Anonymous
08/29/2025 12:09
Subject: Any point apply to SCEA if GPA/score is less than perfect?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anyone have a sense about ED at Swarthmore? My kid at non DMV, strong private, 1st in class (school gives award at end of jr year) with highest rigor and 1530 (800 V). Strong school ECs but nothing beyond.
Is it a complete waste?
at our private ppl (esp for val) don't waste ED at Swarthmore. Generally, get in RD.
Same, non-dmv private. No one ED SWAP unless hooked.
Anonymous
08/29/2025 12:08
Subject: Any point apply to SCEA if GPA/score is less than perfect?
Anonymous wrote:Anyone have a sense about ED at Swarthmore? My kid at non DMV, strong private, 1st in class (school gives award at end of jr year) with highest rigor and 1530 (800 V). Strong school ECs but nothing beyond.
Is it a complete waste?
Major? What type of school ECs? Is Swat the absolute #1 choice?
Anonymous
08/29/2025 12:04
Subject: Any point apply to SCEA if GPA/score is less than perfect?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anyone have a sense about ED at Swarthmore? My kid at non DMV, strong private, 1st in class (school gives award at end of jr year) with highest rigor and 1530 (800 V). Strong school ECs but nothing beyond.
Is it a complete waste?
at our private ppl (esp for val) don't waste ED at Swarthmore. Generally, get in RD.
It's not a waste if that's where they want to go.
Anonymous
08/29/2025 12:00
Subject: Any point apply to SCEA if GPA/score is less than perfect?
Anonymous wrote:Anyone have a sense about ED at Swarthmore? My kid at non DMV, strong private, 1st in class (school gives award at end of jr year) with highest rigor and 1530 (800 V). Strong school ECs but nothing beyond.
Is it a complete waste?
The ED acceptance rate is a whole lot better than RD. Don’t think it’s a waste if Swat has taken kids from your school in the past few years.
Anonymous
08/29/2025 11:59
Subject: Any point apply to SCEA if GPA/score is less than perfect?
Anonymous wrote:Anyone have a sense about ED at Swarthmore? My kid at non DMV, strong private, 1st in class (school gives award at end of jr year) with highest rigor and 1530 (800 V). Strong school ECs but nothing beyond.
Is it a complete waste?
at our private ppl (esp for val) don't waste ED at Swarthmore. Generally, get in RD.
Anonymous
08/29/2025 11:43
Subject: Any point apply to SCEA if GPA/score is less than perfect?
Anyone have a sense about ED at Swarthmore? My kid at non DMV, strong private, 1st in class (school gives award at end of jr year) with highest rigor and 1530 (800 V). Strong school ECs but nothing beyond.
Is it a complete waste?
Is it a complete waste?
Anonymous
08/29/2025 10:58
Subject: Any point apply to SCEA if GPA/score is less than perfect?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The other issue is there is very little advantage with SCEA unless you are hooked (athletes and legacies, questbridge).
I think a better question for your DC is whether it is better to apply ED to say Northwestern or Cornell where there is a boost for ED and perhaps your student may be the best student from your school applying?
Or Brown, Duke, Columbia, Rice, Vanderbilt.
Can a 3.85 from a top private with top rigor, 1560 get into schools listed above? Unhooked, good ECs but not amazing, good teachers rec, full pay
My big3 kid was rejected at Brown and Vanderbilt RD this cycle with that GPA and a 1550 (not even waitlisted). Top rigor in all subjects. Obscure humanities major that was backed by extracurriculars. Did not apply to Duke, Columbia or Rice.
If a girl I’m not surprised. Girls tend to have a much harder time in regular decision - even in the humanities. Boys in the humanities tend to luck out in regular decision.
ED2 often makes the most sense for girls.
Which T10 offers the best chance for a girl during EA/ED if majoring in chem or bio? Top private full pay no hook top stats
PP - this girl above wants (reaches) Yale, Pomona, Rice, Northwestern, in that order. What do you recommend for EA, ED, ED2, RD strategy to maximize chances?
The most pragmatic advice is to pick the easiest school you’d be pleased with and apply ED there. But it only works if you have the right personality (not a second-guesser) and would truly be pleased with getting in.
If she feels strongly about taking a shot at Yale I wouldn’t discourage her. However, keep in mind that Pomona ED2 is very hard. Barely more likely than Yale SCEA. So there’s a scenario some kids end up in where they are rejected or deferred SCEA, rejected or deferred ED2, and that’s a tough headspace for a couple months.
