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College Deadlines

Graduation Ceremony

Submitting your application within the deadline is the single most important part of the admissions process. Taking the time to put together an outstanding application, complete with a brilliant personal essay and impressive recommendation letters is futile if you do not send in your application on time. Most colleges have four different types of college application deadlines, and it is important to understand what each one means and whether or not it applies to you.

 

but your specific case greatly informs if these restrictive and binding admissions options will or will not increase your chance of acceptance. While admit rates tend to be higher in Early Decision , EA or Restrictive Early Action, this reflects the remarkable strength of the applicant pool rather than a benefit of application timing.

 

Schools use early action and early decision admission numbers as ways of estimating the yield of incoming classes. Since colleges know students applying early are likely or formally bound to commit, early applicants are more likely to get accepted. If you apply early decision to a school that allows it, the admissions office will know you are committed to attending it. However, even if you apply restrictive early action, you are not committed to attending. This makes it difficult for the admissions office to gauge whether or not you will actually attend the school.

Applying either restrictive early action or early decision to college not only increases your chances of acceptance, but if you’re accepted, you don’t have to submit regular decision applications if you get in REA to your dream school! Of course, you should continue working on RD applications until you hear back to prepare for all outcomes. But once you’ve been notified, you’ll have a giant responsibility lifted off your shoulders. Plus, you’ll be able to save time and money.

The advantage of applying REA over ED is that you don’t necessarily have to have to commit to attending if you’re admitted. For example, if you get in Yale REA but you might want to try your luck at Harvard and Stanford too you can apply RD and see which ones you get into and decide your school in May. However, if you apply ED to Columbia, you’re bound to attend Columbia in the fall.

A disadvantage of both REA and ED is timing. You’ll need to have everything in order and ready to go 2 months earlier. If stronger second quarter grades could benefit your profile or you’re waiting to achieve something major before January, hold back on early decision or restrictive early action.

Early Decision:

Early decision deadlines allow students to apply early. The school reviews these applications early and students also receive an early response from the college. This is a great option for applicants who have their hearts set on one particular college.

 

However, if a college is not first on your list or if you have any hesitation whatsoever, it is not advisable to apply as an early decision.

 

You should only choose Early Decision if you are sure you want to attend a specific college. When you apply through an early decision deadline and a college accepts you, you cannot break your contract. The college contractually obligates you to attend. If you decide to back out because you’ve changed your mind, most colleges will charge you a steep fine, which could be as much as a full year’s tuition. Opting to not attend can have negative consequences as it is a binding contract. If you’re not sure, opt for Regular Decision or Early Action.

 

The deadlines for early decision are usually somewhere between the 1st and 15th of November. Schools with early action admission usually contact applicants with their decision sometime between December 1 and January 31. However, there are some colleges that wait until mid-February to let applicants know if they got in.

 

Pros of Early Decision

  • It shows the school you’re set on attending there and it’s your first choice. This shows commitment.

  • You get a faster response. So if you’re declined, you have plenty of time to apply to other colleges.

  • There can be higher acceptance rates at some colleges.

 

Cons of Early Decision

  • It’s a binding contract that comes with a huge fee if you try to cancel.

  • Your application is due sooner.

  • You can apply to only one college.

 

Single Choice Early Action/Restrictive Early Action

Restrictive Early Action is a process more restrictive than early action but less committal than early decision.

While applicants are under no obligation to attend if accepted, schools that use restrictive early action ask prospective students to apply early only at that institution. Typically, such colleges require students to sign a form stating that they will not apply to other early admissions programs.

 

Restrictive Early Action (REA) is non-binding early application option. either Restrictive Early Action or our Regular Decision program, both of which allow you to compare admission and financial aid offers from other institutions and to wait until May 1 to make a final college choice.

Restrictive Early Action may be a good option for you if all of the following apply:

  • You have identified the school as your first choice;

  • You have taken a challenging academic schedule through grade 11 and have done well. When we review your early application, it is important to have a strong transcript through grade 11 because we will not have your grades from the first semester of your senior year;

  • You have enough time before the November 1 deadline to write a thoughtful application.

 

Rolling Admissions:

This is a good option if you find another school you’d like to apply to after completing Early Action applications. You can also choose this route if you finish your application early and the college gives you the option of rolling admissions, so you can find out quickly if you were accepted.

With rolling admissions, the deadline is the same as the regular decision deadline. The only difference is that colleges that offer rolling admissions do not wait till after the deadline to send out acceptance letters. They start evaluating the applications as they come in and send out letters as soon as they’ve made a decision.

 

When applying to a college that has a rolling admissions system, it is always a good idea to apply as early as possible.

 

Pros of Rolling Admission

  • There is plenty of time to complete your application.

  • You know quickly if you turn in your application quickly.

 

Cons of Rolling Admission

  • Turning it in later could hurt your admission chances.

  • Not all colleges have rolling admission as a choice.

 

How to Know Which One is Right For You

Not all admission choices will work for students. Here are some examples of when a college admission choice is the right option for you.

 

 
Regular Decision:

This is a good choice if you’re not 100% sure where you want to attend just yet. You also should choose this option if you want a bit more time to complete your application or if you’d like to retake your ACT or SAT a few more times.

This is the most common type of deadline that applies to most applications. Regular decision college application deadlines are typically around the beginning of January. Colleges send the acceptance letters sometime in March. You have until the end of April to accept (May 1st is known as College Decision Day).

 

When applying through regular decision there is no limit to the number of schools you can apply to. If more than one college accepts you, you can choose which one you want to go to. You are under no obligation to enroll in any one particular college.

 

Pros of Regular Decision

  • Plenty of time to complete your application.

  • Apply to as many schools as you’d like.

  • Time for test retakes.

 

Cons of Regular Decision

  • It may be a lot to tackle in the final months of your senior year with scholarships, finals, and other responsibilities.

 

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