<p>Hi, I'm a student who wishes to apply to Harvard this year.
Should I go for SCEA or RD?
I'm scared I might be able to improve my application by the time I apply RD.
However, I heard that there's a better chance(though it's still hard to get into Harvard) to get in if I apply SCEA.
Would I regret not applying to Harvard during the SCEA round?
I'm planning to major in English. Thank you!</p>
<p>I’m scared I might not be fully ready by the time I apply SCEA. I might be able to improve my app if I apply RD.*
sorry, haha it’s all messed up… doesn’t even make sense :p</p>
<p>If you apply SCEA you will get 1 of 3 responses back: accepted, not accepted, or they will review your application during RD. </p>
<p>If you apply SCEA there is a 2/3 chance you will get a likeable response. </p>
<p>That is a hard decision to make because if you apply early your chances may be diminished because your application isn’t as great as you want it to be, and if you apply RD there are 1000s of more people in the application pool. </p>
<p>Really no one can tell you want to do, it all depends on whether or not you want to take the risk. </p>
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<p>LOL, If he has any chance of getting into Harvard, he will see that your math is just plain wrong because it doesn’t actually account for his/her chance of getting in. If his chances are miniscule then there is a very small chance of getting a likeable response. </p>
<p>SCEA is not supposed to provide any advantage in admissions except that if you get in, you can stop applying to colleges less preferable to Harvard. </p>
<p>My opinion is to apply RD, but submit your application by Dec 1, which in the past they’ve indicated that they liked better. This way your fall grades are sure to be considered. </p>
<p>@ClassicRockerDad I didn’t say chance of getting in out of the 3 options available 2/3 of the options are somewhat likeable either getting accepted or having to wait until RD is better than being flat out rejected. So how about you learn how to read clearly thanks. </p>
<p>I’m not saying 2/3 for everyone, I am saying 2/3 for him/her specifically. Chances of acceptance are slight for anyone who applies to the top schools which everyone already knows. </p>
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I don’t think being deferred is a “likeable” response – it’s more of a "no man’s land’ response. Yeah, you get another chance in the RD round, but you really didn’t get want you wanted when you applied SCEA. So, I think it’s more appropriate to say that you have a 2/3 chance of NOT getting a likeable response.</p>
<p>
When Harvard went back to SCEA, their early admit rate was pretty comparable to YPS – and it was easy to accept their explanation that your chances in the SCEA round were no different than the RD round. </p>
<p>However, last year Harvard took more than half their class (895 students) early – that’s 246 more students than Yale took SCEA, 198 more students than Princeton took SCEA and 170 more students than Stanford took SCEA. </p>
<p>By taking so many more applicants in the SCEA round than their peers – both in sheer numbers and percentage wise – Harvard is letting student’s know that if you really want Harvard, your chances are better by applying in the early round.</p>
<p>Class of 2018 SCEA Acceptance Rates:
Stanford = 10.77%
Yale = 15.47%
Princeton = 18.53%
Harvard = 21.24%. </p>
<p>In evaluating SCEA admission rates (and ED admission rates at other colleges), it is helpful to remember that at the Ivies a lot of athletic recruiting is handled via early admissions. If you correct for that, there is still an apparent advantage for SCEA, but it is 3-4 percentage points lower. (Stanford doesn’t handle recruiting that way, which is part of the reason its early admission rate is lower.</p>
<p>@tola2015 I’m not questioning whether you meant what you wrote (either time), I just think your approach is a mathematically foolish way to look at it because it doesn’t consider the probability of getting in when evaluating the benefit of either choice. If you want to use foolish math you can make incorrect inferences about SCEA using 4 possible outcomes: Getting in, getting deferred then getting in, getting deferred and getting rejected, and getting rejected, LOL. You can even add waitlisting and add even more possible outcomes. Either way, your math is foolish. </p>
<p>If the OP can evaluate their chances of getting in, he/she can optimize the strategy of applying early or not. </p>
<p>The recent information that gibby and JHS provided about SCEA potentially providing an advantage in getting into Harvard is potentially very valuable information that might impact the OP’s decision to the original question. I think a lot depends on what a) what he/she can add to the application for RD and how hit modifies his/her chances, and b) what early opportunities he/she would have to forgo in order to apply SCEA. </p>
<p>Thank you, everyone, for your replies. :)</p>
<p>Let’s say I apply in October and I take 6 more subject tests in October, November, December on which I can get like 700-800s(I’ve studied pretty hard and I’ve got all 800s on the practice tests so far, so just let’s say that haha…). I won’t be able to write the subject test scores on my application should I apply SCEA. Does that make any huge difference? Like some more scores and more volunteering hours?</p>
<p>I just posted this in 3 other threads, but I guess since SAT Subject Scores just came out it bears repeating:</p>
<p>Holistic means that your acceptance is based upon other factors besides test scores. Colleges uses test scores to gauge if you can do the work on their campus. The higher your scores, the less an Admissions Director will question how you would do if admitted. At the ivies, once your test scores are used to calculate the Academic Index (<a href=“http://www.collegeconfidential.com/academic_index.htm”>http://www.collegeconfidential.com/academic_index.htm</a>), other more subjective factors come into play, such as your transcript rigor, GPA, teacher recommendations, EC’s and essays.</p>
<p>Harvard could fill up their entire class with perfect test takers, but that’s NOT what Admissions looks for. For example, look at this recent survey of Harvard Freshman: <a href=“The Harvard Crimson | Class of 2017”>http://features.thecrimson.com/2013/frosh-survey/admissions.html</a></p>
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<p>I like the scattergram as it nicely highlights how more than half the class had an unweighted 4.0 GPA at their high school regardless of test scores. To me that implies that Harvard (and thereby YP et al) put more weight – or slightly more weight, however you want to read the data – on a student’s unweighted GPA at their high school rather than test scores.</p>
<p>So, rather than worry about your test scores, or trying to take more tests, I would be more concerned about your essays!!!</p>
<p>What other schools are you applying to?</p>
<p>I agree with gibby. After the first three SAT subject scores, more test scores provide rapidly diminishing returns. Work on other parts of the picture. Give more time, thought, and energy to accomplish more with the extracurricular activities you really love. Put in the extra work to raise or keep up your GPA. And work on your essays. These are areas where the additional time and effort can still pay off.</p>
<p>Thank you all for the advice! In fact, I have been homeschooled so I will not be required to submit my school report. As I don’t have my GPA, I heard I’d need to take more subject tests… And certainly working on my essays! 
