Objectively, for any high achieving student, is it worth it to go for SCEA to schools like HYP and Stanford? Is the acceptance rate for EA applicants higher than RD? I’ve always been confused on this, and my guidance counselor never helped me either.
The reasons to apply SCEA/REA to those schools are 1) you’re otherwise qualified, 2) don’t need a 7th semester GPA boost for your overall GPA, 3) this is your #1 choice and 4) you want to know a decision by December. If these four conditions apply to you, then apply one of them – but not simply to gain an increased chance of acceptance.
There’s some talk on the H forum that REA shows a small statistical bump.
It also depends on what other schools you would not be able to apply EA to if you apply SCEA/REA to some school, and how much you value applying EA to those other schools.
@T26E4 by “statistical bump” do you mean that the average stats for EA applicants are higher?
^ That would mean the average acceptance rate is higher.
With single choice early action, I don’t personally see a downside- you aren’t bound to the school you apply to early, but you get a response in December, which can help inform the rest of your applications. You just have to choose the school you most want to apply to SCEA, as you can’t apply to more than one school early (except your state’s flagship public university).
re-Posting my reply from a similar thread:
If you are very interested, I might recommend a book called “The Early Admissions Game”. Written by two Harvard Professors and one Wesleyan Admissions Dean, it is very well researched and data-driven and they had access to data that was not publicly available.
I found it among the most useful books of the many I (continue to) read on the subject of admissions, and it covers the entire process to some degree.
If you want "Postmodern’s Summary of the Book’s Conclusions"™:
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In most cases, applying Early Decision provides a significant benefit to aspiring applicants to highly competitive schools.
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However, overall the process benefits the schools more than the student, particularly WRT financial aid
Hope this helps.
Different SCEA/REA schools may have different restrictions on what other EA applications are allowed or disallowed. Currently, HYPS do not restrict the SCEA/REA applicant from applying EA to any public universities.
https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/apply/application-timeline/restrictive-early-action
http://admissions.yale.edu/single-choice-early-action
https://admission.princeton.edu/applyingforadmission/single-choice-early-action
http://admission.stanford.edu/application/decision_process/restrictive.html
However, Tulane, when it had SCEA (no longer does; has ED instead), was more restrictive on applying EA to public universities.
But Georgetown and Boston College are more lenient; applying EA there only means agreeing not to apply ED anywhere else, but does not restrict applying EA anywhere else (other than if the other school’s EA restrictions prevent that).
https://uadmissions.georgetown.edu/firstyear/early-action#3
http://www.bc.edu/admission/undergrad/process/freshman/deadlines.html
@T26E4 thank you! I still have yet to visit the remaining schools on my list but I think I have an idea of what my #1 is. I’m actually worried about the first semester of my senior year bringing down my overall GPA. Oh, and just one more question. When you apply EA, do the college(s) see your senior year course load? Like, what classes you’re taking.
Yes. Indeed, it’s very important that you maintain a rigorous trajectory. You can’t waltz into EA with a 3.9 / 4.0 GPA and then take blow off classes in your 7th semester. auto reject for sure
Where you apply early is important. Take a look at the difference between Stanford’s SCEA admission rate and their overall admissions rate. The delta is not as significant as that for Harvard, Princeton, or Yale. Whatever “boost” applying early provides, it does not appear to be as helpful at Stanford
@T26E4 oh that’s good! I’m taking 5 AP’s and a historical research class, so if I apply early I at least want the school to see that I kept a rigorous schedule. I’m just worried that my grades may drop slightly because of the rigor…
@Wje9164be yeah totally. I wasn’t thinking of applying early to Stanford though. Too far (I live in NY).