I am planning on applying ED to pretty selective school (Tufts, Emory, Vandy, WashU, USC). However, a kid from my school just committed for sports to the school I am planning on EDing to, and I just found out the two other kids from a school NEARBY (not my school) are also applying early decision to this school. The nearby school is very very similar to my school; both schools are private, small schools in the suburbs. I’m sure there will be other kids from my area applying ED as well. My school has a very good relationship with the school I am applying ED to, and most kids who apply ED do get in from my school, but I do not believe in years past that more than one person from my school has applied ED to this school, and obviously the kid who committed for sports will be applying ED. My question is this: Will I be evaluated in comparison to these other applicants from my area, and the fact that a large number of people are applying ED to the same school from the same region decrease my chances of getting in?
When we visited Emory we were specifically told that they will line up all of the students from the same HS and compare them to one another. That being said, at no point did admissions state that they would only accept X amount per school. It is my feeling that colleges will also compare students from the same geographic area.
as to your question as to who you will compared to- colleges will look at both the other applicants from your HS as well as similar applicants from other HS’s in your area.
Absolutely you will be compared to students from your high school, as well as other nearby high schools. The students are compared on objective metrics (GPA, rank, SATs, etc), but then sent to committee for disucssion