<p>I have recently heard rumors that applying SCEA to Stanford actually lowers the chance of a non-spectacular applicant. I know that the Stanford Dean of Admissions has said multiple times that if you are not admitted SCEA, you probably would not have been admitted during the RD round. However, I have heard that you should only apply SCEA if you think you have a high chance of getting since the SCEA pool is significantly more competitive than the RD pool. Apparently it is more of an advantage to apply RD, which i personally don't believe, but I just wanted to get your input on the subject.</p>
<p>What I would factor in are the importance of your grades in your application. If you apply SCEA Stanford will not factor in first semester/trimester grades into their overview of you. Therefore whatever amazing classes your taking will have less of a weight on their decision than if you were to apply RD. Furthermore, you learn a lot about how to apply to colleges and what they’re looking for as you go along and make your mistakes. My EA apps were far less polished than my important RD ones and that will make a big impact. I definitely feel like my CC classes and harder work load senior year with same grades as before made a more positive impact on admissions. I also feel like I wouldn’t have made it SCEA. It’s just a gut feeling, but I didn’t get the whole jist of college planning in November, so I’m probably right. Factor in your preparedness, your academics and whether or not you need to retake SATs or take SATIIs into deciding on when you apply. On the matter of whether it’s actually harder to get in if you were to deliver the exact same app EA or RD, I’d say there isn’t a difference. You’re just far less likely to get deferred at Stanford than at Ivies and that’s probably what’s giving you the impression.</p>
<p>S got in SCEA. Not an athlete and from a less than stellar school district! If you think you are ready to present you best self in December and it is your first choice, then go for it but prepare your application with care. </p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>Just total speculation, but if a high school fields multiple candidates in the same decision round, and two of them are somewhat similar, Stanford will probably take at most one of them. So if you know someone who is similar to you at your high school who is applying SCEA, it might be a good idea to avoid them.</p>
<p>I think my graduating class is obsessed with Stanford lol, so i think wet have a bunch applying SCEA, but there may be even more applying RD. Hard decision to make…</p>
<p>withtheflow: Are you on the west coast? S’13s school always has a bunch that apply too. Usually no one gets in but they keep applying anyway. Don’t let that scare you…like I said before, he does not attend a mecca of academic excellence and he was admitted.</p>
<p>Yes, I live on the west coast as well. We actually had 1 person from our school recruited for soccer, 2 people get in ED and 2-4 people get in RD, but no one was surprised when those people got in. I think I’m just being a bit paranoid, I really hope the rumor is false.</p>