Early Action/Decision

Applying to college is filled with decisions, who knew the time you applied was also another factor to consider. Early decision and early action are two similar but different approaches for applying.

Do you have a dream school you would 100% attend if given the chance? Are you the type of student who doesn’t want to deal with too many choices and prefers a simple enrollment process? If you’re either of these, then early decision would be a good fit for you; if accepted, you’ll be enrolled immediately after. Receive your results in December and have an increased chances of being accepted.

However, if you’re the type of student with a preferred college but don’t want to feel obligated to attend, then fill out early action, where you get results in January/February rather than the traditional March/April with only a couple months or just one month to choose which university you’ll attend.

Applying early is a great tool for many, but it has its setbacks. You’re constantly on a time crunch to get your recommendation letters in and finish your essay, resume, and cover letter all by November, and it’s stressful. If you were counting on getting accepted to the early decision school but got rejected, now you have a couple of weeks to personalize the rest of your applications for other schools to try to get accepted somewhere else. Students from lower-income households are unable to review all their financial aid choices and be obligated to attend the college accepted, which doesn’t offer them as much as another school. If you experience senioritis, early application schools tend to check how you did your senior year — if you started slacking then the school has the right to rescind it. Though, the acceptance rate is significantly higher with early applications, keep in mind, that they tend to have a stronger background and could hurt you when competing against them.

Make sure you’re 100% with your decision, and someone else isn’t making it for you. Do what’s right for you because this is your future.