Anonymous
08/29/2025 10:05
Subject: Any point apply to SCEA if GPA/score is less than perfect?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Duke will take kids w 3.9 from our feeder if ED. Impossible outside ED
Vandy will take kids w 3.8 if ED. Impossible outside ED
UChicago will take kids with 3.7 and full pay ED.
ND and Georgetown will go to 3.75/3.8 RD but it's basically a straight GPA/SAT cut off on Naviance. BC too.
Dartmouth takes nobody.
HYP all will dip into the high 3.8s for legit interesting kids (I think they rely on LORs from our school from counselor). The quesbridge and athetlic recruits are off the chart (3.6ish)
Judging from the above, there is really no point for the near-perfect GPA kids to SCEA and giving up on the ED chances. How about MIT EA?
Or you can look at it the opposite way. (I'm the previous poster) My own unhooked (other than feeder, which is a hook) kid did SCEA to HYP and was admitted early. If the dream isn't duke, Vandy, Chicago .. (and others?) you dont have to ED from our school. If those are your dream, ED .. they have room for less than perfect kids during ED. Otherwise just EA all around, SCEA if you feel like it. I bet 70% of the kids from our HS doesn't find out til RD.
Anonymous
08/29/2025 09:58
Subject: Re:Any point apply to SCEA if GPA/score is less than perfect?
different feeder: big3
Duke will take kids w 3.95 from our feeder if ED. Impossible outside ED
Vandy will take kids w 3.9 if ED. 3.95 if outside ED
UChicago will take kids with 3.7 and full pay ED 1 or 2. Not sure about RD as almost no one applies then.
Georgetown will go to 3.7 REA or RD
ND will go to 3.8 (IF CATHOLIC) REA. If not Catholic--nope--all deferred until a 3.9. ND will go to 3.85 RD (If CATHOLIC), if not, not getting in with under 3.9 RD.
Dartmouth takes 3.9 ED and RD
HYP all will dip low for URM but otherwise are 3.9+ SCEA or RD
Duke will take kids w 3.95 from our feeder if ED. Impossible outside ED
Vandy will take kids w 3.9 if ED. 3.95 if outside ED
UChicago will take kids with 3.7 and full pay ED 1 or 2. Not sure about RD as almost no one applies then.
Georgetown will go to 3.7 REA or RD
ND will go to 3.8 (IF CATHOLIC) REA. If not Catholic--nope--all deferred until a 3.9. ND will go to 3.85 RD (If CATHOLIC), if not, not getting in with under 3.9 RD.
Dartmouth takes 3.9 ED and RD
HYP all will dip low for URM but otherwise are 3.9+ SCEA or RD
Anonymous
08/29/2025 09:50
Subject: Any point apply to SCEA if GPA/score is less than perfect?
Anonymous wrote:Duke will take kids w 3.9 from our feeder if ED. Impossible outside ED
Vandy will take kids w 3.8 if ED. Impossible outside ED
UChicago will take kids with 3.7 and full pay ED.
ND and Georgetown will go to 3.75/3.8 RD but it's basically a straight GPA/SAT cut off on Naviance. BC too.
Dartmouth takes nobody.
HYP all will dip into the high 3.8s for legit interesting kids (I think they rely on LORs from our school from counselor). The quesbridge and athetlic recruits are off the chart (3.6ish)
Judging from the above, there is really no point for the near-perfect GPA kids to SCEA and giving up on the ED chances. How about MIT EA?
Anonymous
08/29/2025 09:44
Subject: Any point apply to SCEA if GPA/score is less than perfect?
Anonymous wrote:Duke will take kids w 3.9 from our feeder if ED. Impossible outside ED
Vandy will take kids w 3.8 if ED. Impossible outside ED
UChicago will take kids with 3.7 and full pay ED.
ND and Georgetown will go to 3.75/3.8 RD but it's basically a straight GPA/SAT cut off on Naviance. BC too.
Dartmouth takes nobody.
HYP all will dip into the high 3.8s for legit interesting kids (I think they rely on LORs from our school from counselor). The quesbridge and athetlic recruits are off the chart (3.6ish)
Anonymous
08/29/2025 09:11
Subject: Any point apply to SCEA if GPA/score is less than perfect?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The other issue is there is very little advantage with SCEA unless you are hooked (athletes and legacies, questbridge).
I think a better question for your DC is whether it is better to apply ED to say Northwestern or Cornell where there is a boost for ED and perhaps your student may be the best student from your school applying?
