Would you ED in my shoes? Forum

[SaintsTheMetal]

Hi guys, just looking for some input from TLS to hopefully put my mind at ease.

3.17 GPA, 172 LSAT, "weak" NA, decent softs I think
By weak NA, I mean that I consider myself NA/white, but I will NOT have a CDIB in time for applications. Grandfather was on a bunch of tribal rolls and lived in the res. Dakota Sioux, Sisseton Wahpeton band
Physics and Mathematics Double Major
Gearing up for my Senior season of football, played every year
1 year walk-on to lacrosse team
Will have distinction (for research,) bunch of random UG scholarships/grants/student-athlete shit
Worked on campus for physics department for a couple years
Weekends working as event security once in a while

I'm from the East Bay back in Cali and I'd love to get back to the bay, or California at all after LS.

Now for the question.. I've been thinking of probably EDing Penn, mostly because of their placement recently. However I'm really having trouble trying to quantify whether or not I should consider any kind of "URM" boost.. I've heard from some people that without an acknowledgement from the BIA (CDIB or whatever,) you may or may not get much "URM boost." I can obviously provide birth certificates or whatever showing relation to my dad who has his blood quantum in writing from the BIA, and to my grandfather who was on the rolls.

I guess my only concern is whether or not I have any outside shot at HYSCCB, that it would be worth giving up the ED boost to Penn. I'll probably try to get as many fee waivers as I can and throw an app to them for shits, not sure if there is a realistic chance though. Planning on late ED to UVa as a fallback, and a later ED to Georgetown as a second fallback.

Just in terms of my personal preferences, I'd probably rank the t14: S > Y/H > C/C/B > P > NYU > M > V > C > the rest

Thanks

[soj]

I'm not super familiar with URM cycles, but schools might dip below GPA floors for URMs. I probably wouldn't ED because 1) you might sneak into one of your higher choices and 2) getting in RD gives you a chance to negotiate for money, though you might not get much with that GPA.

[IAFG]

It is my sense that traditional splitter URMs fare worse than reverse splitter URMs.

If i were you, I would ED Penn, but I would really struggle with the decision, and I don't think it's an obvious call at all.

[SaintsTheMetal]

It is my sense that traditional splitter URMs fare worse than reverse splitter URMs.

If i were you, I would ED Penn, but I would really struggle with the decision, and I don't think it's an obvious call at all.

Yea that's really exactly how I'm feeling right now.. Thanks for the first tidbit, should make me feel a little bit better about it

[CodyRuegger]

I'm not super familiar with URM cycles, but schools might dip below GPA floors for URMs. I probably wouldn't ED because 1) you might sneak into one of your higher choices and 2) getting in RD gives you a chance to negotiate for money, though you might not get much with that GPA.

Gotta agree with and clarify this advice - just blanket everything that isn't an auto-deny. If you use your ED, use it on a tangible reach. Your softs probably won't help at all - softs are tie-breakers, and you're probably not going to be paired up against very many similar applicants with your odd numbers and URM status. Your cycle will be a crapshoot as it always is for extreme splitters, but you will get into at least one or two good schools if you apply to enough of them.