Yale is my top school, and I was planning on applying SCEA. However, while I was visiting, the staff said there is not much of a statistical difference of acceptance rate between the early and regular pool. I’ve heard similar things about top elite schools like Harvard So, in this case, what is the benefit of applying early over another school like UPenn where there is a statistical difference?
SCEA is worth it for someone that wants to apply to that specific college and is a competitive candidate. You should be prepared to be rejected i.e. have other feasible options. Among all the SCEA schools, only Stanford rejects many students in early round, while others choose to Defer a majority of early applicants.
OTOH, Penn is quite open about ED advantage and if you love Penn and can afford it without having to compare other FA or merit scholarships, then you would have a higher chance at Penn.
This does not mean that SCEA does not offer any advantage, but it is up to you to choose your bets.
@cram545 Your SAT scores are not competitive for an ORM. You could try again for 1500+.
This does not mean, you should not apply to Yale or Penn, but focus more on Match schools. Do keep in mind, that Ivies have a very low acceptance rate, and majority of the rejected applicants are more than capable students, but that is the nature of the college admissions these days.
You shouldn’t apply to UPenn ED if you are sure Yale is your first choice.
And any advantage goes to kids who truly and completely match what the college wants. No advantage just for applying early and promising to enroll, if admitted.
And those SAT/ACT scores need some work, to bring up, before deciding. Plus the right array of ECs and more. Miles to go.