Most universities have 2 application deadlines, an early one and a regular one. Quite a few students don’t realize that the early deadline consists of 2 types too:
They may sound similar, but are actually very different.
- Early Action (EA)
- Early Decision (ED)
They may sound similar, but are actually very different.
Early Action is non-binding, meaning, if a student is accepted through Early Action at a university, they can still send applications to other universities and evaluate their financial aid packages (if any) before making up their minds by the respective EA response deadline. Early Decision, on the other hand, is binding. If a student gets accepted during the Early Decision round of a university, they have to attend that university and withdraw all other college applications immediately. Additionally, only 1 application can be made under ED.
There is no advantage or disadvantage of applying early or normally with respect to admission criteria – most colleges view the applications received before both deadlines with equal expectations. However, if a student has short-listed 2-3 universities that they really want to go to regardless of the availability and size of financial aid, and those universities have the option of EA, getting a positive reply from even 1 of them by December could save the student the trouble of preparing personal statements and filling applications for other universities. At the same time, it is highly advisable to opt for ED only if the student is 100% sure of attending the respective university if accepted.
Please note that if opting for either EA or ED, standardized tests should be given by October latest, so that the schools receive the scores while reviewing the applications.
The broad advantages of applying early are:
The broad disadvantages of applying early are:
So, who should and who shouldn’t apply early?
There is no advantage or disadvantage of applying early or normally with respect to admission criteria – most colleges view the applications received before both deadlines with equal expectations. However, if a student has short-listed 2-3 universities that they really want to go to regardless of the availability and size of financial aid, and those universities have the option of EA, getting a positive reply from even 1 of them by December could save the student the trouble of preparing personal statements and filling applications for other universities. At the same time, it is highly advisable to opt for ED only if the student is 100% sure of attending the respective university if accepted.
Please note that if opting for either EA or ED, standardized tests should be given by October latest, so that the schools receive the scores while reviewing the applications.
The broad advantages of applying early are:
- Less stress waiting for college replies due to quicker response times
- More time to prepare financial aid applications, as well as to research and apply for scholarships
- More time to look around for housing and other options
- Save money and effort by not applying to multiple colleges
- Reassess strength of application and scores, and maybe apply to slightly lower ranked colleges if not accepted
The broad disadvantages of applying early are:
- Most EA or ED application replies are received by mid-December, and in case not accepted, it leaves only a couple of weeks to hurriedly apply to other universities before their regular deadlines
- Cannot compare financial aid packages if accepted under ED
- Some students, if accepted early, might not work had for their last semester in High School, which could affect their final GPAs/grades adversely
So, who should and who shouldn’t apply early?
- Students who have done extensive research on colleges and programs, and are absolutely certain of which schools they want to attend, can opt for EA or ED
- Students with strong academic records and profiles, along with higher standardized test scores compared to those required by their shortlisted universities, can apply early
- Students with weak grades who need to bring their GPA up, or those who are simply following their friends and are not sure about the universities, should refrain from applying early
- If financial aid and the total cost of attending college are an important deciding factor, then doing thorough research and applying to schools under normal deadlines would be advisable