Is it wise to apply REA (Restrictive Early Action) for Stanford?Answered
My CV chancing engine says I have a 25% chance at Stanford and I was wondering whether applying REA could improve my chances.
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3 answers
REA does have an admissions benefit (about 6-8%), but it's not as high as the benefit for ED (10-12%) - more info in this post: https://blog.collegevine.com/does-applying-early-decision-increase-my-chances/. Stanford doesn't have ED, but that's just info that may be helpful to know!
If Stanford is your absolute dream school, and you have a competitive profile, then there's harm in applying REA - it should boost your chances a little. @crsgo0422 is right though in that you could consider applying early at another school you like a lot, where you have better chances of getting in. The decision is up to you! If UCLA is your other top choice, they don't have early admissions, so it would make sense to apply to Stanford REA and still apply to UCLA through RD (just watch the earlier deadline compared to other RD deadlines).
Hope this helps, and best of luck!
Stanford REA and ED is primarily for the following applicants.
1.) Those whose top choice college is Stanford
2.) Those who understand that the applicant pool is significantly higher caliber since they only want to attend Stanford.
3.) Recruited athletes who have a Stanford coaches endorsement
4.) Legacy applicants whose mom or dad went to Stanford
5.) Development candidates whose family have or are in the process of donating 6-8 figure monetary gifts to the school for purposes of funding research or building facilities
6.) Deans' list candidates or those who have been earmarked by the Dean of Admissions or Academics
7.) Children of Stanford staff which include professors, admin, or people who work on the campus.
Given all these types of people who are encouraged to apply REA or ED to Stanford, you can see why the acceptance rates are higher during this application period. They have to accommodate a lot of pre-favored candidates. Therefore unless you are are a super strong candidate it will not benefit you much to apply early.
I'm not sure a 1 in 4 chance stacks the odds that much in your favor. It is higher than the 6-12% that get in but you have to make that calculated bet to use that 1 REA bullet or not.
Good luck with your decision.
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My top choices are Stanford, Cal, UCLA, and Cal Poly SLO and only Stanford has Early programs, so I think it makes sense... Thank you!