<p>For a run of the mill( possibly weaker applicant), unlike most schools where applying early provides a clear advantage, Stanford SCEA would actually be a significantly TOUGHER applicant pool than the RD, right? And is it true this is when all the legacies/athletes come in? And so I might as well apply RD, correct?</p>
<p>Yes this is my understanding too (I’m a current student)</p>
<p>yes. stanford, unlike many other EA/ED schools, rejects many people early, as well. the applicant pool will likely be tougher, and unlike most schools where students are usually accepted or deferred, most students for stanford EA are either accepted or rejected.</p>
<p>I do not believe it is “harder”. People who get rejected EA would have most probably be rejected RD as well.
The advantage of RD is that you have a few more month to improve your app. But if your application is as good as it will ever get by the EA deadline, I very much doubt that applying RD is in any way advantageous.
Having an acceptance in your hand in December is a HUGE advantage. Rejection will hurt, but at least it will also be a “heads up” - you better have some good safeties lined up if it happens…</p>
<p>Yes, it is harder, not necessarily because less people get in but because less people get deferred (compared to other schools). Also remember that the slightly higher acceptance rate (on paper) is also due to athletes being accepted early. </p>
<p>Like nngmm said, I’d only do SCEA if you’re not going to improve your application from EA to RD. For a lot of people, like me, those few extra months are a lifesaver, even if Stanford was our #1 choice from the very beginning.</p>
<p>But it doesn’t really make RD easier. RD is still hard to get into. RD isn’t that much easier behind EA, it is extremely close.</p>
<p>Wow that scares me. I just assumed applying SCEA would give me an advantage. I thought that it would at least give me a deferral. If I’m a legacy, does it make more sense to apply RD or SCEA?</p>
<p>Well, of what I’ve heard, all the legacies apply SCEA 
You can do your math</p>
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<p>Short answer: NO</p>
<p>By the way I though legacies don’t really help at Stanford because so many qualified applicants apply.</p>
<p>^Legacy helps, but they still have to be qualified. There are a few legacy students with perfect GPAs and great test score that get rejected. But for many legacy admits, the legacy status was what pushed them into the admit pile.</p>