Where to apply early?

Applying to College
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<p>In short, I'm having trouble deciding where to apply early, as I'd rather not miss this opportunity and go straight to regular decision. Feel free to respond without reading through the mass of text below. I included a list of where I'm applying below.</p>

<p>Preliminary information:
I want to go to college. I want to major in physics.
I'm considering either applying to medical school or pursuing a PhD in physics upon graduating.
My dream school is MIT.
SAT: 2130 (CR:680, Math:720, WRT:730)
ACT Composite: 30
Retaking ACT, might retake SAT, taking SAT subject testss for the first (and likely only) time in October.
Attended TASS summer of '09. Attended SSP summer of '10.
EC's are mediocre.</p>

<p>Hopefully that's enough preliminary information. So here's a (fairly rough) list of colleges I'm considering applying to. It's still pretty long and I think I may clear out a few of them before I finally begin applying:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>(I) University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Early Action – Nonrestrictive (32%+5.9%)</p></li>
<li><p>(I) *Wake Forest
Early Action – Nonrestrictive (38%+3.9%)</p></li>
<li><p>(I) *Duke University
EARLY DECISION (19%+13.9%)</p></li>
<li><p>(O) *Johns Hopkins
EARLY DECISION (27%+23.25%)</p></li>
<li><p>(O) *UPENN
EARLY DECISION (17%+17%)</p></li>
<li><p>(O) *Cornell
EARLY DECISION (19%+18%)</p></li>
<li><p>(O) *Columbia
EARLY DECISION (10%+12.5%)</p></li>
<li><p>(O) **Brown
EARLY DECISION (11%+11.3%)</p></li>
<li><p>(O)<strong><em>MIT</em></strong>**
Early Action – Nonrestrictive (11%+0.5%)</p></li>
<li><p>(O) **CalTech
Early Action – Nonrestrictive (15%+???%)</p></li>
<li><p>(O) *U Chicago
Early Action – Nonrestrictive (27%+9.2%)</p></li>
<li><p>(O) **Boston College
Early Action – RESTRICTIVE (30%+6.3%)</p></li>
<li><p>(O) **Rice University
EARLY DECISION (22%+13.3%)</p></li>
<li><p>(I) *NC State
Early Action – Nonrestrictive (55%+???%)</p></li>
<li><p>(O) *Penn State – University Park
NO EARLY APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED</p></li>
<li><p>(O) *Rutgers University
NO EARLY APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED PRIOR TO DECEMBER 1st</p></li>
<li><p>(O) **University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
Early Action – Nonrestrictive (50%+???)</p></li>
</ol>

<ul>
<li>= Safety
** = Match
*** = Reach
(I) or (O) are instate/out of State respectively.</li>
</ul>

<p>Below each school is their early application policy, followed by their regular decision acceptance rate + the difference between regular and early admissions rates (so the sum of the two numbers in the parentheses is equal to their early acceptance rate).</p>

<p>So after compiling all this information (from collegeboard mainly) I can't seem to decide what to do. I mean, there's only one school on the list that has restricted early action, and I'm not in love with Boston College so much, so in all likelihood I'm not going to apply early there. I'm thinking of applying early to all of the nonrestrictive places. That does, however, leave me open to apply Early Decision to one school, should I wish to do so. That's where I'm most conflicted. I'm not sure whether or not to apply ED somewhere, and if so, where.</p>

<p>I understand what each of the early policies entails, but amongst the mass of insane reach schools that I have no chance at on my list, I wonder whether it would be smart applying ED to some school that I, at this point, have little-to-no chance to getting into. In doing so, if I got into that school, I likely would have no objection with being "forced" to attend (I can imagine myself complaining about being accepted into Brown, or Columbia, or Duke).</p>

<p>But MIT is my dream school, and if I were to get accepted there (which is far more than a long shot, it's probably one of the least likely schools on the list for me to get into) while being accepted ED somewhere else, it would leave a seriously bitter aftertaste.</p>

<p>On top of that, if I'm going to apply ED somewhere else (as MIT doesn't have an ED policy), it would be far more likely (or at least somewhat more likely) for me to get in ED there than regular at MIT (or early for that matter looking at the difference between regular and early admission rates at MIT). The same can be said for many other schools that I wouldn't be applying ED to. So, would there be that much of a point applying to those longshot schools?
As if by some outstanding amount of luck my application is regarded as brilliant, and I am accepted into MIT or some other difficult school, wouldn't the school I'm applying ED to also be even more likely to accept me?</p>

<p>All this is plaguing me. Oh, I'm also planning on applying to questbridge, and while I hold no delusions of standing a chance in the National College match process, there is the regular decision part of the application process which further complicates things, but I'm still trying to make some sense out of all of that.</p>

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<p>Early Decision or Early Action should only be used if the college you’re going to apply to is you “dream school,” and money is not an issue.</p>

<p>I think you should apply to MIT Early Action, since it is the one school you want to go the most.</p>

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<p>Ask yourself: Would you rather have a 10% chance of winning $10 million, or a .1% chance of winning $15 million?</p>

<p>Also,

</p>

<p>I know that MIT is your dream school. But- not to be rude or anything- you need to know that given your stats, you aren’t exactly in a position to complain if you are accepted ED into one of these schools along with MIT.</p>

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<p>That was totally supposed to say “(I <em>can’t</em> imagine myself complaining…)”.
Darn typos. Though the earlier part of the sentence I would have hoped would have vouched for me: “if I got into that school, I likely would have no objection with being ‘forced’ to attend”.</p>

