How beneficial is EA exactly?

wink
Thu, 16 Oct 2008 22:37:26 +0000

Well…EA can only work to your advantage if, firstly, your application is a good as it can possible be. Applying EA won’t compensate for hastily-written essays, for example. If you think you can significantly improve your application by waiting to apply RD, then that may be something you’ll want to consider.

Of course, a MUCH larger percentage of EA appicants are accepted, which probably to some degree has something to do with your level of interest. We don’t know how much this plays into the decision-making; probably very little now that a large chunk of EA applicants are Harvard/Princeton-minded kids.

Applying EA also means that, unless you are outright rejected, you’ll have two chances for acceptance. If you are deferred after EA, you have a couple weeks to think about the things you can do to help yourself stand out more or otherwise improve the image you are presenting to the university.

Then there is the argument that by applying EA, you will be competing against the more highly qualified applicants and legacies/athletes/etc. (which inflates the acceptance rate, of course) as opposed to the “oh-might-as-well-give-it-a-shot” applicants that make a last-minute choice to apply.

The choice is really up to you…