<p>Your first paragraph espouses a very divided student body with high-income, high stats (let’s ignore that income and SATs/GPAs aren’t as well correlated the higher you get up the scale. i.e. while you can say that middle-income students have higher SATs than low-income it is FAR tougher to argue that upper-class trumps upper-middle class) and low-income, low stats. This is essentially a Jim Crow school - separate but equal in the most classic of senses. I am not saying you aren’t right or that we shouldn’t pursue students who can pay the whole tuition, but there are some socio-cultural effects to consider.</p>
<p>Your second paragraph is also debatable. I am not sure that ED students are “more dedicated”. I was an RD kid who ranked NU 7th of the 9 or 10 schools I applied to. When I applied, I had no intention of going. Long story short, I am one of the most school-spirited people I know. As a former tour guide and involved in assorted student activities, I am working on getting on assorted alumni boards. </p>
<p>I think what makes school spirited students and involved alumni is not based on whether or not you love NU when you are 17 yrs old. I am a strict adherent of the belief that some people are bound to love the college experience, some will be underwhelmed by it, and a third group will have their happiness determined by circumstances. I would have loved whatever school I went to (I considered everything from Hopkins to UT-Austin). I think NU has unique things that clicked with me, but I probably would have been a tour guide and an active alumni anywhere.</p>
<p>Don’t hate on the RD kids because of what they thought when they had no idea what the college experience would be like. </p>
<p>Sidenote to any applicants who are reading this - I am going to spoil the surprise but you have no idea what college is like. You might get into your Dream School and hate it. You might go to your backup and fall in love with it.</p>