<p>Stanford, CU, and MIT are my top choices right now. My only question right now is, how much more selective is stanford compared to CU or MIT. Right now, I can either early stanford, OR early columbia and MIT at the same time. From what i've seen, stanford is on the level of harvard in selectivity. My only fear is that i'll waste the early round on stanford (get deferred), and consequently, be rejected from CU or MIT because i didnt apply to them early. As opposed to showing my commitment to CU and getting in there with the help of the binding contract.</p>
<p>Considering i have: 2300+, 800/770/760 on SATII's, 2/150, strong EC's and strong essays</p>
<p>which way should i go? Pros and cons of all 3 schools would be appreciated as well. I understand stanford is more suburban/rural while CU/MIT are urban. I prefer urban, but i've been to stanford and i really love the campus. Im interested in classes in finance/economics/philosophy/maybe some pol sci. Thanks for the help</p>
<p>If you're willing to commit yourself to Columbia, Columbia ED & MIT EA would be the best strategy. But, basically, even though you're extremely qualified, your top 3 choices are 3 of the absolute most selective schools in the country, so it's really going to be a crapshoot which ones you do or do not get into. </p>
<p>Your interests seem more geared towards Columbia than any other school btw.
Columbia does exceptionally well in finance recruiting, econ and philosophy are great, and Political Science is the #1 department in the world.</p>
<p>I actually have very similar stats to you with slightly higher SAT's, and let me tell you, if I hadn't ED'ed to Columbia, I don't think I would've gotten in. It really seemed like this year Columbia tried to get the hard academic students in early, but focused more on uniqueness/diversity RD.</p>
<p>I would say, Stanford EA. EA is a lot more safe because it's not binding. </p>
<p>Stanford is very different from the other schools. It focuses more on what YOU have done for the community, your school, etc. I don't think MIT will really suit your predicted major that well. </p>
<p>I think you'll definitely get in Columbia with your stats if you apply ED. You have a good chance of getting in Columbia without ED as well.</p>
<p>Applying early to MIT doesn't give you an advantage per se -- for several of the past few years, the EA admission rate was actually lower than the RD rate. :) MIT strictly limits the number of EA admits so that they do not make up more than 30% of the class.</p>
<p>So you can strategize for other schools, but applying EA or RD to MIT is a matter of when you get your application together (or which other schools you're applying to), not a matter of strategy.</p>
<p>EDIT, for post above: And, as the OP obviously knows, MIT has excellent departments in management, economics, philosophy, and political science.</p>
<p>Columbia College RD acceptance rate is ~6%. </p>
<p>If I were you, considering that all three schools are your top choices, apply Columbia and MIT ED/EA respectively to maximize your chances at acceptance. All three schools are extremely selective. If you know that you can be equally happy at Stanford as Columbia as MIT, then this is 100% the way to go. </p>
<p>I'm not sure what you're applying for though. If you're interest is in the Fu Foundation, your chances are considerably higher RD (~15%). Columbia College is another story and is much much harder to get in. If you're interested in economics/finance and want to consider going into Finance (banking), you can not beat Columbia or MIT since they are so close to New York City. Stanford grads on the other hand, do go into Banking, but at a lower rate than the other two. Stanford tends to have a more science/technology (silicon valley) feel to it. </p>
<p>Based on your academic interests and preference for location, I would recommend Columbia. However, make sure that you look into the Core curriculum at Columbia, which is a series of required classes, so see if you are interested. These schools are all at an incredibly high level of academic excellence, so your choice really comes down to other factors. Distance from home, campus life, extracurricular activities, certain programs you may want to do, the attitude of the students, and just the general vibe of the school. For example, Stanford is an absolutely lovely school, but I didn't care for the suburban location, it felt like you had to have a car to get anywhere and I wanted somewhere where I could use public transportation easily/walk around. They also have the quarter system, which is something I liked, because I tend to have somewhat of a short attention span and don't like a class to drag on for too long. MIT also has a fabulous business school but it was not suited for my personal interests. </p>
<p>MIT early is basically no help at all, same with Stanford EA. In fact, there is debate that EA at those schools may be just as or more difficult than getting in regular. Any early decision program will be more helpful because they know that it is for sure your #1 first choice and the schools like to have people who are genuinely excited to attend.</p>
<p>MIT is different than any other school's EA/ED. MIT caps the maximum they accept from ED to exactly 30% of the expected class size of next year not taking into account yield. That is why MIT's admit rate is equal for both.</p>
<p>alright thakns guys. I'm definitely leaning further towards columbia now. I'll probably just apply to columbia ED, and forget about the MIT EA..gives me more time to focus on 1 good aapp</p>
<p>If you're considering Columbia, then take a good hard look at Chicago as well, and consider applying to them EA. You can apply early to both, because Chicago's early app is not SCEA like Stanford, but if you get into Columbia, you can withdraw your app to Chicago. Both schools are urban, offer the core, and Chicago has the top ranked economics program in the country.</p>
<p>The only benefit of applying to MIT EA is that it gives you two shots at getting in.
