Applying to College EARLY ACTION VS EARLY DECISION

Ways to Apply to College The seniors are in the middle of applying for college, and next fall it will be your turn. Here are a few details you need to know now while you are creating your list of which schools you want to apply to:  Check the admission deadline dates and types of application options ◦Do they offer Early Action, Early Decision, Regular or Rolling Decision? ◦What do these terms mean? ◦Share out what you think the differences are between these admission options. ◦Now, watch the video on the next slide to see if you were right!

Early Action vs Early Decision

Let’s Summarize What You Heard Early Decision: Applying early (usually in October) to your first-choice college  Receive an admission decision from the college well in advance of the usual notification date (usually by December)  Agree to attend the college if you’re accepted  You can only apply to only one college via early decision (it’s a legally-binding contract)  You can still apply to other colleges under regular admission  If you’re accepted by the Early Decision school, you must withdraw all other applications to any other schools  Once accepted, you need to send a nonrefundable deposit well in advance of May 1

Let’s Summarize What You Heard Early Action: Apply early (usually before December)  You receive an admission decision early in the admission cycle (usually in January or February).  You have time to consider an acceptance offer; you do not have to commit upon receipt like you do for Early Decision.  You can still apply to other colleges under regular admission.  You need to give the college a decision no later than the May 1.

Benefits of Applying Early For a student who has a definite first-choice college, applying early has many benefits besides possibly increasing the chance of getting in. Applying early lets the student:  Reduce stress by cutting the time spent waiting for a decision.  Save the time and expense of submitting multiple applications.  Gain more time, once accepted, to look for housing and otherwise prepare for college.  Reassess options and apply elsewhere if not accepted.

Drawbacks of Applying Early Pressure to decide:  Committing to one college can put pressure on you to make serious decisions before you've explored all your options.

Drawbacks of Applying Early Reduced financial aid opportunities under Early Decision: ◦Students who apply under Early Decision are committed to attending that school and will pay its tuition, regardless of the amount of financial aid they receive. ◦Students who apply for early or regular deadlines will have the ability to compare and choose between the best financial aid packages that various schools can offer, possibly resulting in a better overall price.

Drawbacks of Applying Early Time crunch for other applications: ◦Most colleges do not notify Early Decision and Early Action applicants of admission until December 15. Because of the regular deadlines for applications, this means that if a student is rejected by the Early Decision college, there may be only two weeks left to send in applications to other schools (you’d better have your ducks in their appropriate rows!).

Drawbacks of Applying Early Senioritis: Applicants who learn early that they have been accepted into a college may feel, having finalized their post-high school plans, that they have no reason to work hard for the rest of the year. Think again. Early-applying students should know that colleges may rescind offers of admission should their senior-year grades drop (this does - and has - happened to LC students!). BE WARNED.

Is Applying Early Worth My Time? Many students believe applying early means they will be competing with fewer applicants and increasing their chances of acceptance. This is not always true. Dependent on how many students choose to apply Early Decision, colleges vary in the proportion of the class admitted early and in the percentage of early applicants they admit.

Is Applying Early Worth My Time? Oftentimes students who apply Early Decision are the best fit for a particular school and are most likely to be accepted, regardless of when they apply (Early Decision, Early Action, Regular Decision). The resulting statistics indicate that Early Decision applicants are accepted at a higher rate than Regular Decision applicants (i.e., 80% acceptance rate vs. 60% acceptance rate). In reality, these are the students the school would be admitting anyway.

Regular Decision and Rolling Admission Regular Decision: Has a firm deadline date. Rolling Admission: A college with rolling admission typically accepts applications for as long as spaces are available (no firm deadline) and applicants are often notified of their acceptance or rejection within a few weeks of applying.  Don’t make the mistake and view rolling admission as an excuse to put off applying to college! In many cases, applying early improves an applicant's chance of being accepted.  Also, while there may be no application deadline, there are deadlines for scholarships, financial aid and housing. A late application may make it impossible to get any financial aid.

Now What? 1.Think about a college you are interested in. 2.Do you know what type of admission options they offer? 3.What information do you still need to know?