I am a junior, and I was just trying to look at what school I should apply early decision to next year, but I couldn’t find anything of substance where people discussed the school they applied early to in preference to another and why they did so. So here it is. What school did you apply early to and why did you apply early here?
This thread is pointless. Apply early to the school you love the most. I applied ED to Cornell because I love everything about Cornell - the location, the curriculum, the prestige, the cost (cheaper for NYS residents), the classes, the program I applied to, the students, etc. I’m sure other people hate everything about Cornell for their own reasons. How does hearing where others applied early to aid you in any way?
Also, it’s Ivy, not IV if that’s what you were referring to. . .
@Jamesjunkers
I am sorry, if I seem ignorant. But what you are saying is the exact intention I made this thread with. I don’t come from a background where people have gone to schools all over the country. I have done some research over the internet, but I haven’t been able to decide which if any school I love more than another. I have not visited the campuses yet, and I was hoping that by posting this thread that maybe I could gain some insight at what motivated other students to love one school over another to see if I share some things in common with them. I really don’t think the thread is pointless, maybe I didn’t convey my intentions clearly enough.
Thanks for the insight into Cornell though! Can you go into more specifics about the points you listed? What of the curriculum, program, classes, and students appealed to you?
Make sure you are aware of the difference between ED and EA and the policy of the school you are applying to. Binding, nonbinding, restrictive EA.
Yes I have been! Thank you for the advice!
I was rejected from Cornell ED. I think the lesson to be learned here is that adcoms won’t admit you during an ED round if they wouldn’t have admitted you in the regular round. Although the acceptance rates are higher during ED, it is compensated by significantly higher acceptance rates for recruited athletes, legacies, and Questbridge applicants, which creates the illusion that doing ED can give you a huge boost to your chances of admittance. Not to mention, the ED pool tends to be more competitive overall than that of the regular round.
So, if you’re still considering applying ED, make sure it’s a school that you are genuinely interested in attending and not because it’ll boost your chance by a few percentage points.
@Wingachu
Thank you so much, that is insanely helpful. I have a better idea where not to apply ED now. Would you say that applying ED might even hurt might my chances?
ED is only appropriate if a school is your clear first choice, and you will not need to compare its financial aid offer with that of other schools. You agree to attend if you are admitted and the financial aid is sufficient; you must decide that generally before other schools give their decisions and financial aid offers.
REA or SCEA is non-binding, but you agree not to apply EA to many other schools (the exact restrictions vary) or ED anywhere.
EA lets you know your admission early, but you have until the usual May 1 to decide.
ED or REA or SCEA can show a higher “level of applicant’s interest” than a regular or EA application.
I think you’re approaching this backwards. Don’t go into your search looking for a school to apply ED/EA. Make your list of schools. IF AND ONLY IF, as @ucbalumnus says, a school is a clear first choice, then apply to that school early. If that school’s early admission program is a binding one, then you also need to make sure that you have run the NPC and know you won’t need to compare FA awards. Also, ED/EA is most successful if you are a competitive applicant for that school and have all your testing done, and don’t need to wait for the fall semester of your senior year to bring up your GPA or polish your EC’s.
EA is non-binding, so a student can apply to a school EA without it being a clear first choice. It is ED where one should only apply to a clear first choice. Of course, with EA, one has to pay attention to any special rules of the school if it is REA or SCEA.
Tbh I applied to Yale early because only three Ivy schools are non-binding (Harvard, Yale, and Princeton), and of the three, I liked Yale the most. Don’t get me wrong, I love Yale, but if Penn hadn’t been binding, I’d probably have applied there early.
Thanks for the advice everyone. I’ll be honest, Columbia is really my number 1 pref. I’m not too worried about financial aid. If i can bring up my GPA after fall semester even more should I just apply regular or will I increase my chances having a little lower gpa and applying early?