thanks!</p>
<p>I’m applying to 4 UCs, Boston College, NYU, Brown, Columbia, Carnegie Mellon, UW, SDSU, and one or two total safety schools. I know it’s a lot, but UCs only require students submit one application for all their campuses, so I guess it’s ok…? I’m not sure whether to apply to Princeton or not though…</p>
<p>FYI:</p>
<p>INTENDED COLLEGE MAJOR
English Language / Literature, Creative Writing</p>
<p>EXTRACURRICULAR / VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES
- Interpreter at govt related meetings
• helped Korean delegates communicate better with those of other countries (in English)
• went to UAE, Korea, Africa, etc. (can I separate them on my app?)
• paid internship - Translated govt related documents
• paid internship (2013 – Current) - Teacher’s Assistant – English classes; a local high school (2012 – Current)
• Helps students with essay writing
• Grades tests and quizzes
• Corrects students’ projects and papers - Tutor – Public Library (2013 – Current)
• Unpaid volunteer
• Helps students who need assistance with their homework or writing assignments - Tutor – a local elementary school (2013-2014)
• English; Creative Writing
• Unpaid volunteer - Literary Magazine Club – a local high school (2012-2013)
• Language Editor (Korean – English) - intern/volunteer at law firm
• organized documents
• translator - Intern/volunteer at tax account office
• organized documents
• translator - Other Volunteer Activities (2012 – Current)
• total hrs: 300+
• Presidential award</p>
<p>ACADEMIC AWARDS
Principal’s Honor Roll (2012 – 2013)
CSF membership (2012 – 2013)
(Do they even count? lol. I don’t have major awards. It was before I turned to homeschooling. I have been homeschooled after I completed my sophomore year because I had some serious health issue–I had to get a major surgery)</p>
<p>STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES
SAT Reasoning Test
• 2250 in first sitting
• To be taken again in June (goal: 2350-2400)
SAT Subject Tests
• US History – 780
• Math 2c – 800
• Korean – 800 (not planning on submitting it)
• Literature - 800
• Some more to be taken in October, November, and December
ACT
• 33 in first 35 in second</p>
<p>Have a GED and a TOEFL score (moved to the US less than 5 yrs ago. much much less)</p>
<p>Essays: working on them!</p>
<p>Recommendations: AP Lang teacher, Eng teacher I worked for as a TA, and a very famous person I got to know throughout my education! I think they will be good.</p>
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<p>Please please take a look at this, and I’d like to hear ur opinions!! I’m not sure whether I should go for SCEA or nottttttt. :(</p>
<p>^^ Please don’t hijack someone else’s thread! If you want to be chanced, go to the chance forum, or start a new post on the Harvard forum. </p>
<p>That was the OP; he or she is hijacking his or her own thread. And going from “Should I apply SCEA or RD?” to “What are my chances?” is not much of a hijacking.</p>
<p>^^ Oops, that’s my bad. @peatnutbutterlol: After reading this thread, if you have a specific “chance question”, please ask again: <a href=“Chance Threads - PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING ONE - Harvard University - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/harvard-university/1420290-chance-threads-please-read-before-posting-one-p1.html</a></p>
<p>@JHS haha thanks for ur post!</p>
<p>@gibby haha, it’s ok, you could be confused I was just wondering if I needed to apply SCEA or RD(not if I could get into Harvard), and then someone asked me what schools I was going to apply to, so the list of colleges I posted up there was for him/her and I put the FYI post just in case someone needs it to see what’s better for me… Sorry if it looked as if it were a chance-me thread! :(</p>
<p>@peanutbutterlol - sorry for going a bit off topic, but I’m curious why you (and some others, sometimes) report a score for “Math 2c”. Surely you took Math Level 2 test, as that’s what it has been called since 2005. I don’t mean to give you a hard time about it; I know the old name is still used by many; I’m just curious why. After all, the name was changed when you were 7 or 8 years old. Why does the old name linger around?</p>