It seems like every other part of this process is standardized—why can’t the deadlines be, as well?
Your head may be spinning with terms like “early decision,” “early action,” “restrictive early action,” and even “early decision II.” You’ll likely apply to some schools by their early deadlines and to others by their regular deadlines — but even within those classifications, the dates of those deadlines vary. Additionally, some schools offer on-campus interviews only after receiving your application, while others require you to sit for a local alumni interview before submitting your application. Still others will even require you to submit “Part One” of their application months before the posted deadline. How do you decide which deadlines are right for which schools? How do you know if you should apply Early Decision, Early Action, or mix and match to get the best of both worlds?
These are complex decisions—not to mention some of the most impactful you’ll make throughout the entire application process—and they dictate your timeline for getting to work. So, let’s decode the deadlines you’ll encounter to get a better understanding of what each one actually means and explore their varying degrees of required commitment:
Early Decision (ED): This is the deadline of choice if you know which school you want to go to with 100% certainty and confidence because it has stolen your heart. Perhaps this has been your dream school for years…or perhaps you went on college tours recently and fell in love with this university after thoroughly comparing it to (in an ideal world) many others. Not every school offers an ED pathway, so make sure you do some research if this is an appealing option to you, and be aware of the financial commitment. If you want to compare financial aid and scholarships, this is not the path for you – but if you are absolutely sure you will attend, ED admission rates are much higher than regular decision rates. For example, you may find that your dream school accepts 11% of regular decision students but has a 59% acceptance rate for ED applicants. This is a huge difference! Universities love a “guaranteed student,” a one-for-one admission option rather than having to admit eight students through regular decision in the hopes of yielding one for their incoming class.
It is very important to note that this is a binding agreement between you, a parent or guardian, your college counselor, and the school you’re applying to. If you are accepted to the institution, you must attend (barring very rare exceptions made for new and unexpected financial hardships). You must also withdraw the rest of your applications – you cannot leave applications at universities “just to see if you are accepted.” In the worst-case scenario, if you are caught doing this, we have seen both the early decision institution and the other institution rescind their offers for unethical behavior and breaking the agreement.
Most ED deadlines fall between November 1st and 15th. By definition, you can only have one ED choice! However, there is a lesser-known caveat to think about when strategizing: if you are rejected from your ED I school (decisions typically come out mid-December), you may still be able to apply in the ED II round for another school—or, if you’ve already applied via Regular Decision (RD), ask if they can bump you to their ED II pool. Schools have varying policies and deadlines for this, so be sure to do your homework if this option is appealing to you.
Early Decision II (ED II): All of the above rules apply for ED II, as well—the main difference between ED I and ED II is simply the deadline. For those schools that offer it, ED II provides applicants with a later deadline to commit to a school (most often between January 1st and February 1st), while ED I requires applicants to submit much earlier. This gives you more time to work on your application, which is not a small consideration. Think about your senior year summer and academic year schedules and consider the value of quality work (as opposed to work simply submitted early). It also allows you to give colleges one more strong semester of grades to consider, since you are submitting near the end of your fall semester of senior year, and your counselor will send a mid-year report on your progress.
For both ED I and ED II, you may be able to apply Early Action elsewhere and can apply Regular Decision to other schools on your list, but you will have to withdraw any pending applications if you receive the green light to attend your ED choice (in either round).
Early Action (EA): Early Action is non-binding, which means that you are not committing to attending this school, but you still typically benefit from slightly higher acceptance rates, a smaller (though oftentimes more competitive) pool of applicants, stronger scholarship and merit offers, and a less stressful senior year, since you’ll be getting your apps in early… and receiving your decisions earlier! When students ask if I think they should apply EA at the colleges that offer the option (as not all do), our answer is simply: why not? Why wouldn’t you give yourself a head start and a potentially higher chance of admissions? With applications becoming increasingly competitive, you need all the help you can get. The only reason to not submit EA is if you need to show an improvement in your grades first semester of senior year, which would make holding off until the RD round a better option.
If you go down the EA path, please note that deadlines are usually between October 15 and November 15, meaning that everything happens fast! You’ll need to plan ahead and begin working on brainstorming, outlining, and writing essays; filling out applications; and gathering letters of recommendation well in advance. You don’t have to withdraw any applications, though, should you be accepted through early action plans.
Restrictive Early Action (REA): This option is a bit newer to the admission process, with only a handful of highly selective universities utilizing it. Essentially, if you choose to apply REA, you are not allowed to apply ED to any other institution, and the policies on applying to EA schools vary – so read the fine print. You can continue to apply through regular decision programs, and you have time to choose from your REA or regular decision (RD) schools. REA is a way for a student to tell a college that they are your top choice without the binding decision that comes with ED. In many cases, this will not particularly improve your chances of being accepted, and the acceptance differences could be as little as 2-3%. This will all depend on the REA institution that you choose. REA is also used for athletes, legacies, and other priority students, which may give the rest of the applicant pool a skewed sense of having better chances of being accepted.
The exceptions to the rules of ED and REA are often public and international universities with priority deadlines. You may be entitled to apply to state or public institutions that offer greater acceptance rates and scholarship awards if you apply early.
Regular Decision (RD): Regular Decision is the round in which most students apply. Students will likely utilize the RD deadlines for a portion of their college lists (even if they move forward with ED and EA deadlines). This deadline offers the most time to put together stellar applications, with the majority of deadlines falling between January 1 and February 15.
Keep in mind that for arts students—those interested in pursuing majors in Musical Theater, Drama, Dance, Visual Arts, Music, Design etc.—EA and ED are often not options. Students pursuing arts conservatories will also need to pay close attention to additional portfolio submission, prescreen, and audition deadlines on top of everything detailed above, as the deadlines are often earlier to submit your materials, but you still receive your decisions in the spring with other RD applicants.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed after reading this, remember that working with someone who’s done this all before can help you prepare for these deadlines and expectations in advance, greatly reducing the inevitable stress. We’ll keep you on pace and on target, making sure no deadlines slip under the radar. There will never be surprises when you work with Great Expectations, and we’re ready to help you navigate all of the deadlines seamlessly!
