answer that. There are too many variables from year to year and application to application and of course we’re not in admissions. You can look at the stats which are posted and come up with your own theory. My personal theory based on watching what happened to my S’s friends when they applied to highly selective, smaller schools (not just Wes): The ones who were QUALIFIED and applied ED tended to get in ED. The ones who were qualified and applied regular, sometimes got in and sometimes didn’t (a slightly higher randomness factor I ascribe to the fact the school was now trying to “build” a class and had already filled the allotted slots for tuba players, or standup comedians, or whatever…), but that still left them with good choices since certainly many schools they were qualified for accepted them in regular admissions. The ones who were not qualified, didn’t tend to get in ED or regular. Notice use of word, “tended.” Mileage varies. (See opening disclaimer.)
@WellOkay the best answer you can get is probably by watching the Wesleyan Google Hangout “Applying to Wes-Admissions and Financial Aid” at 20 minutes and 35 seconds into the video: https://plus.google.com/events/cokpo3437jn4fjj934tmlcj0m1s
straight from the admissions officers mouth. Good Luck!
From their last common data set: 367 ED admits out of 821 applicants. That’s 44%, or roughly double their normal admittance rate. So yeah, it helps – a bunch. No idea about ED1 vs ED2.
ED (not specifically at Wes, but overall at selective schools) actually doesn’t really help - it’s a false premise based on the higher acceptance rate. Most people applying ED are either athletic recruits, legacies, or stronger-than-average applicants (and are therefore more likely to be admitted in the first place). However, it can’t hurt either (as the class isn’t being “built” as much in ED vs. RD) but just recognize that the numbers are misleading (though if you’re qualified, as another poster mentioned, you’ll likely be admitted regardless). If you think Wes might be your #1, go for it!
Just wondering why posters who comment on ED generally seem to ignore the Harvard/Kennedy study, which indicated, essentially directly, that ED helps a lot, even after controls for relevant factors were included. Is it because the study is regarded as no longer applicable because of significant changes in recent years?