Colleges and universities are increasingly encouraging students to make their college choices early. The commonly held opinion among high school seniors is that everyone is applying early. As a result, many students feel pressured into shortening their college search process.  College guidance offices are flooded with students asking a couple of important questions, "What about early decision?  When should I apply?"

Different colleges provide different options for applying including early decision and early action.  The deadlines for submitting applications vary widely but virtually all colleges subscribe to what is known as the Candidate's Reply Date, May 1.  Unless you apply early decision (see the following), you will not be required to make your final decision until May 1 of your senior year regardless of when you receive your letter of acceptance.

What is early decision (ED)?

Many colleges and universities offer applicants an opportunity to apply under an early decision admission option.  Students who apply early decision are reviewed before students applying under the regular admission calendar and they receive the college's decision regarding admission before other students.  While there are some differences in the early decision programs offered by various schools, most of the early decision programs function as follows.

1. The application for admission is submitted early in the fall of the student's senior year of high school - November 1 is the most common deadline date.

2. The application for admission is reviewed and the college notifies the student usually before January 1.

3. If accepted, the student is required to notify the college whether or not they will attend sometime in the month of January with January 15 being the most common response date used by the colleges.

Early decision programs require certain commitments to the college at the time of application.  When a student applies early decision, the college will require the student to sign a "contract" that outlines these conditions.  They include the following.

1. The student will apply to only one college under an early decision program.

2. The student also guarantees that they will attend that college if:

   1. accepted, and
   2. the college meets the student's demonstrated financial need

3. If accepted early decision and if the college meets the demonstrated financial need, the student also agrees to withdraw all other applications for admission submitted to other colleges.

So while applying early decision will get the student an admission decision early on in the senior year, the student is also giving up some flexibility in the college selection process.  Students who do not want to give up this flexibility but still want an admission decision early in the process may want to consider colleges that offer an "early action" admission programs.

What is early action?

"Early action" admission programs look like, in terms of timing, "early decision" admission programs.  These programs differ from early decision programs in the following areas.

1. Students can typically apply to as many colleges "early action" as they want; however, there are a few institutions that offer single choice early action.
2. If accepted under an early action admission program students are not required to withdraw other applications for admission.
3. The accepted student has until May 1 of the senior year of high school to decide whether or not to attend the colleges that have accepted the student under the "early action" admission program.

"Early action" programs provide the timing advantages of early decision programs but without the restrictions that are usually a part of "early decision." The single choice early action option allows students to apply to as many colleges as they wish under a regular admission decision timeframe, but it does require that the student not submit an application to any other institution under early decision, early action, or early notification.

Is there an advantage in applying "early decision"?

The obvious advantage is that you will know earlier whether or not you have been admitted to that college.  Also, many selective colleges admit a higher percentage of the applicants in their "early decision" pools than from the regular applicant pool.  This gives the impression that it is "easier" to get in under early decision.  This may or may not be the case.  Some colleges are quick to point out that the quality of the typical early decision applicant is higher than the quality of students in their regular pool. Therefore, it is logical that a higher percentage would be admitted.  Colleges are also concerned about their "yield rate" - the percentage of students they accept who decide to attend.  An early decision application is a clear signal to the college that it is your first choice and that you will attend if accepted.  This high level of demonstrated interest may sway the decision in your favor.

What are the disadvantages of early decision?

If accepted at your "early decision" college, you will have to withdraw your applications to other colleges.  As a result, you will never know if you would have been admitted to those colleges. More importantly, you will never know what their financial aid offers would have been.  Some of these aid offers might have been more generous than your early decision college but you will never know that.  The biggest disadvantage is that once you have been accepted and committed to that college, you cannot change your mind. 

All of this said, should I apply early decision?