<p>@SouthernBelleEM: I would respectfully suggest that EA – and the only university (Duke) with which I quite familiar has long utilized ED, not EA, so I am not an expert – makes so little difference, if ANY, as to be essentially discounted. Neither party (candidate or university) accepts any special obligation(s); without such commitments, I do not feel any “increased interest” exists. Specifically:
• From the applicant’s perspective, he receives an advanced indication of admissions viability at that university, but he has taken no action(s) that can be relied upon by the institution in further decision making during that annual “acceptance cycle.”
• From the university’s perspective, since it likely applied only standards very similar to its RD criteria, it has not balanced an individual’s potentially enhanced institutional commitment with marginally altered acceptance standards. That harmonizing is the crux of ED, and it is entirely absent in EA.</p>
<p>I was accepted EA Georgetown this year and they told us that the EA acceptance rate was 18% which can’t be much higher than the normal rate. The EA pool is arguably more competitive as well so any benefit is basically negligible. Difficulty wise I applied to every school other than NU and was accepted. However I was waitlisted and then accepted by Duke.</p>
<p>@SeniorOhBoy From what I have read, I could be so very wrong, the RD acceptance rate for Georgetown was 16.5%, leading me to conclude that EA does help, no matter how negligible.
@toptier While I respect your opinion, I do believe that EA, has some impact. Whether it be so small it basically doesn’t matter, if there are two applicants of equal caliber and one has applied EA and one not, I do believe the EA would make a difference. As it is more probable to increase the university’s yield- due to the fact that it is more likely that applicant would attend.</p>