I am looking at early decision-ing to one of my top choices. My top choices are currently Cornell, Columbia, UPenn, Carnegie, and Georgia Tech for computer engineering and another minor/major in business. Since I can only ED into one I want to choose the right one. Which of my choices would I have the greatest advantage for if I ED? Thank you in advance and here are my stats!
SAT: 2130 (800M, 690W, 640R)
ACT: 35C (35W, 35M, 33R, 36S, 10W)
SAT II: 760M lvl 2, 780 Physics
GPA: 3.8 UW, 4.4W
Class Rank: top 3%
AP (place score in parenthesis): Calc BC(5) Lang(4) PhysicsB&C(5,5) US history(4) Micro and Macro economics(4,4) Statistics (5), Lit (4), Comp Sci (4)
You have pretty good stats, nice job!
I could tell you that you’d most likely get in at Cornell if you did ED, but that would be wrong because the early programs were made for kids who knew for a fact the school they would attend above all others no matter what. And such they applied early and made a commitment to that school (with exception of EA). If you’re unsure though, your best bet would be to apply RD where you aren’t bound to any school and can pick from a host of schools when decisions are released. Applying ED does go in your favor and your probablilities of being admitted increase considerably, just look at the ED acceptance rates over RD. However in your case, the best method would be to: Research your favorite institutions, visit the campus, and THEN apply to that one dream school that you would always pick over the others hands down. Get excited about it. I wouldn’t be surprised if you fared well during the admissions rounds.
haha thank you very much! What you said makes a lot of sense. I am visiting all of those campuses by the end of the summer and I have done research and do have favorites. UPenn Cornell and Columbia all have financial aid packages that are suitable for me and having visited all three I know I love all three. The only difference I have found is the rating of the programs at each school. Cornell being the best engineering school out of the three would be my first choice, however I am eager to attend any of the three and therefore want to use my one ED in a way that I had the best shot to get into one of those 3. So I believe you said Cornell gives me the best shot and thats perfect! Also, how hard is it to get into Georgia Tech RD. I am keen on going there as it is a top ranked college for engineering, the only issue may be the location and thats why I am going to RD there. Thank you very much!!!
IMO if you have to ask where you should ED then you shouldn’t. An ED choice should be your #1 choice over all others. And if you need to compare FA offers you definitely shouldn’t go ED. Have you run the Net Price Calculators on each schools’ web site?
Agreed, IMO you should only apply ED if there is one school that is a clear choice above all the others and it should look like the school will be affordable. People who use ED to try to get in “somewhere good” early often regret not having the chance to see what happens at the other schools they loved.
You can ED at the school a) you really want and b) that you are sure you can afford.
Research them all more first to figure out (a).
Try to get an early read for Financial Aid at the school(s) you narrow it down to to figure out (b).
Just remember that above all, ED is a commitment to attend. If getting into a prestige school is the most important factor and you like, say, 5 equally well, then pick the one where you have the best chance statistically. If you can afford it.
A word of caution, though. Numbers of applicants can vary pretty substantially from year to year, so data from past years may not be a reliable indicator for the year in which you are applying.
romeo,
your stats are typical of those who apply to such Reach schools i both ED and RD rounds. Any non-hooked student (not in one of the 4 set-aside categories) applying in the Early round will be compared with intellectual super-stars, not just very-good stat students. I would not apply in the Early Round unless you know for a fact that your recommenders consider you qualitatively (not quantitatively) above the rest of the students in your class.
For colleges lower down in rank, where either the mean or the average stats will be a little lower than yours, then ED is a good idea if you’re completely sold on the school as an excellent option, and only then.
The biggest myth in this business is that ED “helps.” It only helps if you are either one of the 4 categories OR you are superlative in all areas (grades, scores, extracurriculars, and above all, intellectual engagement which is apparent at your school). Your SAT breakdown is not that great. The ACT is an easier test in the verbal area, much easier.
Your chances at the ED round are significantly higher than those at RD. As an example, for Penn slightly more than 1/2 the class was already selected during the ED round – 1319 out of a final count of approximately 2500. So if you can comfortably answer the question you’ve asked you can definitely improve your chances at the most selective colleges on your list. Weigh the answer with the likelihood of acceptance for RD. And if your RD chances are “good” for a particular college which is “secondary” on your list apply RD to that college. My sense from your email is that is the way you’re thinking.
Based on your stats Cornell seems like the best tradeoff for ED versus RD, with Carnegie Mellon next. Both Penn and Columbia are very selective and even exceptional stats such as yours may not give you a high enough boost during ED.
You should pose your question to your college counselor, if you haven’t done so already
“Your chances at the ED round are significantly higher than those at RD. As an example, for Penn slightly more than 1/2 the class was already selected during the ED round – 1319 out of a final count of approximately 2500.”
