Does the Early bird really get the worm? Choosing between Early action, early decision, and regular decision
Another question that often comes up with regard to college applications is whether or not to apply Early Decision, Early Action, Restrictive Early Action, Regular Decision, etc. Wow! There are a lot of choices. How do you know which is the best option for you? First, you need to know the difference, especially when it comes to all the "early" options.
Early Decision is an option where the student will apply early to only one college or university and is making a full commitment to attend that college or university if they are admitted. This means the student and family need to be absolutely sure this is THE place for the student. Admissions statistics are usually much more favorable for Early Decision students. The admissions folks know these students are committed, will attend, and are "a lock" whereas in the other application types, it is a guess as to whether or not the student is truly interested. The only way a student is able to get out of an Early Decision commitment is if the college just cannot meet the family's financial aid needs in a reasonable way.
Early Action is an option where the student applies to a college or university by their Early Action deadline (usually mid-October to mid-November). They are not making a commitment to attend as in Early Decision, but they do get to hear their decision earlier, which can help ease some of the stress of the college application season for the student and family.
Restrictive Early Action is used by some schools to restrict the number of applications to highly selective, private colleges. Some colleges and universities will indicate that if you apply to their school during the Early Action period, you cannot apply to any other private school during that school's Early Action period. There are some exceptions, of course, such as if a student must apply during the Early Action period to obtain a particular scholarship. But those exceptions need to be asked for and received or else if the student applies to two private colleges during Early Action and one (or both) are Restrictive, their application to both could be in jeopardy. Keep in mind that just because you are applying to a Restrictive school, this does NOT mean you cannot apply to public universities under an Early Action plan. The Restrictive refers to other private universities.
Regular Decision is the standard application type that most parents remember. You apply to a college by a certain deadline (typically the end of December) and are notified of your decision within a couple months. There are no restrictions on how many colleges you can apply to using Regular Decision and no claim on a student if they are accepted.
So which is the right choice for you? There are pros and cons to each one, but I generally advise that Early Action is the way to go when possible and for as many schools as possible. The earlier you can get those applications in, the better (as long as your essays and applications are in good shape)! Many schools participate in Early Action now so you can apply early, hear early, and have less stress going into your senior spring.
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