<p>Is it safe to assume that a candidate that applied EA/ED into a school and got in would have also been accepted if he/she applied RD only?</p>
<p>Sorry, I know the wording is kind of confusing but..hopefully someone can answer.</p>
<p>Thank you very much in advance!</p>
<p>Not a safe assumption. Particularly with ED a college is getting a a body that will enroll and not choose to go elsewhere, a fact being considered in making the decision. Also. early admission rates tend to be higher than RD, often much higher. Also, for legacy consideration a number of colleges with ED expect you to apply ED if you want legacy considered and will not give it any weight if you apply RD. Colleges like to say that the chances of being admitted ED or RD are “about the same” but “about the same” is an ambiguous phrase (particularly the “about”) with a lot of interpretive leeway before it can be considered a lie.</p>
<p>ED - no, as drusba described so well.</p>
<p>EA - yes, it’s my belief that applicants selected in the EA round would have been accepted in any applicant pool. If an applicant is borderline, they are deferred to the RD round where they can be compared to the larger pool of applicants. Those accepted EA will most likely get into other schools RD and the EA acceptance gives that school more time to woo the student into attending.</p>
<p>thank you very much for the replies! they really helped a lot.</p>
<p>now, here’s why I ask…</p>
<p>I have an option to apply either ED into Rice, ED into Nortwestern, or EA into MIT. My SAT2 scores are REALLY bad (580 math2, 650chem) and although i’m retaking them this saturday, i doubt that they will improve by much, if at all. Luckily, Northwestern and Rice do not require SAT2, only SAT/ACT. I have a 30 on my ACT. However, MIT wants my subject test scores…</p>
<p>With this information, is it wiser to apply ED into Rice, ED into Northwestern, or EA into MIT? Should I go for increased ED chances, or go EA and wait to see all of my options next year? If I get in through ED, all stress will be gone…</p>
<p>I am applying through QuestBridge scholarship. I have to make the decision by the 4th of this month (less than two days!). Once again, thank you very much in advance! </p>
<p>(here is a link to more of my stats, if necessary: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/820717-chance-me-please-brutally-honest-unique-situation.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/820717-chance-me-please-brutally-honest-unique-situation.html</a>)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I never advise that a student take or retake an exam if they’re not prepared. If you haven’t had enough time to prep so that you are reasonably sure of raising your scores, then you shouldn’t be retaking them IMO. You could as easily do worse as better.</p>
<p>I don’t chance people, but I’m sure you know that those scores are very low for MIT (although I’m not familiar with how QB works and how much of a boost it might give you). If it were me I’d be concerned about how well I could do given the academics and tough grading at MIT.</p>
<p>I also don’t know how QB works as far as ED; are you guaranteed FA that you can afford if you get admitted?</p>
<p>You should really ask this on the QB sticky thread, as people will know how the system works. I know what I’d recommend to a regular applicant, but that advice could be completely wrong within the framework of QB.</p>
<p>To me it’s simple. Only apply ED to a school that you absolutely want to go to as your first choice. Don’t game the system working around that question or it will be you that gets played.</p>
<p>No. Especially, ED is a binding decision which can help colleges boost their rank in the US News and World Report. So if you were admitted under ED, that doesnt necessarily mean that you would’ve gotten in under RD.</p>