Stanford Early vs Yale Early

Applying to College
1

<p>Hey guys just wanted to get an opinion on this. </p>

<p>I'm not sure whether or not I want to apply early to Yale or Stanford. </p>

<p>The thing is that I have a sibling that currently attends Stanford. But Yale is a bit more liberal arts leaning, whereas Stanford gets a lot of math/sci heavy applicants. My High School usually admits 1-2 kids to Stanford every year, and 1-4 to Yale every year.</p>

<p>Furthermore, Stanford's financial aid is not as good as Yale's, so that's something else to consider (via NPC calcs)</p>

<p>I'm not sure how much having a sibling in Stanford will help me. </p>

<p>Here are some rudimentary/cursory stats.</p>

<p>GPA : 4.0 </p>

<p>SAT : 2350/2400 </p>

<p>SAT II : 800 Math II, 800 Chem, 790 Bio</p>

<p>AP's : All 5's on 8 exams ( Gov't, Bio, Physic C, BC Calc, Stat, Lang, World, Chem)</p>

<p>Notable Awards : USABO Semifinalist (placed in ~top 20), AIME Qualifier (Scored a 6), Common Knowledge National Champion (2x), and then a couple state awards</p>

<p>Extracurricular : President of Several Clubs and an Honor Society, some national tennis tournaments (I'm not good enough to be recruited)</p>

<p>Senior Load : 6 AP Classes and MV/Dif Eq</p>

<p>Race: White </p>

<p>Any advice would be appreciated.</p>

2

<p>Something to keep in mind is that the NPCs aren’t always accurate. I received much more aid at Stanford than the calculators predicted. I think you should pick whichever you prefer. There are a lot of differentiating factors between Yale and Stanford, so I’m sure with enough research you can pick a favorite.</p>

3

<p>If you could transport yourself to April 1 and you had accepts from both S and Y, with similar fin aid packages, which one would you choose?</p>

<p>That’s the one to apply go the SCEA route. All the other factors you mention don’t outweigh your personal desire. Plus, you apply RD to the other – it’s not as if you preclude the other schools.</p>

4

<p>I’m pretty sure that Stanford’s early is binding, while Yale’s isn’t. Maybe apply early to Yale and RD to Stanford. If Y rejects you, you still have S to wait on, and if Y accepts you, you can still wait on S’s response before you decide.</p>

5

<p>Stanford’s early is not binding. It’s SCEA just like Yale.</p>

6

<p>You have a terrible shot at both</p>

7

<p>

He seems like a competitive applicant to me, unless you are referring to the fact that both schools have single digit acceptance rates.</p>

8

<p>If you can’t make up your mind between the schools, apply SCEA to Stanford and Yale RD. In that way, should you get a boost from being a sibling and are accepted to Stanford, it will be so much easier on your parents with two kids in one school, instead of one of you being on the other coast.</p>

9

<p>you have just as good a chance as any other highly competitive applicant. It will come down to how well your essay stands out from the rest. Write about your passions and be passionate, let those things speak for themselves. Keep in mind that the slots at those schools are few and competition is fierce, so be careful about the advice you listen to on this board.</p>

10

<p>I’m starting to lean a bit towards Stanford SCEA, as seen by the boost from even a sibling legacy. Any other opinions would be nice, I’m just weighing my options right now.</p>

11

<p>Bump 10char</p>

12

<p>I agree on the sibling legacy boost. One other thing to consider is that Yale will defer a majority of it’s early applicants, accept a few, and reject a few. Stanford, on the other hand, generally accepts a few, defers even fewer, and rejects the majority of its applicants. Of course, Yale then ultimately rejects most of the deferred applicants, but does accept a few (about as many percentage wise as from the RD pool). </p>

<p>This information isn’t too important in terms of your chances of getting into either school, but because both schools are SCEA, if you don’t get accepted to a school, getting deferred rather than rejected could be better (or worse, depending on your views). It will certainly change your December - April. Rejection offers closure, deferral hope. </p>

<p>I do however think you have a very real chance of acceptance at either school. Good luck!</p>

13

<p>The schools are so different that it seems like you should be able to pick one over another. I say look at your major and future career path. Which school is in the best position to get you there. Then look at the income you can earn in your chosen profession. Extra debt at the best school for career success is not bad.</p>

<p>Think of how many kids minimize their debt and choose schools based on that then can’t get any job other than retail.</p>

<p>You are competing against all other applicants going for it. Go with the school that gives you the most competitive advantage. If its a low paying career like education or social work, then save your money by going to the most affordable school.</p>

14

<p>Bump 10char</p>

15

<p>I’d go Stanfor SCEA due to reasons listed above. Better chance for closure, one way or other. Getting deferred SCEA to Yale seems like a waste of a SCEA.</p>

16

<p>thats sarcasm. :]</p>