It’s that time of year when many students are scrambling to complete their early decision or early action applications. If your student isn’t doing that yet, you needn’t worry, but there are some advantages to applying to college early.
Definitions
Early decision has been around for many years, and was in place when I applied to college. For the vast majority of schools with early decision, it is a binding agreement between the prospective student and the college or university. Essentially, if the student is admitted to the college, they agree to attend that school and withdraw applications from all other schools they applied to. Sounds kinda restrictive, doesn’t it? Well, it is. Colleges have early decision in place to help them build the entering class they want, and they often say that early decision applicants may receive preference for some merit-based scholarships over later applications. At schools where that’s true, that’s a good reason to apply early decision.
Another reason to apply early decision, according to Princeton Review is the fact that doing so shows the student is serious about a college or university. Schools may look more favorably on someone whose interest in their school is so high they’re willing to forgo others to attend. Again, a good reason.
They’re Not the Same
Early action, on the other hand is non-binding, which means students can still apply to other schools, even once they are admitted. My daughter applied early action to all three of her schools so she knew what her options were as early as possible. An advantage of early action, beyond simply having the stress of getting into college over with is that students still have until May 1 to decide where to attend and to pay their admission deposit. Early decision applications are usually required to pay their deposits much earlier, say in December or January. This is before the final financial aid packages are sent out, so early decision applicants have to commit to a school without knowing the final cost of attendance. Early action applications can use their final aid package as part of the college choice process, as noted in a previous posting on this website.
The advantages of early action to applicants is clear: they have the satisfaction of knowing they “got in,” can compare financial aid packages, and don’t have to make a final decision until May 1. Colleges that want to secure their entering classes as soon as they can, obviously prefer the early decision process, since they secure their class earlier. Where early action still benefits them is in showing students with the strongest interest in their institutions, but also letting them know who they should focus on to convert from admitted to enrolled. Students who are admitted via early action are still very hot prospects, and may be more likely to enroll than students who apply through regular admissions. So the early processes can benefit students and colleges.
Which to Choose
The decision on whether to apply early decision or early action is case by case. Students shouldn’t apply using either process if they just want to get acceptances racked up with little real interest in the colleges. That is unfair to the colleges and may be a waste of time for the student as well, since they have to research the schools later to decide where to go. The time for that kind of research is before they apply, not after they’re accepted.
On the other hand, students who have researched schools thoroughly and know a few schools that are very high on their lists are good candidates for early action. I met a student at an open house program recently who was applying early decision. She knew exactly what program and major she wanted and how her previous high school and technical credits would transfer in, and saw no reason to apply anywhere else. And while I might suggest she look at other schools just to see what else is available, that wasn’t my decision or suggestion to make. Since she and her family were cool with it, I was too.
The Bottom Line
Together with your student, make the best choice for you. Both processes give the student peace of mind regarding their options for colleges, and each offers advantages. Along the way, feel free to make sure your student knows your concerns or perspectives on the schools they’re applying to and whether early decision or early action are good choices for them. Beyond that, if you really need to have a family discussion about finances and need the flexibility of early action, make that clear to your student so you are all partners in the selection process. The decision on where to attend college is usually a family decision, after all, and that’s a good thing.