Early Action vs. Early Decision College Admissions

Applying to college early has many advantages, but its important to recognize important differences between Early Action and Early Decision admission options. Both are excellent options for some students, but they arent right for everyone. So if youre thinking of applying to college through an Early Action or Early Decision application option, keep this points in mind... The Differences Between Early Action and Early Decision These are the main features that distinguish Early Action from Early Decision: Early Action is not restrictive. Applicants can apply to more than one college with an Early Action program (but note that this isnt true for Single-Choice Early Action). Early Decision applicants can apply to just one college through an early admission program. For both options, you can apply to other colleges through regular admission.Early Action is not binding. If accepted, there is no penalty if you choose not to attend. Also, even after being accepted, you can apply to other colleges. With Early Decision, you will lose a sizable deposit if you break your contract and decide to not attend. Also, you need to withdraw all other college applications if youre accepted.An acceptance through Early Action does not change when you need to tell the school that you plan to attend (the decision date will typically be May 1st). With Early Decision, youll need to make your decision early, often before you even receive a financial aid package. As you can see, Early Action is a much more attractive option than Early Decision for many reasons. It is far more flexible and doest force you to restrict your college options. Advantages of Both Early Action and Early Decision Despite some of the disadvantages, Early Decision does have many benefits that it shares with Early Action: Both Early Decision and Early Action tend to have significantly higher acceptance rates than youll find for students who apply with the regular applicant pool.With both programs, you can wrap up your college search early, often in December. This can make the second half of senior year much more enjoyable. You can focus on high school while your classmates are stressing out about their college acceptances.Both admission options work well to demonstrate your interest in a college. Demonstrated interest is an important but often overlooked factor in the admissions process. Colleges want to admit students who will accept an offer of admission. Students who apply early are showing their eagerness to attend. That said, Early Decision is a much stronger indicated of demonstrated interest than Early Action. A Final Word In general, Early Action is always a good option. As long as you can have your application ready by the early deadline (often early November), you have nothing to lose by applying Early Action. With Early Decision, make sure you are absolutely certain that the college or university is your first choice. You are committing yourself to the school, so if you are unsure of your selection, dont apply Early Decision. If you are sure, you should definitely apply Early Decision—acceptance rates can be three times higher than youll find with the regular application option. Related Articles: Learn More About Early Decision  Learn More About Early ActionLearn About Single-Choice Early ActionCompare Acceptance Rates for Early and Regular Applicants