<p>ExcitedG is misrepresenting the reality. His advice is ill-informed. </p>
<p>“2400+ recipients”</p>
<p>Yeah…</p>
<p>“Just separate yourself from the crowd and don’t rely too much on academics.”</p>
<p>That’s not really the correct way to stand out…</p>
<p>Even though Stanford does focus a lot on subjective elements (perhaps more so than the other highly selective schools), the academic portion of the application is BY FAR the most important aspect. This has been frequently conveyed by admissions officers at Stanford.</p>
<p>SCEA is only the correct option for those whose applications are in top form by November 1. If there is any chance (and in your case there is a lot, evidenced by the mere creation of this thread) that your scores could improve for the RD application period, the correct decision is always to wait unless you predict a sharp decline in your GPA first semester.</p>
<p>“You have to show Stanford that it’s your number one choice, and prove to them why you deserve to be at that school!”</p>
<p>First of all, applying SCEA does not indicate that Stanford is his number one choice; only ED does that. Second of all, the fact that someone applies SCEA does not prove that he or she deserves to attend nor does it prove why. I’m not sure why ExcitedG claimed that.</p>
<p>“Stay optimistic! You never know what might happen”</p>
<p>Being optimistic and realistic aren’t mutually exclusive. The ONLY benefit to applying early is to find out early. The applicants accepted early would get accepted RD and usually have some exceptional quality that makes them automatic admits. It is extremely rare for one to get accepted early with your stats (URM or otherwise). </p>
<p>It is by far the better option in your case to apply RD.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>