Hi
Is there really any solid proof from a credible source that accepted EA applicants have weaker stats than accepted RD applicants. This info can really imply whether or not EA is advantageous.
Thanks.
<p>Not sure about that one. The best thing to do, would be to call the school and ask them about it. It will be hard to get it out of them, but it can be done.</p>
<p>Not EA, but ED. EA is not binding and the stats are generally the same for admitted EA students as admitted RD students. The stats for admitted ED students are generally lower. I've read this in several college guides, but don't have any with me now. </p>
<p>ED was never intended to be an admissions strategy, but once people figured out that it was easier to be accepted under ED, everyone began planning on where to apply ED. The basic principle seems to be people saying that if I don't apply ED somewhere, I won't be able to get in anywhere.</p>
<p>Don't apply ED if you also plan to apply for financial aid since you are giving up your ability to compare FA packages, and you may really get screwed if the ED college thinks you can afford to pay $40K a year and you don't have it.</p>
<p>Therefore, some of the URM special-interest groups have been complaining about ED since it favors families who can afford to pay full price.</p>
<p>Thats a good idea, kinglin. But so many people here claim confidently that EA had an "advantage," but there is no apparent proof. Yes, more people can get acepted EA, but that can be because their stats are much stronger than RD applicants. </p>
<p>Anybody have a link to prove me wrong?</p>
<p>Try google with something like:</p>
<p>+"early decision" +selectivity +easier</p>
<p>There are tons of newspaper articles, but I don't think anyone has pulled everything into one place. It is all articles on individual schools.</p>
<p>dufus, I know ED can be helpful. I was wondering what was the case for EA.</p>
<p>I do agree. I honestly wouldn't look at EA as an advantage. ED, yes there is a slight advantage, but as far as EA goes, I wouldn't really see it as an advantage.</p>
<p>I've never seen anything saying that EA is easier than RD.</p>
<p>I was wondering if all EA applicants who arent admitted get deferred or are there some who are rejected?</p>
<p>"I've never seen anything saying that EA is easier than RD."</p>
<p>Most students are applying EA because they think its easier to get in. I am just trying to see if anyone can actually validate this.</p>
<p>the reason EA is considered easier is because the colleges haven't seen as many apps to know how selective the years class will be, most play it safe and some students they might not if they had seen all the apps they would receive that year through RD and EA</p>
<p>It probably depends on the college.</p>
<p>I haven't seen anything to indicate that EA is a plus factor at private schools, but it does help at certain publics and schools with rolling admissions.</p>
<p>What about if a school doesn't offer ED. But rather it has only EA and RD. Is EA still the way to go?</p>
<p>It depends on the college.</p>
<p>I wanna know this regarding EA schools like Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Yale, and Caltech.</p>
<p>Check the CC boards on those colleges.
When it comes to Harvard, I am an alum interviewer, and have not seen EA confer any advanatage. This also is what adcoms say. The EA pool is simply noticeably stronger than is the RD pool for Harvard.</p>
<p>Byerly, another alum interviewer who is, I think, on Long Island, disagrees with me in that he thinks that EA confers an advantage. It may be that his area is an anomaly because of the enormous numbers of outstanding students who apply to Harvard from NYC and environs.</p>
<p>In my more widespread area in a different part of the country, however, I know that EA does not confer any advantage. </p>
<p>Another alumni interviewer on the Harvard board here agrees with me.</p>
<p>"The EA pool is simply noticeably stronger than is the RD pool for Harvard."</p>
<p>Is that in tems of stats of applicants, or in terms of EA competition. Anyways, how do you actually notice the strength of the EA and RD pool?</p>
<p>If people are applying EA in order to get an advantage, they are just getting it confused with ED. It might happen at few selected colleges, but I have never seen anything to indicate that this is a general rule.</p>
<p>"Is that in tems of stats of applicants, or in terms of EA competition. Anyways, how do you actually notice the strength of the EA and RD pool?"</p>
<p>My experience is that the EA pool is noticibly stronger in terms of stats. I notice the strength because I'm an alum interviewer, and sometimes have interviewed the majority of EA applicants in my area, and many of the RD applicants. My area is widespread, but doesn't have the hundreds of applicants that an area like Long Island would have. </p>
<p>A larger proportion of the total pool of EA applicants get Harvard acceptances. One in three of the total EA pool is accepted. Of the overall pool of applicants, the acceptance rate is 1:9-1:11. This includes people who are EA deferred.</p>
<p>The majority of Harvard applicants who apply EA will be deferred. Harvard rejects very few applicants. Adcoms say that they only accept EA applicants who would be clear admits once the total pool is in. I believe that they only reject applicants who lack the background to be able to succeed at Harvard. </p>
<p>Since virtually all Harvard applicants (about 85%) have the stats and background to be able to graduate from Harvard if they were accepted, very few would be clear rejects in the EA pool.</p>
<p>Every year on CC, I see some students who are good -- but not great -- applying EA to Harvard with false hopes that EA application will tip them in. They'd be better off applying EA or ED to a good, but lesser ranked college where EA or ED might tip them in. </p>
<p>Instead, they end up deferred at Harvard, then have to slog through doing more applications during the holiday season. In April, they typically are Harvard rejected, and sometimes are rejected at competitive colleges where -- if they had had the energy to have done a better application -- they may have been accepted.</p>