Hi! I am a high school senior who is currently very stressed about college. I fell in love with Carleton after I first read about it on CC a few years ago. I think it’s my top choice, but I’m still not completely sure (I visited it last February but I was so sick that I don’t remember much about it).
I was wondering if it is easier to get in ED versus RD–I read online that Carleton’s ED admit rate was 37% (versus only 21% RD). Does applying ED increase my chances of getting in, or should I wait and just apply RD?
As you know early decision rates are better in just about all colleges. The rate they post can be a little tricky. My opinion is that there is a slight variance that has to do with athletics and legacy which makes it an inaccurate measure. Colleges with great sports will only allow athletic registration during early decision. What seems to happen is that since athletes have a massive desirability factor with schools, they are accepted more times than not. That makes the acceptance rate skew toward the real good side.
Overall, even with the above phenomena and the legacy phenomena, early decision is slightly better than regular but not as much as usually posted.
Applying ED may increase your chances slightly, but if you are a competitive applicant in ED you’ll also be competitive in RD. If you’re not sure it’s your top choice then apply RD. This allows you to visit all the schools you eventually are accepted to…attend a class, spend the night in the dorms, etc.
Thank you all for your advice, but as @CodyChesnutt mentioned, I applied REA (Restrictive Early Action) to Notre Dame. Good luck to everyone going through the college process!
