<p>Just wondering. I mean, besides the obvious "you get an earlier response," I also hear that applying this way also saves you the trouble of applying to safety/match schools if you get accepted ED or EA.</p>
<p>Are there any other benefits to applying ED/EA or are those two reasons just it?</p>
<p>The big benefit applying ED/SCEA is that your chances improve. All college websites deny this, but it's definitely true. It's true that the applicant pool ED/SCEA is more competitive, but not enough to offset the huge differences in acceptance rates. For Columbia, for instance, for the class of 2011, the RD acceptance rate was 6% while the ED acceptance rate was 23%.</p>
<p>Now, EA is a different story. EA actually puts you at a slight disadvantage. EA is basically for people who know they're gonna get it, but just want to know for sure ahead of time so they can plan accordingly.</p>
<p>I wouldn't say thats what EA is for. I see EA as a chance for any applicant to apply early without the restraint of having to pull their other applications if they are accepted. Applying to multiple schools EA and getting into at least one will then define which colleges you apply RD. For example, say you have colleges A, B, C, D, E, F that you think you will apply to and you would attend them in that order. C and D have EA so it is nonbinding to apply and you can EA more than one school. let's say you get into college D but get deferred at college C. Then there is no need to pay the application fees to try for E and F since you would attend D over those colleges anyway. so now you are only applying to A and B RD, you're still in the running for C and you have the safety net of knowing you got into D which, hurray for you, was not your last choice! That's how I see EA.</p>
<p>ED improves your chances slightly, but don't enter into it lightly. Otherwise you could find yourself bound into a college that you kinda like while your friends are in the flurry of picking a college in the spring. Trust me, you'll be jealous.</p>
<p>I'm with quanta on the benefits of EA. I used it to apply to 2 match schools that I loved. Check when you'll hear back though. I heard back from the first one mid December, but the second acceptance didn't come until mid January. I didn't have to worry about acceptances in the spring because I had a few wonderful schools in hand. And I actually only applied to a few reach schools in December (none of which I liked better than my EA school). </p>
<p>I love rolling schools too. Apply early and you'll find out quickly that you're into college. If you get rejected, it's a quick wake-up call that you might need some lower ranked safety schools.</p>
<p>@ Godfatherbob - I've heard that the ED pool is not a strong (easier to get in) whereas the SCEA/EA pool is stronger and harder to get in, even with a higher acceptance rate.</p>
<p>But that could be wrong</p>
<p>@ lolcats4: it's surely possible. I mean, if the pool was super good and they all want to apply to something like HYPS, there would be no way they'd apply ED to one school unless they'd absolutely loved it. Hence, a not as strong pool of applicants. </p>
<p>@ Curryspice: conclusion is that it's psychological satisfaction?</p>
<p>@ quanta: pretty much the "pull out match/safeties" thing. But haha, it doesn't quite work for me that way. Each of my schools I'm applying to has its own pros and cons and I'd have to look at the overall stats of every one(rankings, financial aid given, programs offered) before I could make a choice. I guess ED/EA doesn't really help me "eliminate" any then.</p>
<p>@Godfatherbob : I thought EA was an advantage in that most are deferred if you are not seriously unqualified. I mean if you're not a research student 20 hours a week or that amazing musician, but just an outstanding student, you most likely would get deferred, but you know you have a shot.</p>
<p>Also, is it wise to apply EA to a school if you know that others in your school are applying as well? I mean if you come across as more outstanding than someone else in your school (excluding essays, etc) who is applying EA but you're applying RD, and that person gets in EA, would that lessen your chances of getting in?</p>
<p>When I apply for EA (I used to plan for ED but I'm not sure I will get accepted), do I need to choose one college for safety, target, reach ?</p>
<p>lol target=match. I mistyped cuz I was listening to music :P</p>
<p>@ccchang: I don't know so much about lessening chances EA vs RD. I mean, if you think about it, it's probably worse if you also apply EA with them. That means it's more direct competition and a more likely chance that they'll compare you to that other, more outstanding EA person. </p>
<p>I would trust that the adcoms don't have a "list of schools from EA" with them while they're looking at the RD applications.</p>
<p>By applying to GT, BC, SUNY Bing, St Bon, EA and getting into all but GT gave S a good idea what his chances were with other schools on his list. He only applied to reaches at that point since he had two safeties and and good strong match, including financial safeties with merit money at one school and a low sticker price at the other. It made the rest of the process very stress free as he really was happy with BC and did not even really feel that strongly about applying elsewhere. Also he knew that the reaches were going to be a tough go. </p>
<p>Second son did not get into programs he wanted EA. (also other complications I won't go into). It was a real wake up call for him and we shot out a whole other round of apps, looking at some alternatives since it was not looking good that he was going to get what he wanted. It forced him to do more looking and thinking about what he really wanted. He did get into a safety school, so he did have that in the bag, but the programs he really wanted did not accept him. </p>
<p>Son 3 got into colleges he really liked on an EA basis, and it pretty much ended his app process. He ended up going to one of the schools that accepted him early. He was pretty much on board with them, showed lots of interest and was offered a nice merit packagae as they knew that he was likely to go there and a little sweetner would go a long way. He was able to negotiate a bit more when accepted RD to his reach school that he no longer wanted, but it offered him a research grant and low sticker price. There was little angst in the process for him as a result of the EA apps. This was a bad year for kids, and those who did not apply EA ended up with pretty tough odds because of the number of apps that came in this year.</p>
<p>@ dracula. I hope you're not thinking of only appling EA to one school and one other college RD. EA/ED is simply just a way to let you know a few months earlier where you're accepted. </p>
<p>You should do it as if you were applying RD to all your schools. You need matches and safeties (reaches if you want) to back up in case you're deferred or denied at your EA school.</p>
<p>The advantage EA offers can't be measured in terms of increasing chances of admission or whatever. It shows you where you stand early, which can be either a big stress relief OR a wake-up call. Either way, you have a few cards in your hand before RD applications are due - maybe now you don't have to apply to any safeties (save $$ on apps) or maybe you'll have to expand the number of apps to cover all your bases. Either way, IMO early action is very helpful for students who aren't 100% sure where they want to go, but want to ensure that they get into somewhere they'll be happy.</p>
<p>interesting...bumping for further opinions</p>
<p>I'm applying this upcoming fall and my plan is pretty clear [and hopefully effective]. I'm applying SCEA to my absolute favorite school, which happens to be Stanford, and arranging my RD plans accordingly. If you're accepted EA into one of your reach school [with a great financial aid statement on Dec 15th!], that proves that you would be a competitive applicant for other reach schools and wouldn't have to worry as much about applying to as many match or safety schools. If, by some incredible stroke of fortune, I am accepted SCEA, then I will only apply to two or three other schools RD and save a couple hundred of dollars in app fees. Yay!</p>