Early Action vs. Early Decision

In general, there are two rough timelines involved in submitting college applications (we’re going to exclude UCs here, since they don’t offer any “early” timeline):

• Regular Timeline: Submit your application in early January and find out your results in March. 
• Early Timeline: Submit your application by November 1st and find out your results in early to mid-December. 

Why apply early at all? Why not just submit all of your applications in January?

• It helps break up the workload, particularly with respect to essays.
• There can be admissions advantages to applying early (more on that later).
• Psychological reassurance. Think of it like this: It’s late December or early January. You’re about to submit most of your college applications. Stress is high. But if you applied early, you already have an acceptance or two. That goes a really long way in alleviating the stress of submitting the majority of your applications. 

Suppose I do want to apply early. What else do I need to know?

There are two main options for applying early:

• Option 1 – Early Decision: You apply early, find out your results early, and if you get in, you have to go. Yes, you read that correctly: you have to go. You can only submit one Early Decision application (because it’s binding).
• Option 2 – Early Action: You apply early, find out your results early, but if you get in, you don’t have to go. You can submit Early Action applications to multiple colleges.

You can mix and match here, meaning you can apply Early Decision to University of Chicago and Early Action to University of Michigan. If, come December when “early” results are released, you receive an acceptance from Chicago, you have to enroll (and thus have to withdraw your application from all other colleges to which you applied). But if you are rejected from Chicago and accepted at Michigan, you don’t have to attend Michigan. You can continue applying to other colleges and you’ll have until the normal deadline of May 1st before you have to make a final decision.

Will either option help me get into my dream college?

Maybe. 

From a college’s perspective, Early Decision is helpful to them because they know that, if they accept you, they can count on you attending. And colleges care a lot about being able to predict enrollment numbers. Early Decision, insofar as it’s binding, is also a great way of communicating just how strong of an interest you have in the school. And colleges like to see that. 

For Early Action, because it’s not binding, there’s usually much less of an admissions advantage, if any. But if you’re applying to a competitive major within a school, they sometimes fill the majority of their seats in the early round, so it’d be a great idea to get your application in early.

In the end, each student’s Early Action and Early Decision path is different. Your college counselor will help formulate the best plan specific to your circumstances.