Early Action vs. Early Decision Whats the Difference

Early Action vs. Early Decision What's the Difference SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Would you like tofinalize yourcollege plans as soonas possible?If early notificationsounds good to you, then you might want to apply early action (EA) orearly decision (ED). Before choosing one of these admissions plans, you shouldthoroughly understand what itentails and consider all the important factors. This guide will weigh the options ofearly action vs.early decision, along with advice for choosing the best plan for you. To begin, let's review what you need to know about applying early action. What is Early Action? Early action has, like its name indicates, an early deadline. Under early action, you both apply earlier than the regular deadline and find out earlier if you've been accepted. The most common EA deadline is November 1, with November 15 as a close runner up. Most colleges send out notifications to early action candidates in mid-December, so you should have your response before the end of the calendar year. This winter notification is a whole lot sooner than regular notification, which is usually in April.You might be accepted, denied, or deferred to the regular applicant pool andconsidered again in February or March. For the most part, you can apply to as many schools as you want early action. There are a few exceptions to this rule, though. Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, and Yale, for instance, all have restrictive or single choice early action. Restrictive EA means you can only apply to that one school early. You can later apply wherever else you want regular decision. Regardless of whether your school has restrictive or non-restrictive early action, you aren't obligated to attend the school if accepted, nor do you have to respond to an offer any earlier than usual. You still have until the national response deadline of May 1 to decide where to enroll. This policy gives you the opportunity to compare admissions offers, as well as financial aid packages, from all the schools on your list before choosing one. This policy is the main difference between early action and early decision. While applying early action isn't binding, early decision is. Applying ED means that if you get accepted, you will enroll in the school. What is Early Decision? You can only apply to one school early decision. The reason for this is that early decision means you're making a binding agreement to enroll in that school if you get accepted. This contractwill be part of your application and will require a signature from your parents and school counselor, as well as from you. Typically, early decision deadlines match early action deadlines. You may apply by November 1 and hear back in mid-December. If accepted, you'll agree to enroll and send in your deposit within about a month. Like with early action, you could be accepted, denied, or deferred (in which case, you're no longer held to the binding agreement). Some schools also offer Early Decision II, which is also binding but has a later deadline. Early Decision II deadlines are usually in January, and you'll hear back in February. With both ED I and ED II, you'll be obligated to send in a deposit monthsbefore the national response date of May 1st if you get accepted to your school of choice. Early decision is a good option for students who want to make their college plans early and know exactly what school they want to attend. If you've done your research and are 100% sure about a college, then applying EDsignals your enthusiasm to the admissions committee. Most schools only offer one or the other when it comes to early action and early decision. Let's take a look at some popular schools with early admission plans and their deadlines. Popular Schools withEarly Action Some popular schools that offer early action, in addition to their regular decision deadline, include, Boston College CalTech Georgetown Harvard MIT Princeton Stanford University of Chicago University of Michigan UNC Chapel Hill University of Notre Dame University of Virginia Villanova Yale All of these schools have an EA deadline of November 1, with one exception. UNC Chapel Hill has an even earlier EA deadline of October 15. Of these schools, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Stanford, and the University of Notre Dame have single choice early action. Again, this restrictive EA means you can only apply early to that one school. The other schools on the list don't have that restriction. Below aresome well knownschools thatoffer Early Decision deadlines. Popular Schools with Early Decision Popular schools with early decision deadlines in November include, Brown Cornell Dartmouth Duke Johns Hopkins Northwestern University of Pennsylvania All of these schools have November 1 deadlines except for Johns Hopkins with an ED deadline of November 2.As mentioned above, some schools offer both Early Decision I and Early Decision II, both binding but with different deadlines. The following schools offer both the early and later Early Decision deadline. School Deadline for ED I Deadline for ED II American University November 15 January 15 Boston University November 1 January 4 Bowdoin November 15 January 1 Brandeis November 1 January 1 Colby November 15 January 1 Pomona November 1 January 1 Smith November 15 January 1 Tufts November 1 January 1 Vanderbilt November 1 January 1 Wesleyan November 15 January 15 As you can see, the ED II deadlines resemble regular decision deadlines. Instead of having to wait until April to hear back, though, youshouldbe notified inFebruary. If you're accepted, you'll be expected to send your deposit shortly thereafter. Now that you know how early action and early decision work and which schools offer them, let's talk about the advantages of each plan. Starting fromthe colleges' perspectives, what's