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It's hard to think of any aspect of college admissions
that is more confusing than that of early admissions
policies. Early admissions programs have become
increasingly common, with approximately two out of three
of the country's top universities and colleges offering
some kind of early admissions program. However, the benefits and
obligations involved in early admissions vary from one school to another.
Adding to the confusion is the fact that different
schools use similar language to mean completely
different things. It is more important
than ever for college applicants to make sure that they
understand early admissions and early decisions options,
in order to make informed decisions about whether or not
it is in their interest to use them.
Early
Decision vs. Early Action
Early admissions programs can be divided
into two categories: early decision (ED) and early
action (EA). Single choice early action (SCEA)
programs are a particular kind of early action program.
ED and EA programs both involve an earlier
application deadline than the normal admissions process
does, and (as their names imply) earlier notification of
admissions decisions. Accepted applicants enjoy several
benefits. A high school student who already
knows that she has been accepted to her top choice
college can take chances she might not otherwise. She might take a challenging college-level
course that she would pass on if she were worried that
her spring grades might affect her college applications.
Another advantage, of course, is that she and her family
have more time to plan for her move to college, and to
arrange financial aid and housing.
However, the most attractive aspect
of early admissions programs is that colleges and
universities tend to admit a significantly higher
percentage of the early applicant pool than they do of the
normal applicant pool – in other words, there is the
possibility that your chances of being accepted as an
early admissions candidate are better than they would be
as a regular applicant. The most selective colleges
currently admit 25% to 50% of their total students from
the early admissions pool. In recent years, as many as 40%
of freshmen at Ivy League schools have been early
admissions applicants.
There is, of course, a catch to all this:
the issue of binding decisions.
Early
Decision (Binding)
Early decision (ED) programs are usually
binding. 'Binding' means that the applicant
promises from the start that they will attend the school
if their application is accepted. It is not an
obligation to be taken lightly, since schools honor one
another's binding decisions. If you renege on an early
decision obligation to one school, it is unlikely that
another competitive school will accept you. Students can
seek release from an early decision obligation on the
grounds of financial hardship, if the financial aid
package they are offered is genuinely inadequate;
however, the burden of proof in these cases is on the
student. (By the way, an important drawback to early decision
admissions is that they leave applicants with no
leverage to negotiate a better financial aid package –
the school knows you can't go anywhere else.)
Early decision applicants are expected to submit only one
early decision application to one school. They can submit
applications to other schools under normal application
procedures, but agree that they will withdraw all those
applications if they are accepted to the early decision
school.
Early
Action (Non Binding)
Early admissions programs which do not ask applicants to
commit to attending if they are accepted are generally
known as Early action (EA) programs. In our view, these are a
better deal for most applicants. They give students the
benefits of early notification without the obligations
of early decision. Even if accepted, students are free
to apply to other schools and to compare financial aid
offers. Single choice early action (SCEA)
programs specifically require students not to make EA
applications to other schools, although they are free to
apply elsewhere under the regular admissions round. In recent years,
several of the country's
most selective universities (including
Yale and Stanford) have adopted non-binding early
admissions programs.
Our
Recommendations
Early admissions programs can be very advantageous to
college applicants, depending on their profile and
situation. A high school student who is sure of what
school they want to go to, and whose junior year grades,
extracurricular activities, etc., are strong enough to
secure admission, can benefit from early admissions.
However, we do not encourage clients with
any questions at all about their college preferences to
seek a binding early decision from any school,
regardless of how much better the statistical chances of
acceptance may be under an early decision program. Keep
in mind that you're not just being asked to indicate a
school preference; you're being asked to forego all
other options and to commit yourself to spending four
years (and tens of thousands of dollars) at a particular
institution. That's a big decision for anyone to make.
It should only be undertaken with the best possible
information and advice, and without undue deadline
pressure.
Click
here to learn more about early decision and early
action admissions programs at Ivy League schools.
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