It’s not about some rootless mathematical calculation. It’s about COMPLETELY DIFFERENT APPLICANT POOLS.
The contest in the Early Round is fundamentally different from the contest in the Regular Round for the most selective colleges, which is where the OP wants to apply. Approximately half of the ED applicants to highly selective colleges are already Hooked applicants, meaning that given their special categories, the criteria for their admission is differs markedly from the standards for non-Hooked students. Smart Hooked students are aware of their advantage in applying Early, because this is the specific round during which colleges seek those hooked students. Period.
And smart non-hooked students who know that they will be looked at as qualitatively different from merely high scorers and those with high grades (a dime a dozen) also know that this is their “more sure” opportunity because the most selective colleges do not want to lose true super-stars during the early round, forfeiting the college’s opportunity to snag them before the Regular Round, when the field is larger and the offers from colleges plentiful.
“You should pose your question to your college counselor, if you haven’t done so already.”
I’m a college counselor.
Romeo, which do you prefer: Cornell or GA Tech? (For a program and for all other aspects, not just “name,” although naturally that would be a consideration also.) Cornell is excellent for business, but it would be the highest level college on your list I would seek, if I were you. Without more to your profile (unless you are leaving a lot out), and without significant additions to that profile later, I would not apply ED to Columbia or Penn. COMPARED TO THE OTHER NON-HOOKED APPLICANTS IN THAT PARTICULAR ROUND, you will look just Meh, and therefore will get deferred from those 2 colleges. For GA Tech, you’re a good bet for ED.
Interesting insights @Epiphany Question for you (likely can’t be answered If you are unhooked, is it pretty much 6 of one, half-dozen of another whether you apply ED vs. RD? And once you’ve answered that tough question, how about this: Is it better for an unhooked applicant to apply ED, get deferred, and then takes chances in RD? Or just start with RD?
Have you considered how easy it would be at each of these schools to major in computer engineering while also majoring (or minoring) in business? By that I mean, first, is it even allowed at all these schools? Second, would it be possible to meet all requirements in 4 years, while still keeping a reasonably high GPA?
First of all, thank you to everyone for replies! I do know ED is binding and everyone from my counselor to my parents have been telling me the same thing, that ED is only an option if I am sure of the college. I have been doing research and have found through Net Price Calculators of each school that all are in my parent’s price range [I also looked at which scholarships I may get to come to a closer estimate of how much i would pay at each school.] After reviewing my options my first choice that I would commit to any day is Cornell; the programs it offers, the financial aid, the campus, and the location all are a perfect fit. However, if I do not get into Cornell, Columbia and UPenn would be my next choices. From what I have researched Columbia engineering seems to be the hardest to get into. However, UPenn really isnt known for engineering and since I do not want to enroll in Wharton (I just want a major/minor in business which is available) I feel it is easier for me to get into UPenn RD. Is this true? ALso Georgia Tech is looking to be my secondary option as a backup. Is it a good backup or is Georgia Tech too competitive in RD to be a backup? Also epiphany thank you for the advice of hooked vs. unhooked. I just am wondering what would make me a hooked applicant (from what I read its an advantage like ethnicity or legacy?) I do have other info I did not include like:
[ *] Senior Year Course Load: AP Stats, AP Physics C, AP lit, AP Macroecon, APComp Sci, Cermaics
[ *] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Presidential Volunteering Award
[ /list][ b]Subjective:[ /b][ list]
[ *] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Key Club 4 years (Board senior year) JV Swim (2 years) Robotics (4 years, captain senior year) Model UN (3 years, President as senior) National Honor Society, Deca (1 year)
[ *] Job/Work Experience: Kumon Learning Center (Freshman and Senior years)
[ *] Volunteer/Community service:about 500 hours (Religious School, Key Club, Robotics, Hospital)
[ *] Summer Activities: Bank of America Leadership Program
[ *] Essays: will write about how I am intrigued by the world of numbers, robotics, etc
[ *] Teacher Recommendation: should be solid (english and calc teachers)
[ *] Counselor Rec: should be solid
[ *] Additional Rec:mentor and english teacer, solid
Also like SouthernHope asked, is it better to take a shot at EA get deferred then RD? And fogcity, thank you very much! That is what I was asking, which college has the best tradeoff and I’m glad you said it is Cornell as that is my first choice. Thank you all!
If you are unhooked, is it pretty much 6 of one, half-dozen of another whether you apply ED vs. RD? And once you’ve answered that tough question, how about this: Is it better for an unhooked applicant to apply ED, get deferred, and then takes chances in RD? Or just start with RD?