Need some outside advice on an application decision

Student Lounge International Students
1

<p>Hey guys, i'm new here on the forums. Sorry if this is a long post, but i'm trying to make sure you guys have the complete picture :]</p>

<p>I've been living in the United States since I was 9 but my citizenship is Ukrainian and i'm applying internationally this year. I've already got my applications done, here's the short version of my profile:</p>

<p>SAT: 2230, 800 on math, 720 reading, 710 writing
Subject Tests: 800 on Math 2, 790 on World History, will take Molecular Biology in January.
Extracurriculars: Junior Statesmen of America, Mock Trial, National Honors Society
Sports: Track/Cross Country but i'm not very good at either.
Strong Points: I've won a statewide essay contest, I've been a HOBY ambassador (which basically means I was the one person handpicked out of my class in sophomore year) and I have great teacher recs.
Weak points: Undecided major, not much community service, very little to brag about in terms of summer accomplishments.</p>

<p>I'm applying to nine schools: Harvard, MIT, Brown, Colby, Colgate, Lafayette, Rensselaer, Amherst, and Williams.</p>

<p>My family does not have much money so we will be applying for a lot of need based financial aid. My stepfather is a Lafayette alum, and he believes that my admissions to any of these colleges is not guaranteed (which is true) and advises me to apply Early Decision to Lafayette in order to improve my chances. Problem is, Lafayette's ED is binding and I really don't want to tie myself down to it when there's multiple other schools on my list that I would love to attend.</p>

<p>My stepdad says that I can just say that the financial aid Lafayette offers me won't meet my "need" and if I get a better offer from another school I can get out of going there by claiming I cannot afford Lafayette. I'm not particularly enthusiastic about this course of action but I wanted to get some outside advice. I have until February to change my application to ED, so there's still time.</p>

<p>So my questions are</p>

<p>1) Should I do ED for Lafayette?</p>

<p>2) If I do, how much wiggle room would I have in case I lucked out and got into a place like MIT?</p>

<p>3) What would you guess my chances are for getting into the colleges i'm applying to?</p>

<p>Thanks for the help guys!</p>

2

<p>No, you should not apply ED to Lafayette. You will never know if you get into the others and compare packages because if they accept you, you must immediately withdraw all other applications. </p>

<p>While they'll let you out if aid is not enough, they'll let you out to attend a cheaper school, not to compare offers from other expensive privates.</p>

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<p>If Lafayette is not your top choice and finances are an issue, I dont recommend applying to a binding ED. I believe that the majority of colleges on your list (except MIT and Harvard) offer binding ED to international students - would you be applying ED to one of these unis if you dont apply ED to Lafayette? If you dont intend to apply ED, then maybe you can consider Yale or Georgetown's non-bnding EA?</p>

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<p>Well Lafayette is the only place whose ED deadline hasn't passed, that's why I was hesitant about it.</p>

<p>What would you say my acceptance chances are, if you had to give an estimate, though? I know I'd have to be ridiculously lucky to get in to Harvard MIT or Brown but what about the other places?</p>