Admissions Schedule
One of the most important parts of applying to college is being aware of admission deadlines as well as admission options. As you start your college search process be careful to note these important dates and to mark your calendar accordingly. After all of your hard work preparing your application, visiting schools, and interviewing you do not want to limit your options simply because you were unaware of when your application (or financial aid information for that matter!) was due.
Adding to the confusion is trying to understand early admissions policies. Early admissions programs have become increasingly more common. It is important to weigh the benefits and obligations involved in early admissions and know that these policies usually vary from one school to another. Also, different colleges may use similar language yet mean completely different things. It is more important than ever for applicants to understand early admissions and early decisions options in order to make informed decisions about whether or not it is in their interest to use them.
Early Decision vs. Early Action
Early admissions programs can be divided into two categories: early decision (ED) and early action (EA). Single choice early action (SCEA) programs are a particular kind of early action program.
ED and EA programs both involve an earlier application deadline than the normal admissions process does, and earlier notification of admissions decisions. Accepted applicants enjoy several benefits. A high school student who already knows that she has been accepted to her top choice college can take chances she might not otherwise. She might take a challenging college-level course that she would pass on if she were worried that her spring grades might affect her college applications. Another advantage, of course, is that she and her family have more time to plan for her move to college, and to arrange financial aid and housing.
Traditionally, colleges and universities tend to admit a significantly higher percentage of the early applicant pool than they do of the normal applicant pool – in other words, there is the possibility that your chances of being accepted as an early admissions candidate are better than they would be as a regular applicant. However, even these statistics are changing as colleges have revised their policies and have established limits to the number of students they will accept during this review process. Word of advice: research each school and know their policy related to earlier applications.
The following summarizes some of the options available:
Our Recommendations
Although early admissions programs can be very advantageous it is important for students to carefully review their individual profile and situation. If you are sure of the school you want to attend, have excellent junior year grades, extracurricular activities, etc., and are strong enough to secure admission, you can benefit from early admissions. However, we do not encourage students with any questions at all about their college preferences to seek a binding early decision from any school, regardless of how much better the statistical chances of acceptance may be under an early decision program. Keep in mind that you're not just being asked to indicate a school preference; you're being asked to forego all other options and to commit yourself to spending four years (and tens of thousands of dollars) at a particular institution. That's a big decision for anyone to make. It should only be undertaken with the best possible information and advice, and without undue deadline pressure.
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