Early Action for Princeton or Early Decision for Duke?Answered
Duke and Princeton are my top 2 schools and I have about the same chances at each (27 and 26 respectively) and I’m not sure which I should apply ED/EA to.
I’m a black female that’s planning to go into stem so Ik my chances are a bit higher than the avg. however I’m having trouble weighing out the pros and cons of each.
Princeton is a Ivy League And is rated higher than Duke but based on the amount of money my parents make, I wouldn’t get any need based scholarships from them. Duke on the other hand, is bigger than Princeton (I think?) which I’m not fond about and is NC versus NJ which is near ny, mass etc
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2 answers
If you do not qualify for your financial aid at Princeton, then I wouldn't apply EA to Princeton unless you want to go there and your parents can afford the $90K (est. for Class of 27') each year. 43% of applicants whose parents make more then $250K per year still qualify for on avg. $29K of finaid, so you must come from a wealth background. If diversity is a key factor in your choice, then I would pick Princeton vs Duke because 70% of admits are POCs vs. Duke at 55%
https://admission.princeton.edu/cost-aid/how-princetons-aid-program-works
Duke on the other hand has various Merit Scholarships. Princeton, like all Ivys do not.
https://ousf.duke.edu/merit-scholarships-incoming-first-year-students/
Therefore, there is good chance you may be contender for a Merit scholarship versus a Financial scholarship.
I don't know what the rest of your college list looks like but I'm attaching a list of the best colleges for Merit Scholarships in case you want to look at that.
https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/most-merit-aid
Hi @amy45339!
Do you know how much aid you might qualify for at Duke? If not, I would check out their tuition calculator here so you can compare direct numbers: https://financialaid.duke.edu/apply-aid/estimate-your-aid/
Otherwise, if you can afford it, I'd recommend applying Restrictive Early Action for Princeton. You'd still be able to apply to other schools EA and, most importantly, it seems like that's where you want to go. Things like location and school size are some of the most important factors when choosing a school, since you'll have difficulty thriving if you don't enjoy the environment.
So, in short, you should apply ED to Duke if there is a hard financial limit that prevents you from attending Princeton. But, if you think you can pay for it (or at least negotiate some financial aid), then you should apply REA to Princeton.
Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any further questions.
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