Or Brown, Duke, Columbia, Rice, Vanderbilt.
Can a 3.85 from a top private with top rigor, 1560 get into schools listed above? Unhooked, good ECs but not amazing, good teachers rec, full pay
My big3 kid was rejected at Brown and Vanderbilt RD this cycle with that GPA and a 1550 (not even waitlisted). Top rigor in all subjects. Obscure humanities major that was backed by extracurriculars. Did not apply to Duke, Columbia or Rice.
If a girl I’m not surprised. Girls tend to have a much harder time in regular decision - even in the humanities. Boys in the humanities tend to luck out in regular decision.
ED2 often makes the most sense for girls.
Which T10 offers the best chance for a girl during EA/ED if majoring in chem or bio? Top private full pay no hook top stats
PP - this girl above wants (reaches) Yale, Pomona, Rice, Northwestern, in that order. What do you recommend for EA, ED, ED2, RD strategy to maximize chances?
I would EA Yale, ED Rice, ED2 Pomona, RD NU
Rice loves high stats.
But then if she gets into Yale (her 1st choice!) she can't accept it. That would be awful.
She can't EA to Yale and ED to a private. SCEA means you can EA to Yale and to publics only. So keep that strategy in place with ED2 to her next choice if she doesn't get into Yale.
This is why I always thought that ED2 is ultra competitive, with all the super high stat kids rejected from SCEA for unknown reasons. So by choosing SCEA, it is effectively giving up the any ED chances, and will need to face the uncertainty of RD.
Anonymous
08/29/2025 09:10
Subject: Any point apply to SCEA if GPA/score is less than perfect?
Duke will take kids w 3.9 from our feeder if ED. Impossible outside ED
Vandy will take kids w 3.8 if ED. Impossible outside ED
UChicago will take kids with 3.7 and full pay ED.
ND and Georgetown will go to 3.75/3.8 RD but it's basically a straight GPA/SAT cut off on Naviance. BC too.
Dartmouth takes nobody.
HYP all will dip into the high 3.8s for legit interesting kids (I think they rely on LORs from our school from counselor). The quesbridge and athetlic recruits are off the chart (3.6ish)
Vandy will take kids w 3.8 if ED. Impossible outside ED
UChicago will take kids with 3.7 and full pay ED.
ND and Georgetown will go to 3.75/3.8 RD but it's basically a straight GPA/SAT cut off on Naviance. BC too.
Dartmouth takes nobody.
HYP all will dip into the high 3.8s for legit interesting kids (I think they rely on LORs from our school from counselor). The quesbridge and athetlic recruits are off the chart (3.6ish)
Anonymous
08/29/2025 09:02
Subject: Any point apply to SCEA if GPA/score is less than perfect?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:The other issue is there is very little advantage with SCEA unless you are hooked (athletes and legacies, questbridge).
I think a better question for your DC is whether it is better to apply ED to say Northwestern or Cornell where there is a boost for ED and perhaps your student may be the best student from your school applying?
Or Brown, Duke, Columbia, Rice, Vanderbilt.
Can a 3.85 from a top private with top rigor, 1560 get into schools listed above? Unhooked, good ECs but not amazing, good teachers rec, full pay
My big3 kid was rejected at Brown and Vanderbilt RD this cycle with that GPA and a 1550 (not even waitlisted). Top rigor in all subjects. Obscure humanities major that was backed by extracurriculars. Did not apply to Duke, Columbia or Rice.
If a girl I’m not surprised. Girls tend to have a much harder time in regular decision - even in the humanities. Boys in the humanities tend to luck out in regular decision.
ED2 often makes the most sense for girls.
Which T10 offers the best chance for a girl during EA/ED if majoring in chem or bio? Top private full pay no hook top stats
PP - this girl above wants (reaches) Yale, Pomona, Rice, Northwestern, in that order. What do you recommend for EA, ED, ED2, RD strategy to maximize chances?
I would EA Yale, ED Rice, ED2 Pomona, RD NU
Rice loves high stats.
But then if she gets into Yale (her 1st choice!) she can't accept it. That would be awful.
She can't EA to Yale and ED to a private. SCEA means you can EA to Yale and to publics only. So keep that strategy in place with ED2 to her next choice if she doesn't get into Yale.
Anonymous
08/29/2025 08:20
Subject: Any point apply to SCEA if GPA/score is less than perfect?
Last year a student was accepted ED Brown and later EA MIT. MIT was her first choice, but she was locked in at Brown. Do not apply ED if the school is not your number one.