the point of offering early deadlines? Why Do Colleges Offer Early Action orEarly Decision? There are a few reasons that early admissions appearto benefit colleges. One is that students who apply early tend to be particularly competitive. Those students who are prepared to apply inNovember to these often selective schools are oftenthe most qualified candidates. A few years ago, Harvard and the University of Virginia eliminated early admissions, claiming that it unfairly advantaged wealthier students with more "cultural capital" and greater college counseling resources. When other schools didn't follow suit, both schools reversed their decision and reintroduced early action, saying that they found that students from all backgrounds desired an early option. Practically speaking, they probably also found that they were missing out on some of the most qualified applicants, who just ended up applying elsewhere. Another reason that schools may benefit from early admissions is that it gives them a more accurate sense of their "yield." In other words, they can more accurately predict how many students will accept offers of admission, since early candidates are more likely to enroll (and ED applicants are pretty much certain to enroll). Being able to more accurately predict their numbers may be a reason that some schools offer both Early Decision I and Early Decision II. Finally, a third reason that schools benefit from early admissions is that it allows them to space out their review of applications over a longer period of time. For schools with limited staff and resources, spacing out the process is more feasible than reviewing all applications in one hectic review season. While these are some of the reasons that schools benefit from early deadlines, what are the advantages for you as an applicant? What Are the Advantages of Applying Early? One common idea around early admissions is that early applicants have a better chance of getting in. Is this true? Are you more likely to get accepted if you apply early? Unfortunately, there's no black and white answer for this. There are some compelling reasons to think that applying early does boost your chances. For instance, data shows that a higher percentage of early candidates get accepted than regular candidates. In this past year, for instance, Harvard increased its early action acceptance rate from 6% to 17%. Applying early action, and especially early decision, may also signal to admissions committees how committed to and excited abouta school you are, thereby making an impression in your favor. However, these reasons don't mean you should automatically apply early. The fact that a greater percentage of early applicants are accepted may largely reflect their own merits. It may be that the most qualified candidates apply early, while the pool of regular applicants include those forwhomthe college is a reach. Most students don't apply early to a school if their grades and scores aren't at least on target with the school's expectations. Ultimately, applying early can be a great option if you're prepared to do so, but whatever advantage there iswon't make lowgrades or test scores look any higher than they are. It's not advisable to rush your application or to apply to a school where your academic profile is weaker than that of the average accepted student. Your first priority should be sending the strongest application you can, whether that's in November or January. If you have decided that applying early is a good match with your college plans, which of the two options should you choose, early action or early decision? Which Should You Choose? Early Action vs. Early Decision In most cases, a college will only offer one or the other. Depending on the schools you're interested in, they might essentially make the choice between early action and early decision for you. If you do have a choice, the most important factor to consider is whether or not you're 100% sure you want to attend a school. Before making the commitment of early decision, you should research and visit the school, as well as talk to students who go there about their experience. If you've reached this point of certainty, then early decision couldmake sense for you. You also may consider financial aid as you decide between early action and early decision. With early decision, you agree to enroll regardless of the financial aid package you get. With early action, you still have until May 1 to compare different financial aid packages. This is one major reason early decision isn't a feasible or accessible option for everyone. Make sure you understand your colleges' application policies and any restrictions they place on your applications to other schools. If you're applying to Harvard early action, for example, you can't apply early action anywhere else. Keep track of all your deadlines, and keep preparing for any regular applications you plan to send in case your early application doesn't get accepted. You can still be putting together strong regular decision applications should you get denied, deferred, or decide to apply elsewhere. If you're applying to meet a deadline in November, you want to work on your application materials throughout junior year and the summer. Your SAT or ACT scores, recommendation letters, and personal essay require several months to a year of planning and preparation. You can check out this guide for a more detailed timeline, as well as the full lists ofdeadlines or early action and early decision schools. More Resources for College Planning What College Should You Go To? How to Choose a College How to Request a Letter of Recommendation: Complete Guide How Long Should You Study for the SAT? 6 Step Guide How Long Should You Study for the ACT? 6 Step Guide How to Write About Extracurriculars on Your College Application Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: