Hey guys, I'm currently in my junior year and starting to take a good look at colleges I'm interested in. I'm curious about Early Decision; does it significantly increase the chances of getting accepted?
I understand that ED shows the school that it's my first choice, but at the end of the day, how much difference does it really make in terms of acceptance rates?
Yes, applying Early Decision (ED) can boost your chances of acceptance, even when controlling for your profile strength. On average, ED could result in about a 60% increase in your admission odds at highly selective schools. So if your initial probability was 4%, that could elevate your chances to approximately 6.4%, which is a meaningful increase of 2.4 percentage points.
Do keep in mind that these numbers can vary significantly depending on the school, and the boost tends to be less noticeable at less selective schools.
One thing to be cautious of, however, is that when accepted under ED, you're typically expected to enroll unless the financial aid offer is insufficient. Before choosing ED, you should verify that the school's financial aid offerings align with your needs via the net price calculator.
Remember, while ED can improve your admissions chances, it's not a magic bullet. Your chances still largely depend on academic performance, extracurricular involvement, and other components of your application.
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