So you’re thinking of going to college. First of all, good for you! While college might not be for everyone, it definitely is an exciting and rewarding path you can take — but the pros of college life are not without its cons. Before you even step foot on campus, you’ll encounter one of the most stressful elements of college: applications. What if your dream school rejects you? How can you possibly keep track of all these dates? Why is there so much confusing terminology? What to do, what to do?
The key to a (slightly less) scary application process is knowing the language. Early action and early decision are two phrases you’ve likely come across in your college searches — and while they may sound similar, they have completely different meanings. Applying to college is full of major decisions, from choosing between in-state or out-of-state schools to determining what you want to write about in your personal essay. In my experience, deciding between early action, early decision, and regular decision was one of the most perplexing — and pressuring — choices I had to make. But it doesn’t have to be that confusing.
What does early action mean?
Early action (which is also called E.A.) is fairly self-explanatory: It simply means you have to submit your application at an earlier deadline. Since you send in your application earlier, you’ll hear back from your early action schools before people who apply regularly. Usually, schools will notify you of their decision around December or January.
One perk that comes with applying early action — assuming you get into your school, and that you commit to it — is that it eliminates any college-related stress in the spring. If you accept, you’ll already know where you’re heading post-graduation. Another pro of applying early action is that it’s unbinding, meaning you can deny the school’s offer if a better one arises. You can also wait until the spring to make a decision, giving you more than enough time to weigh your options.
What does early decision mean?
Early decision is the direction you might want to take if you’ve found your dream school. Unlike early application, early decision (also called E.D.) locks you in to accepting the college’s offer (that is, if they want to admit you). The binding agreement of early decision may be intimidating, but if things go well, you’ll be done with the application process early. Similar to early action, you’ll most likely hear back from your school around December, or roughly a month after you send in your application. Colleges tend to prioritize applicants who go both the early decision and early action route, so you may also have a higher chance of being admitted. However, nothing’s for certain.
Early action or early decision — Which one should I choose?
In comparison to early decision, the stakes of applying early action are much lower. Early action allows you to apply to multiple schools, whether you do so through early action or regular applications. When selecting your early action schools, think of where you could see yourself at, even if they aren’t necessarily your number one choice.
If your heart is dead-set on a certain school, there’s no harm in applying to it early decision. Just know that you’re obligated to accept the school’s offer, if they extend one to you. If you’re eligible for financial aid, it might be best to hold off from applying early decision. Since early decision binds you to one school, you won’t be able to compare financial aid packages from other colleges. Though it’s difficult to say what colleges value in their applicants, I would also make sure that your test scores and GPA are up to par with those of your early decision school.
Deadlines for early action and early decision
Though deadlines typically vary, expect them to fall around early November to late December. Usually, the first deadline for early action applications is on Nov. 1, and Nov. 15 tends to be the second deadline for early action schools. As for early decision, Nov. 1 and Nov. 15 are other common application deadlines. Some schools might have a later deadline for early decision, which can be as early as Dec. 1 or as late as Jan. 15. Of course, you should double-check each application deadline for your schools of interest.
Remember, no matter how much you want a certain school, you’re never guaranteed it. Rejection stings, but it’s an inevitable part of life. Whether you apply early action or early decision, schools reserve the right to either defer or deny your application. Deferrals are neither a guaranteed “no” or “yes” — the college will simply consider your application at a later time, likely with the normal applicant pool. If your early action or early decision schools don’t accept you right away, don’t panic; though it may take some time, you’ll find the right fit for you.