<p>Emory is definitely my first choice, but I'm not sure if I should apply ED or not. Is there really a big difference in the acceptance rate for regular and ED? </p>
<p>Couple things to consider:</p>
<p>1.) If you get in, can you afford it no matter what? You can technically get out of ED if you can’t afford it but it’s better for all parties if you avoid that situation.</p>
<p>2.) Are there any other schools you’d rather go to?</p>
<p>3.) Are your stats in-line with Emory’s average accepted? If you’re not close to the 50th percentile then your chances don’t go up a ton. It helps to show interest in the school, but this can vary from school to school how much it matters.</p>
<p>4.) Will you have all the parts of your app finished by the deadline? It’s not worthwhile to rush it and do a bad job just to squeeze everything in by November 1st.</p>
<p>The acceptance rate for ED1, but not for ED2, is higher than that for RD.</p>
<p>@espimpnoxin The EDII and RD numbers are misleading. You have a better chance of getting in from ED II than RD because the pool in EDII is less competitive since its binding. RD has a much more competitive pool </p>
<p>If it’s “definitely [your] first choice,” then apply ED.</p>
<p>Applying Early Decision will bolster your chances of admission, provided you’re qualified, as @micmatt513 suggested. Emory battles a relatively low yield rate in the RD decision round, and therefore tends to lean on the ED round to construct a base for the class. About half of 2018 was admitted via this route, I believe, and about half of those who applied ED were accepted - significantly higher than the university’s overall acceptance rate, hovering around a quarter.</p>