Applying Early Decision vs. Early Action

The excitement and stress of the college application season is beginning.

While school visits take up a lot of time, and applications and essays take a great deal of hard work, there is an opportunity to try and lock in your college choice long before you finish your senior year. Many schools offer Early Action (EA) or Early Decision (ED) admissions for students who may be ahead of the college application game and have their thoughts about where they want to go all figured out. ED differs from EA in that it is a binding decision: If you are accepted to your ED school, you are expected to attend.

It is also possible that colleges will defer their decision on your ED or EA application to the regular admissions period. Fear not, however, as this development is not a death sentence!

What does this mean? Your application did not necessarily stand out from others, and the school wants to see how you compare to the next round of applicants. You may be upset about the school’s decision, but you still have a chance of being accepted.

What can you do about it? First, you may want to call the admissions office to politely ask why you were deferred. Next, you can take another round of standardized tests to try and improve your scores, or update your application résumé with positive components, such as new extracurricular activities or awards received. You may also be able to add another letter of recommendation that can give you an effective boost. If you do update some of your information, send a letter to the school to explain your new achievements.

While there are thousands of students who get into their dream school after being deferred, there is always a chance that you may not be accepted after all. It is important to have a back-up plan if your application does get deferred (or rejected) in the EA/ED process. You should complete all of your rolling decision applications by November and all of your regular decision applications by early December — to give you plenty of time to apply.

Be strategic about your application process. Be positive and work hard this summer and in your senior year — and you will do fine no matter the outcome!