Understanding Early Decision and Early Action Applications
Should I apply to college early? That’s a question we often get asked at Avalon. And since there are approximately 450 colleges that offer early application options, it’s a fair question. Colleges are looking to fill their classes, and early applications allow them to have a portion of the incoming class staged early, which can be to your benefit. Before you can decide, you need to understand each option:
Early decision (ED) is binding; you are committed to attending that school if accepted. (Only if the financial aid package they offer you is insufficient may you turn down the offer.) You can only apply ED to one school, so it’s to your advantage to use this option for your dream school, as early applicants have better chances of being accepted. For ED, you will submit your application ~2 two months earlier than you would with a regular decision deadline. Note that if a school defers your ED application to the regular decision round, you are no longer in a binding contract.
Early action (EA) is non-binding. Like early decision, you apply several months ahead of regular decision deadlines, but instead of committing to a school if accepted, you can wait to make your final decision. You can apply EA (and regular decision) to other colleges as well, and then wait to receive and compare all of your offers.
Some colleges have a Restrictive Early Action (REA) or Single Choice Early Action (SCEA) option. If you apply early to a college under REA or SCEA, you can not apply to any other private colleges. (You are, however, still allowed to apply early/regular decision to “public” colleges.) Be sure to read the specific details about this on each college’s admissions page.
And as if those aren’t already enough options to wade through… Some schools offer two early decision enrollment periods. Early Decision 1 (ED1) and Early Decision 2 (ED2). Colleges offering ED2 often do so to give you a little extra time to strengthen your application materials, boost your grades or improve your test scores. It also allows students who were denied by their ED1 college to show commitment to the second college if admitted. The deadline to apply for ED1 is in November, while the ED2 deadline is in January. Regardless of whether you apply for ED1 or ED2, you are committing to attend that institution if admitted.
Possible outcomes for Early Decision and Early Action Applications:
- Accepted ED? You are obliged to accept the offer and withdraw any other applications..
- Accepted EA? You do not have to accept or reject the offer immediately. It is a non-binding acceptance offer: you can wait until you’ve received decisions from all of your applications before you decide.
- Deferred ED or EA? Your application will be assessed again during the Regular Decision (RD) review process. You have not been accepted nor have you been denied: the college would like more information and to review your application and to “defer” their decision until a later date.
- Denied ED or EA? You’re not eligible to reapply to the same school even for regular decision. You can reapply the following year or as a transfer student.
Should you wait? Consider waiting for Regular Decision if any of these apply:
- Your grades are on an upward trend;
- Your senior year course load is significantly more rigorous than in grades 10 and 11;
- You are taking (or re-taking) standardized exams;
- You are working on a significant project or activity in the fall of your senior year;
- You need time to improve your academic record or otherwise build up your application;
- You’re still considering which college is the best for you.