<p>But to be honest while I would be glad to attend any of these schools, I know myself well enough to know that I’d be bothered if I was accepted into MIT but had to withdraw my application.
That being said, I am well aware that this realistically won’t happen. But if I’m going to hold this mentality, why bother applying to MIT, UPENN, [insert name of school I won’t be applying to ED] at all?</p>

<p>Why buy a $75 lottery ticket with a 1/1000 chance of winning $15 million when I’m going to be buying another $75 lottery ticket with a 1/10 chance of winning $10 million that I’ll be forced to accept and abandon all other prize money I may earn from other tickets? I’m likely to win that $10 million a hundred times before I’m likely to win the $15 million, and so it renders the whole point of applying to a lot of schools moot.</p>

<p>Using your scenario the logical choice would definitely be to apply ED somewhere, but extending the logic, I don’t see a reason to apply to many of my reach schools or my “dream” school either. And, I honestly can’t accept not taking whatever remote shot there is at MIT.</p>

<p>And of course cognitive dissonance won’t let me be at peace without resolving this.</p>

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<p>I didn’t see your uw GPA listed anywhere, did I overlook it somewhere?</p>

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<p>Oh my bad,
Rank: 2/~410
Standard Public High School
UW GPA: 3.92
W GPA: 5.1/6.00
“Class Rigour”… The difficulty of classes has never really come up when deciding which to take, but I have taken several AP’s (7) and honors courses (12). Eight classes per year so that’s out of 24. But, yeah, not terribly impressive so I don’t think this helps my case too much.</p>

<p>I’ve been keeping the info on a pretty slim basis as flooding my stats here doesn’t seem like it’d be terribly helpful in making a decision. Though, I could be wrong and have no problem with sharing.</p>

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<p>

</p>

<p>Oh ok, sorry then. I read your post quickly and didn’t notice where you said you’d have no objection.</p>

<p>Anyways, here’s the deal. Only ED if you are willing and happy to attend regardless of any other school’s admittance. Sure, if I were you and got into Hopkins or Brown or Duke ED, and then got into MIT, I would feel bummed for a little while. But at the same time, I would be completely happy attending my ED school. </p>

<p>Now having said that, my advice is that you apply ED to a school you like, and hold all other apps until you get a decision. That way, if you get in, you won’t waste money on app fees, and you also won’t feel the “bitter aftertaste” of knowing you could have gone to MIT. If you don’t get in, then it’s a regular app process from then on.</p>

<p>However, like you said, if you really want to apply to MIT regardless, then it’s a decision of whether ED is worth it or not.</p>

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<p>i don’t see why you wouldn’t just apply to all your early action schools, since they are all nonrestrictive. rank the EA schools you’d most want to go to, and then do those applications in that order. if you have more time and are more efficient, maybe you’ll be able to finish all your EA apps by the time of the deadline. if not, then at least you will be able to submit your EA apps to the schools you really really want to get into.</p>

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<p>In short, I’m having trouble deciding where to apply early… </p>

<p>The fact that you said you needed help on where to apply early tells me you shouldn’t apply ED but apply EA (non-restrictive) instead. You have a nice mix of reach, match, and safety schools. I’d go EA and know your status on several schools that you will be accepted to or not, sooner than later…</p>

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<p>@dd1993
Oh no problem at all. My fault for the typo. I think I can see where you’re coming from. I’m not sure the “what if…” would plague me too much to go through with your plan, though it definitely sounds like one of the smartest ways for me to go about this.</p>

<p>@Jshain (and brownman23)
I can also see what you mean. I’m tempted to go forward with applying EA to the nonrestrictives on my list, as it will mean I get a shot at all of these schools without having to commit before hearing what they have to say about my application. But I’m not sure I’m entirely willing to pay the price of missing out on the boost that applying ED could give me.</p>

<p>@stridegum
I definitely think I’ll be going through with all the EA nonrestrictives. My main conflict is with whether or not to go forward with applying Early Decision as well, or not.</p>

<p>Definitely thanks for all the feedback thus far. I think it’s clearing up a bit for me, but I am a bit conflicted still. Anything else will be appreciated, but all this has been awesome as it is :D.</p>

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<p>I know this thread is kind of dead, but I just wanted to say that I am in the exact same predicament you are in, whether to EA MIT (my dream school, but the EA acceptance rate is basically the same as the RD acceptance rate) or to ED Columbia (probably my second choice and with a much higher ED acceptance rate). Decisions are so hard to make :(</p>

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<p>Everyone needs to understand the much higher ED rates are because of hooked candidates. The average candidate’s chances do not doubler triple and are not increased at all at several highly selective schools.</p>

<p>ED can be used as a strategy if you are happy to attend the school. The school doesn’t need to be your number one dream school as some suggest.</p>

<p>But applying to an ED school as an unqualified candidate is just a waste of time. Nothing in what the OP here posted suggests he even has a remote chance at MIT or an ivy. He would be wise to ED at a school that is a smaller reach.</p>

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<p>moodragonx:</p>

<p>Don’t be too pessimistic about your chances @MIT. I mean you are accepted to SSP, and there has to be a reason for that right? I don’t get why people say you have almost no chance of being admitted to MIT, so what type of “perfect” candidates are they looking for anyway? If you really have a passion for math/science, they might just help you get into MIT. If I were you I would apply to MIT, Caltech and Chicago and save the ED schools for later.</p>

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<p>^ Nopurpose, Perhaps they said that because the OP’s Math SAT was at the 25%ile of accepted students and the CR was about the 40%ile. Caltech would be worse (below the 25%ile on both scores).</p>