Harvard is my #1 dream school, and Brown comes at a close second. I know ED might give me a tiny boost and REA basically doesn’t. If I apply to Harvard REA and don’t get in, I know I’ll regret not doing the more advantageous ED option. However, if (I’m fortunate enough to) get into ED for Brown, I know I’ll be happy, but there will always be that what if? kind of feeling…What should I do?
I think you should apply to your favorite, assuming you know it would be comfortably affordable and you don’t have any interest in comparing offers.
In this case, I think Brown makes it easy for you:
Are my chances for admission increased if I apply Early Decision?
Our pool of early applicants tends to include a very high proportion of exceptionally talented students and a higher rate of admission for Early Decision applicants reflects that phenomenon. However, it does not imply an automatic advantage for all early candidates. We admit Early Decision applicants only when we are confident that we would offer them admission as a Regular Decision applicant.
Brown is saying there is no ED “boost”, and that the statistics are just a function of a different mix of applicants in different pools. And I personally believe them.
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First question before you apply ED anywhere: What is your budget? If it is anything other than “full pay”, then have you run the NPCs and do they show both schools as affordable?
Second question: What do you like about Harvard? Why is it your “dream school”?
Third question: What do you like about Brown?
Fourth question: What is your intended major, or likely majors?
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Not a fan of dream schools. Have you visited ? There are many great schools - with both good and bad components and likely many schools where most kids can excel.
I agree with @DadTwoGirls - curriculum wise alone these two are different. So what do you love about each ?
But the way you asked the question, Harvard will be the answer because why would you eliminate the possibility of being able to apply to your #1??
That said and I know nothing about you, both are unlikely for all.
But and make sure you’ve visited and don’t just have a fantasy from name / reputation - to me, REA is the no brainer assuming you’ve visited and assured affordability.
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Only apply ED to your absolute no. 1 choice. Anything else does not make sense, especially with Brown explicitly stating that ED confers zero advantage to your chances of admission as pointed out by the previous comment.
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This is not what Brown says…
This is what Brown says.
“However, it does not imply an automatic advantage for all early candidates”
In other words there isn’t an automatic advantage and any advantage that does exist may vary.
If you actually speak to AOs at Brown they will tell you that there is an advantage to ED for most unhooked candidates and remind you that the acceptance standards are however the same. They have far more qualified candidates than spots and by RD they have to turn them away at greater percentages as spots are filled ED.
If your first choice is Brown, it is affordable and you are qualified your best chance of applying is ED. If your first choice is Harvard by all means apply there early. Take your best shot.
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The easy answer here is to pick your favorite and apply early there. Trying to figure out if either school gives a tiny advantage statistically seems an inconsequential exercise. Pick one and don’t look back and have no regrets. Good luck!
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If you apply REA to Harvard and get accepted, you can still apply RD to Brown.
If you apply ED to Brown and get accepted, you are done…no more applications.
So, if you want the chance to apply to both…the only way you can do so with an early application for these two colleges is to REA to Harvard, and RD to Brown.
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My kid was a “what if” also so did not ED to Brown, but did REA to Yale so he could see all options including merit at end. Those were top choices. Only way to know all options is to do REA to Harvard.
My sense of Brown is that they are the same as Yale, their podcast says the early applications are high quality and have done a good job of establishing they are a good fit for the school, and therefore that is the very slight perceived bump.
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