Where to apply Early Action?

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hi everyone-</p>

<p>I can’t seem to make up my mind about where to apply early action, and although the November 1 deadline is still a few months away, I don’t want to be waiting until the last minute. Here’s the dilemma:</p>

<p>Harvard has been my dream school for as long as I can remember; I want to study business/economics and they have one of the top-ranked econ programs. I also loved the campus and the diversity and talent of the student body; plus it is arguably the best school in the country, if not the world. Since Harvard is my first choice, it had seemed like a no-brainer to apply there Early Action; plus, based upon the statistics from the past few years, it seems the overall admit rate during EA is significantly higher than during RD. The problem is, though, that my parents are pushing for me to apply to Boston College EA. The reason for this is that BC offers a full-tuition Presidential Scholarship, which my guidance counselor told me that I am a strong candidate for. There is no separate application; yet you must apply Early Action in order to be considered as a finalist for the scholarship. Although my parents respect that BC may not be my first choice, they think that I should at least put myself out there for the scholarship, and I can apply elsewhere via regular decision and make my choice based upon where I get accepted/where I may get offered money. </p>

<p>I have a younger brother and sister that also need to be put through college in a few years, so obviously it would be a huge relief if I were to get the scholarship. I love BC, but it’s not my first choice. Although applying EA to BC wouldn’t prevent me from applying to Harvard RD, I just feel like I have no chance at all at that point, since recently the RD admissions rate has been something like 3% while they fill almost half their class early. Although Harvard says that an individual students’ admission outcome will be the same no matter when they apply, I still feel like applying EA is my best shot for acceptance. Maybe it’s all in my head though, and maybe the higher EA admit rate really is due to a more qualified applicant pool. On the other hand, my chance of getting the Presidential Scholarship at BC is absolutely zero if I don’t apply early.</p>

<p>I know this decision may wind up being fairly insignificant, as the odds of me either getting into Harvard or getting the scholarship at BCA are both extraordinarily slim. Yet I’d still like some feedback. I don’t want to lose out on certain opportunities due to not fully thinking this through. What would you do in this situation? Thanks.</p>

2

<p>This is a tough situation. I think you need to sit down with your parents and have a serious discussion about finances. There’s a big difference between wanting merit-based financial aid and really needing it to make tuition doable. </p>

<p>First I would ask if you expect to receive any need-based aid from Harvard. If you don’t know ask your parents to run a net price calculator to determine how much you might be eligible for. That figure – your estimated family contribution – is what you should use to compare the cost of a Harvard education to BC’s Presidential Scholarship.</p>

<p>Second, I would pose a “what if” question: What if you got the BC scholarship AND got accepted to Harvard RD at whatever cost your EFC turns out to be. Will your parents really allow you to choose? Or is the money going to be the determining factor? If you’re not clear on this point now, you could be headed toward serious disappointment later.</p>

<p>These are difficult questions, but it’s much better to face them now when you have time to come up with alternatives. If you have what it takes to get into Harvard then you have a chance at any college/university in the country. Many excellent schools offer merit aid, so the choice is not only between Harvard and BC.</p>

<p>Even though the perceived advantage of Harvard SCEA over RD may be “in your head,” it’s still your head and it will be hard to rationalize around it. You don’t want to be in the position of regretting giving Harvard your best shot.</p>

<p>So talk to your parents some more about the money. Understand how your EFC will impact your family. And most importantly start researching other schools that are generous with merit money.</p>

3

<p>Getting into Harvard SCEA is not easier than getting in RD (and if it is, only by very little). They ask themselves while evaluating SCEA applicants, “would we accept applicant X during the RD round?” A very self-selected pool applies SCEA, which includes applicants like Tim Doner (he speaks over 20 languages), who has gotten quite some press over the last two years.</p>

<p>So there you go. Apply EA to BC.</p>