But it's rumored that MIT tries to fill up on girls and URM's EA since it's an easy way for them to balance out the class (because EA students are most likely to attend, thus, more girls and URM's for MIT)</p>
<p>One more thing:
Replying to forgottenmost, Columbia isn't like Penn or Dartmouth where it's easy to predict who gets in ED. Columbia's ED works more like HYP's SCEA/ED in that the absolute most qualified students get in, but the rest of the ED class is somewhat of a capricious amalgamation from all areas of the applicant pool.</p>
<p>I agree with previous posters that if you like all three schools equally, Columbia ED is the best way to make sure you end up in one of them (though its not a certainty by any measure). That being said, make sure that Columbia is definitely what you want--that you would choose it over Stanford and MIT if you could. Many people would make that choice, but Stanford was the only place for me. While I was in the process of researching colleges, I told people who asked that Columbia was my first choice. After visiting, I decided not to apply (pm for reasons if you want). Your concerns about "wasting" the early round on Stanford and MIT are certainly legitimate, just make sure you weigh the cons of a binding early program before you enter into one.</p>
<p>Another idea would be to do Chicago/MIT EA (if you're interested in Chicago-- your academic interests match up with the school's strengths, you're willing to do Columbia's Core, and you're willing to be in MIT's academically buzzing environment, so I think you might really love the school) and then Columbia/Stanford RD. You get the least "bonus" admissions-wise, but you would gain the most advantage in terms of choosing where you want to go and comparing FA offers.</p>
<p>ye i've considered Uchicago as well. My visit this summer will probably help me make a better decision about the school. I've never been to chicago either, so it should be good. Also, I'm not really put off by the idea of having to take "core" classes. I'll probably enjoy anything as long as the professor is good. I don't want to go to college and completely abandon all classes unrelated to my major</p>
<p>If you want urban and west coast, why not apply to UC Berkeley? You could than apply to MIT/CU early while covering your west coast fix should you not get in at Stanford.</p>
<p>Well, I would not recommend Berkeley [ it's across the Bay from Menlo Park], unless you don't mind or rather like HUGE lower division classes taught by TA's. You would be paying out of state tuition as well, if you got in , and in my mind is not worth it for that price. There is no guaranteed housing for 4 yrs, and rental $$ in the area are California HIGH. It is also not a place for those who want personal interaction with professors in the classroom or afterward. Now, Berkeley's graduate programs are another matter entirely. But my son, who is going to Chicago and would have gotten into Berkeley, wouldn't even consider applying there for undergraduate. Just my 2 cents.</p>
<p>If you want the personal attention you allude to at Stanford, Columbia or MIT, you'll have to do the exact same thing you would have to do at Berkeley...that is get off your but, go to a professor's office, and initiate contact. The idea that somehow you will be magically spoon-fed at these private research schools is ridiculous (I know, I went to one).</p>
<p>Bottom line is that except for size, MIT and Columbia are more similar to Berkeley than they are to many of their other peer schools (They're big, impersonal research machines). Now, I will give you that the advising system at the privates is probably superior and that is where you will receive more attention. However, anyone who sits on their ass at a private school will get the same amount of attention that they would at berkeley...none.</p>
<p>As someone who teaches at a research university, the students we tend to spend the least amount of time on are the ones who feel like, because they pay all this money, they should be spoon-fed their education...it doesn't work that way, whether it's Harvard, Berkeley, Stanford, Michigan etc. etc...</p>