Which is better for me - RD or SCEA?

Colleges & Universities Stanford University
1

<p>I would like to be a part of Stanford’s class of 2017…
What is the best time to apply for a non-recruited athlete, non-legacy student like me?</p>

<p><em>Some of these figures are projections based on practice testing</em></p>

<p>[ b]Stats:[ /b][ list]
[ *] SAT I (by section): 770 CR | 800 M | 770 WR (superscore)
[ *] SAT IIs: 800 Math II | 780 Chem | 780 Physics
[ *] GPA, Weighted and Unweighted: 4.0 UW | 4.52 W
[ *] Rank: 1/310 (Tied val. with 6-7 others, my school is weird)
[ *] AP Tests: AP Calc AB (5), AP Chem (5), AP Macro (5), AP Micro (5), APUSH (5)
[ *] Senior Yr Courseload: Honors Anatomy (no AP), AP Chem, AP English 12, AP Calculus BC, AP US Government, Honors Band *may take Honors Statistics or Biology (My school offers APs starting Junior year)
[ *] Number of Apps from Your School: 2 others, *neither will apply SCEA
[ *] Other stats (Awards, etc.): National Merit Scholar Finalist, AP Scholar with Distinction</p>

<p>[ /list][ b]Subjective:[ /b][ list]
[ *] ECs listed on app: Cross Country (JV 9-10, V 11-12), Track (JV 11, V 12), Marching band (9-12) (Section leader), Chess club (Wind Ensemble (11-12), Piano (8 years), Guitar (4 years), PADI-certified SCUBA diver
[ *] Job/Work Experience: Nonpaid intern in research lab at Pitt, Waiter for one summer
[ *] Volunteer Experience: Volunteer escort in ER at UPMC Hospital (400 hrs.), Volunteer EMT (300 hrs.)
[ *] Hook (TASP, RSI, Research, etc.): ??</p>

<p>[ /list][ b]Location/Person:[ /b][ list]
[ *] State or Country: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (WIll this help me?)
[ *] School Type, Average Stats of School (if available): Public, In top 500 in US
[ *] Ethnicity: White
[ *] Gender: Male
[ *] Income Bracket: Middle Class
[ *] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): ??
[ *] Strengths: Test scores
[ *] Weaknesses: ECs? FEW LEADERSHIP POSITIONS?</p>

<p>So, which is right for me… SCEA or RD?</p>

2

<p>Hey man,
I say go for RD.
In some senses, while SCEA has a higher acceptance rate, it’s more selective. This is because you are competing with the VERY BEST in the nation, even more so than with RD.
Now, you’ve got nice stats & look good on paper, but i find that your lack of Leadership and lack of significant EC’s doesn’t make you a very appealing SCEA applicant.
Stanford has enough peeps with stellar stats–they want those who do things truly extraordinary. If you can write nice essays, maybe you could get in RD.</p>

<p>You never know! the top tier schools are often unpredictable. !!</p>

3

<p>Thanks Jdawg9999. I just thought that SCEA would make me one of few PA applicants in that pool.</p>

<p>Obviously, I have a lot more time to round out my college applications. Does anyone have suggestions as to what I am missing (leadership, major awards?) </p>

<p>Also - Does applying from a state like PA help for Stanford? Or do they have plenty of applicants from states way out here? Everyone I know have parents who will not let them apply somewhere as far away as Stanford…</p>

4

<p>bump</p>

<p>Seriously, nobody else has a quick opinion on this??</p>

5

<p>I’d like to hear what other people have to say about this. I’m also in the northeast, and I always figured that if you have the option to do some sort of early application, it’s better than regular in all senses…but am I wrong?</p>

6

<p>Binding ED can give an edge at schools that have it (many top LAC’s, some ivies, etc.) because accepted students are obliged to attend without a financial aid package to compare with other choices. Additionally, this boosts yield for the college. Non-binding EA gives the college little benefit except getting the strongest applicants (including athlete recruits) jazzed about attending. Consider RD so as to avoid outright rejection in SCEA and to have choices in the spring.</p>

7

<p>^ I would be interested to know if there is any hard evidence to suggest that applying early would increase the chances of rejection for the average applicant. I doubt it. Of course the early group is slightly better on average, but it seems impossible that a student who would get in rd would somehow get rejected if they applied early. </p>

<p>That said, i don’t know if applying early helps, either. It seems like it should be a small boost, but I don’t know. Also, OP your stuff and mine is pretty similar and I got accepted. Of course, I just got lucky (basically), but you certainly have some chance.</p>

8

<p>Your stats are great, but you really never know. I know a lot of amazing people who got rejected in the early admit pool–it was brutal where I lived. I would do RD, especially since Stanford’s is SCEA…apply EA to some other private schools as safeties/matches!</p>

9

<p>Is Stanford absolutely your first choice? Then you should apply SCEA. If not, then apply RD. You have a strong profile, so you should have a good chance at either. More often than not, attempting to game the system to maximize your chances backfires. So it’s just best to apply according to the guidelines: if it’s your first choice, apply early. If not, apply RD.</p>

10

<p>Thanks for the opinions. I believe I will apply EA to other schools instead. That said, should I apply to my ultimate first choice, Harvard, in hopes that I don’t have to worry anymore, or should I not apply anywhere SCEA? That way I could apply to more matches EA like UNC and Boston College?</p>

<p>Does it ever hurt to apply early, like if you applied RD you would have had another good thing/score on your app?</p>