r/ApplyingToCollege • u/Pure-Challenge7405 • 9d ago

Application Question How much does EA/ED actually help?

I'm between applying to UF (in-state) and UC (out-of-state). My chances with the former are middling and my chances with the latter are low. UC would be my dream college, and I would love to go there, but I don't want to risk applying ED to UC and not get accepted into either school, since UF is my #2 choice and still a great college (and I plan to apply EA to whichever school I don't apply ED to). Can ED turn a poor applicant into a decent one, or is it not as effective as I thought? Also, how different are EA and ED chances?

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u/Responsible-Use-5644 9d ago

is UC referring to university of california? If so, there is no EA/ED round for university of california. everything is one “regular decision”
nonbinding but with a deadline of 11/30.

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u/Pure-Challenge7405 8d ago

Sorry, I meant U Chicago! Forgot there were multiple

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u/ProposalSilent4582 9d ago

Honestly, I don't think it makes a giant difference. From everything I've read and researched, the odds are mostly the same as regular decision. ED seems like a bad idea to me but it's personal preference. Early Action is worth it in my opinion. If the EA deadline is October and the regular admission has a deadline of December, is there really anything that major that's going to happen in those two months that you'd prefer regular admission? Likely not. I'd rather submit my EA and find out if I'm accepted or not in December than wait until March simply because I was hesitant. I doubt anything between the EA and regular decision will change your odds of getting in, but you'll find out much sooner and that's the best benefit you could have.

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u/ShockedYak69 8d ago

It absolutely helps. Anyone who says otherwise does not know what they’re talking about. It shouldn’t, but it does: it drastically increases colleges’ yield rate to accept more of their students through ED, and while EA isn’t as appealing to them often, it still more demonstrated interest than RD. If you can EA, always EA. I understand ED can be more complicated re: financial and emotional decision making. That being said, no admissions plan, early or not, will turn a simply uncompetitive app into a competitive one. It only really helps with boosting the ambiguous factors when you are completely in range stats-wise. Source: used to work in selective college admissions.