<p>I am having a really hard time deciding whether to apply EA or RD to Stanford. I love Stanford and know it is my first choice by far. However, all I hear these days is the disadvantages of applying EA (for Stanford). Given that so few of the deferred applicants are eventually accepted and the people who are accepted EA tend to be the strongest of the strongest applicants (including recruited athletes and legacies), I wanted some opinions about when I should apply.</p>
<p>Below is the info I posted in a chances thread:</p>
<p>User Name: NJDS
Gender: M
URM: Kenyan origin
Location: NJ
College Class Year: 2014
High School: Public
High School Type: sends some grads to top schools</p>
<p>Academics:
GPA - Unweighted: 4.00 (of 4.0), 96.755 (of 100)
GPA - Weighted: 5.42 (of 4.0), 104.165 (of 100)
Class Rank: top 1% (my counselor estimated. the official rank is only top decile, but his unpublished record said top 1%. school doesnt rank. transcript will say top 10% but his letter will say top 1%)
Class Size: 507</p>
<p>Scores:
SAT: 2340
SAT I Math: 800
SAT I Critical Reading: 740
SAT I Writing: 800
ACT: 35 (june), 34 (february)
SAT II U.S. History: 800
SAT II Math Level 2 (IIC): 800
SAT II Chemistry: 800</p>
<p>Extracurriculars:
World Affairs Council of Philadelphia Student Steering and Advisory Committee
Model UN
Key Club: hundreds of hours of community service
Spanish Honor Society
National Honor Society</p>
<p>Leadership:
Key Club: Distinguished Lieutenant Governor for 08-09, Outstanding NJ Board Member 08-09
Currently hold the #5 position in Key Club International (out of 245,000 members). I won't specify my position because it is revealing, but if you are in Key Club, it won't be hard to figure out.
World Affairs Council: Student Steering and Advisory Committee
Model UN Committee Chairperson, Head Delegate
Model Senate Committee Chairperson</p>
<p>Community Service
hundreds of hours of community service through Key Club & volunteering at a local hospital
$2000 raised for a childrens hospital
$1000 raised for UNICEF</p>
<p>Hooks:
Governor's School (I am also not going to specify which one but you can figure it out from my ECs)
Presidential Volunteer Service Award: Gold Level for community service
I am running a leadership conference at my school to train the officers of all our school's clubs.
Under-represented minority: Kenyan origin</p>
<p>Schools I am applying to (I actually love almost all of them-not just for the name):</p>
<p>Stanford (Restrictive Early Action?)
Harvard
Yale
Princeton
UPenn
Brown PLME
Johns Hopkins
Northwesterm HPME
Georgetown SFS</p>