<p>I’ve been reading various threads, and it seems like people agree that you should apply EA or ED to a reach, but I was wondering just how much of a reach I should aim for.</p>
<p>For instance, if my college counselor as rated College A as a Possible and College B and a Reach (on a scale that (i think) goes likely-possible-reach-super reach–if anyone’s familiar with naviance, feel free to correct me), should I go for College A, or should I reach even higher for College B?</p>
<p>Non-binding EA usually does not create any real advantage over applying regular decision for your high ranked colleges that have EA (e.g., such as Harvard, Yale, Princton and Stanford. ED, however, usually does improve chances but not necessarily for someone who is a real reach to begin with. If you are in the school’s usual ranges for admission, then chances of being accepted ED are higher than RD; if you are below the usual middle 50% range, chances usually don’t improve much particularly at high ranked colleges.</p>
<p>You should not choose to do ED based on the college’s being a reach in relation to other colleges. ED is binding. Also, if you need financial aid, you may not get what you need. You should avoid ED unless you are truly committed to going to that particular college.</p>
<p>Thanks, very helpful!</p>
<p>ED could help if schools consider interest (like Emory) Acceptance rates are higher for early decision, but you also have to take into account that the applicant pool is usually a bit stronger than RD</p>