Hi,
I need help deciding where I should apply ED2 for regular decisions. I’m debating between Boston University, NYU, and Northeastern. I’m also applying as a business administration/marketing major with a 3.7 GPA, strong ecs, strong LORS, and a decent essay. (I’m not planning on submitting any SAT or ACT scores since I didn’t really do the best there). Which of these Colleges do I have the most chance of getting in with ED2.
ALSO
Demographics
US Citizen
California
Public Bay Area Highschool
Asian Female
Cost Constraints / Budget
I am planning to apply for Financial Aid
Intended Major(s)
Business - Marketing
GPA, Rank, and Test Scores
Unweighted HS GPA: 3.7
Weighted HS GPA: n/a (my high school does not do weighted GPAs)
Class Rank: n/a (my high school does not do class rank)
ACT/SAT Scores: 1300 SAT but will not submit
If all are affordable, apply to your top choice ED2. If unsure, apply to all RD.
This is the wrong question to ask. One shouldn’t have to ask where to get in ED2 because if one doesn’t have a clear cut favorite (and ensures it’s affordable), then they shouldn’t ED or ED2 anywhere.
So which is your favorite?
You are planning to apply for financial aid - but what does that mean? Did your family run the NPCs? Do they show an amount you can afford?
I believe NYU is need blind for domestic students but BU or NU are not. This means, at BU and NU, they can look at your need and factor that into their decision. So if the NPC says you’ll pay $10K a year and they’ll pay $80K, they can turn you down just for that.
But before you ED anywhere, your family needs to run the NPC.
Here’s the other thing - many people think ED helps and it likely does- but not as much as you think - because athletes and other invited kids are in those ED percentages.
Many also think - as an example - BU admitted 1936 in ED. 3268 enrolled - so assuming 100% enrollment of EDs (likely a tad less) but that’s 59% - so little left for RD (1,332)
Yet, in RD, they admitted - 6813 (or a tad more if less than 100% ED enrollment) - near 3.5 times what they admitted ED. Their RD yield was less than 20% - so they had to admit more than 5 times the amount of students they needed to enroll.
In other words, your odds are much better than some of the fear tactics they use (59% of our class is ED, etc.).
Full pay likely really helps at NU and BU.
My guess is and I don’t see your rigor, but you won’t get into any of the three. But that’s a guess.
But that’s irrelevant - you need to apply to the one that you truly love, if there is one you love - and the NPC shows your family can afford it.
Have you visited these three? Why these three?
If you like Northeastern, Drexel would be a likely and similar in philosophy and urbanness. If you like NYU/BU, GW might be somewhat of a similar. Then maybe Pitt. Of course, there are lots of urban schools from UMN to College of Charleston to VCU - and by urban, I mean, in the thick of the action. But of course, you have financial need. So you need a budget - and maybe do a chance me if you need help finding schools outside of ED.
I can’t see your rigor here to know what type of student you are - does it even make sense for you to apply to these - do you meet their minimum requirements?
What’s your highest level of English, Math, Science and Social Science - in fact, what classes have you taken in each.
Foreign Language - which and how many years?
Hope that helps. There’s not a right answer to your question unless it’s 100% the right school for you.
I might shy away from NYU personally though - because I think it’s more narrow in focus than the others - and not suited to your interests - at least when looking at aggregate #s.
Good luck.
Do you have a favorite between the three? Have you run the NPC to make sure each is affordable? I would apply ED2 to whichever one is your top choice.
ED is supposed to be used for your clear favorite of the schools that are realistic for admission (can be reach, but an unrealistic reach or out of reach school would be a waste of ED) and that are affordable (have you checked the net price calculator on each school?).
Since you have not indicated which school out of all you applied or plan to apply to is your favorite and have not indicated that you know that they will be affordable, it is hard for anyone here to answer your question.
Did you apply somewhere ED1? What was the result?
IMO you don’t have a reasonable chance at NYU Stern (assuming because business/marketing intent), based on what you have presented here, which isn’t much.
It would be helpful to know your rigor…what math class do you have senior year? Do you have four years in each of the five core subject areas? What proportion of core courses are honors/APs? Class rank? (estimate it if your school doesn’t publish it)
Big picture, no one knows at these schools if there is an ED2 admissions advantage for unhooked applicants so don’t feel the need to apply ED2. What does your HS counselor advise? Does your HS have a history of sending students with 3.7 GPAs to these low acceptance rate schools? Is the 3.7 GPA unweighted?
I think all three are very much long shots for you, NYU in particular.
I would recommend you look at schools with significantly higher acceptance rates such as Rutgers, University of Maryland, Wake Forest, UMass Amherst, William & Mary,…all of which have 25% acceptance rates or higher.
Rutgers RD deadline was Dec 1.
UMD EA was Nov 1 and 90% of admissions was accepted in EA in recent years. RD deadline is Jan 20.
Wake Forest EDII and RD deadline was Jan 1.
UMass Amherst has Jan 15 deadline.
William and Mary has Jan 5 Early Decision II and Regular Decision deadline.
Good points, and realistically most students were admitted by the EA/Priority deadline. Not to mention OP asked about ED2 
Wrt where to ED, I’d say Northeastern or BU, especially since both are quite different and thus should be easy to choose & barring that, running the NPC and picking the least expensive would work.
Boston or New York are both a long way to go for someone from California. Also, sometimes when traveling for example over Christmas / New Year’s vacation you will find your flights cancelled due to snow. We have noticed this quite a few times living up here in the northeast of the USA (including having this happen very recently).
I am not convinced that ED or ED2 are a good idea unless you have a clear favorite school. It sounds to me as if you are undecided between these three schools. Also, all of them are a long shot given your stats. While a 3.7 GPA is very good, and 1300 SAT is way above average, both are low for all of BU, NEU, and NYU.
And one daughter was accepted to two of these three schools (did not apply to the third), found them to be way over budget, went somewhere else, and found herself at a school that turned out to be a way better fit for her (and did very well).
And you have a lot of very good universities in California, and even more if you consider WICHE/WUE schools.
The most important thing at this date is that you already have applications in to safeties.
Otherwise I do not think that I would ED2 anywhere in your situation. However, if I did apply ED2 anywhere, it would be to whichever school you feel would be the best fit for you.
And this is critical unless your parents are fine with paying $400,000 over four years with no debt and no hardship.
While this is true, a lot of California kids specifically want to go to college in the Northeast and only or primarily apply to schools on the east coast. I know plenty who are attending New York/New England schools who had no desire to stay in CA for college.
