So I've Got to Make a Choice...(And you can help! Bonus chance thread inside)

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Chicago ✅
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<p>Hello fellow forumites! So I've got a choice to make, and I was wondering what your opinion is on the matter (though I recognize that this may not be the most, ah, unbiased area to pose my question). So, up until about three weeks ago, I thought I had my college attack plan ironed out. I would apply SCEA to Yale, and then Regular to Chicago (due mainly not to a <em>slight</em> preference for Yale, but simply by the fact that I felt more comfortable with UChicago at regular than Yale at regular). They are by far my top two schools, and I would even go as far to say that both qualify as "dream schools" for me, but now that I've visited both, I feel that Yale clicked the teeny tiniest bit more.</p>

<p>But in the last few weeks, I've begun to question that decision. Mainly, just because I simply don't feel as comfortable with UChicago regular decision as I had been feeling in the past (and with application rates increasing at an obscene rate, I think that fear's more than justified). So basically, my question is this. Do I stick with my current plan of attack, and shoot for Yale EA, Chicago regular, or switch it up, and hopefully get one school accepted rather than none? Thanks for reading this giant teenage doubt-ridden post, and just out of curiosity, I'm including a "chance" thread for UChicago regular decision below, to see if my trepidation is justified, though I realize at a school as competitive as UChicago, you can never be certain to get in. Thank you so much!</p>

<p>Stats at a Glance
GPA: 4.52 W/4.00 UW
Class Rank: Not Reported
SAT: 800 M, 780 CR, 690 W
SAT II's: Math II (800), Literature (800), US History (800)
ACT: 35 (35 E, 35 M, 35 R, 36 S superscore)
AP's: Euro (5), US (5), English Lang (5), BC Calc (5)
National Merit Semifinalist (IL)</p>

<p>Freshman Year (Sem 1/Sem 2)</p>

<p>Honors Algebra II & Trigonometry: A/A
Honors World History: A/A
Honors English: A-/A-
Spanish I: A/A
Biology: A/A
Gym: A/A
Band: A/A</p>

<p>Sophomore Year</p>

<p>Honors Math Analysis: A-/A
AP European History: A/A
Honors English II: A/A-
Honors Chemistry: A-/A
Spanish II: A/A
Gym: A/A
Band: A/A</p>

<p>Junior Year</p>

<p>AP BC Calculus: A-/A
AP US History: A/A
AP English Language: A-/A
Honors Physics: A/A
Spanish III: A/A-
Gym: A/A
Band: A/A</p>

<p>Senior Schedule</p>

<p>AP Biology
AP Physics
AP Government
AP English Lit
Calculus III (through U of Illinois)
Honors Band
Gym</p>

<p>EC's (in order of importance)</p>

<p>Boy Scouts (All Years) - Eagle Scout (gold palm), National Camping Award, Assistant Senior Patrol
Leader</p>

<p>Music (It gets complicated) - Trumpet Player, Pep Band (four years), Private Lessons (four years), Jazz, Symphony Orchestra (three years), Pit Orchestra (two years), Marching Band (one year). 6th Chair Trumpet Illinois Honors All-State Band (junior year)</p>

<p>Cross-Country (Freshman-Junior) - Varsity Junior Year</p>

<p>Speech Team (Junior-Senior) - Regional Representative and Finalist</p>

<p>Track (Fresh-Soph) - Nothing special here, move along, move along</p>

<p>My teacher recs should be good, both are from Junior year teachers. My common app essay is a little off-beat, but I like it, and think it could quite work, and helps explain why I've moved from doing nearly all running my freshman year to becoming quite the band geek by my Senior year.</p>

<p>Thank you all so much for going through all of this, and if you're applying, I wish you the best of luck!</p>

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<p>I’d go with the UChicago EA, since it’s not binding, and even with SCEA at Yale, it’s still ridiculously difficult to be admitted… If you apply EA at UChicago, not only do you get to apply EA there, but also at other schools (MIT and Georgetown both have regular EA, as in not restrictive), and you could even apply ED somewhere, if they allow you to apply EA at other schools (check, it gets complicated). If you do this, you’re getting more of an advantage, and you seem to love both schools the same amount, so no harm on that front either. Very strong application by the way, any school should be glad to have you. </p>

<p>By the way, would you, and anyone else, mind chancing me?(: By the way, my top reaches are really just applications for closure, my main focuses are Tulane and Emory.
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=1211013[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=1211013&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Thanks so much, EliKresses! I really don’t have any idea about those schools, but I’ll definitely take a look</p>

<p>I should probably clear up one more thing, Yale and UChicago are my only two schools that I’m applying to that allow Early Action anything, all the others are on ED, and quite frankly there is no school I’m comfortable with going binding for.</p>

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<p>Do Chicago EA, for the simple reason that EA will boost your chances significantly at Chicago (22% EA acceptance rate vs. 9% RD acceptance rate). At Yale, there probably won’t be that much of an advantage at all, so it doesn’t matter if you apply SCEA or RD.</p>