Yous've put together your list of dream, match, and safety schools, and in that location'south ane on at that place that makes your heart shell a little faster. Should you prove your love by applying early?

Student checking early action vs early decision deadlines

Many colleges let applicants to submit their materials for an early borderline (sometime in the fall) that falls before the regular deadline (normally sometime in January or February). Here's what you demand to know.

Advantages of applying early

Show You're Serious

Applying early lets your favorite school (or schools) know that you are serious well-nigh attention. Schools track how many applicants accept their offers of admission and release those numbers to the public. A school looks skillful when a loftier percentage of accepted applicants chose to attend. And so if they call back yous're likely to take their offering of access, information technology may requite your application a leg up.

Cut Down on Admission Stress

If you lot are accepted to your dream school, you lot won't have to bother with the time and expense of applying elsewhere. You lot tin put your focus back on right now instead of one year from at present.

Some students and high school counselors believe that applying early decision gives them better odds of acceptance, but the truth is early credence rates and admissions standards vary from schoolhouse to school. You can find early decision application numbers and acceptance rates for many schools in our Best Colleges book, and don't be afraid to ask an admission advisor at your dream schoolhouse directly nigh their early admission practices.

There is a (potential) disadvantage to applying early, nonetheless. You may not have the opportunity to compare financial aid packages offered past other schools.

Early Activity vs Early on Decision

About schools allow you to use early in one of two ways: early decision or early on activity.

Early determination

Early decision is binding. This means if you are accustomed through early decision, you lot are committed to attending that schoolhouse, and will withdraw any applications you may have submitted for the regular deadlines at other schools. You may not apply to more than i college under early decision. If you are not accepted, you lot will either exist rejected or deferred. Rejected applicants may not employ again that yr. Deferred applicants will be reconsidered during the regular admission catamenia, and are free to apply to other schools.

Early decision deadlines are often in November, and students are typically notified of the decision in December.

Early activity

Early on activity is non–binding. This means yous are not bound to attend if you lot are accepted. You may likewise apply early activity to multiple colleges. Early action deadlines commonly fall at the same time as early determination.

The obvious advantage of early action over early determination is the opportunity it gives you to employ to, and ultimately compare fiscal aid packages from several schools. If you are accepted early decision, you lot adventure missing the admission deadlines of other schools while you lot wait for your laurels parcel to get in. If that award is lackluster, your options are fewer.

Our Advice

If you're sure that you lot've found your best-fit school, you know it's one you want to attend, you're a strong candidate for admission, and you know that you can beget the tuition, go alee and apply early decision.

That is a whole lot of research and comparison to have done by fall of your senior yr, though, and if you lot're uncertain about any of those factors, you're not alone! Go on your options open by applying early on action, or by the regular deadline.

Looking for strategic higher advice?

Get one-on-1 assist from old Ivy League and top tier admission officers. Our College Counselors will help you lot find, apply, and get accustomed to your dream school.

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