Is applying Early the right decision for you?
October 12th, 2021Applying to college early can be a useful strategy, but each student must make thoughtful choices. When it comes to applying early there are typically two options: Early Action (EA) and Early Decision (ED).
Early Decision is binding, so you must be 100% certain you’ve found your best fit. ED students may apply to other schools simultaneously via Early Action (at schools with unrestricted EA policies) and Regular Decision, but only one through Early Decision. If you are accepted ED, you must attend that school and withdraw all other applications.
Early Action, the non-binding option, still provides some advantages for qualifying students. This policy gives students the opportunity to compare financial aid packages and admissions offers before making the final enrollment decision by May 1.
For seniors considering whether to apply early, please pay close attention to your top choice college’s requirements to determine whether this is a good path for you. The article linked below from Nerd Wallet gives a more in-depth look at early application options and is a great resource for students and parents.
Article referenced below from Nerd Wallet, written by Anna Helhoski published on April 30, 2021
Early Action vs. Early Decision: What’s the Difference?
Students who are accepted into college early have the advantage of peace of mind during their senior year of high school. Applying early decision or early action is a smart move for the confident applicant to stand out from the pack. But applying early is not for the faint of heart—those applicants who are accepted enter into a binding agreement to attend that college.
What does early decision mean?
It is critical for a student to be absolutely certain in the choice of early-decision college before applying. Prospective students can apply for regular admission to other schools, but cannot apply to any other college by early decision. If the student is accepted, any other applications must be withdrawn.
Tagged: Early action, Early decision
You hit submit, now what?
February 4th, 2020Regular decision applications have been sent off for review and early action deferrals will soon be reviewed again: the waiting game is in full force. For some high school seniors who sent their applications in the fall, a lot can happen between their submission and the final decision in March. Is there anything applicants can do to increase their chances of admission during this downtime? Sure!
When significant progress has been made since the application was sent off, updating your profile can make a difference in the outcome. Many times students are able to use the update link through their portal on the college’s website and I believe this is always the best path if offered. If not, emailing one’s admission contact or the regional admission officer is wise, with clarity in the subject line, such as “Update information for (full name), Fall 2020 applicant.”
If you have been questioning whether or not you should provide an update to your application, the article linked below from Medium will help you make that call.
Article referenced below from Medium.com published February 15, 2019 written by Theo Wolf
Guide to Sending an Update to Colleges After Applying
So you’ve sent in your applications and now you’re nervously waiting to hear back. You might be wondering if there’s anything more you can do to help sway the decision. The answer is yes! While we don’t recommend inundating the admissions office with updates (there’s a classic story known in college admissions circles about a kid who sent postcards to the admissions office every week), in some cases it can be helpful to send an update to the schools you’ve applied to.
Should I submit an update?
You should submit an update to colleges if you have made significant progress in some aspect of your candidacy story, whether you’ve greatly developed your Spike, won a major award, received serious recognition from a well-known website, etc. If you haven’t done anything noteworthy, an update email is unnecessary, as it will be unlikely to move the needle on your application and may actually annoy admissions officers (they have a massive amount of reading to do this time of year). You don’t need to send an update on grades (unless it’s requested of you), since that will be in your counselor’s midyear report. We particularly recommend an update if the college cares about demonstrated interest.
Tagged: Admission decision, Applications, College, Common application, Early action
Important college application information you don’t want to miss
September 17th, 2019We’re a little over one month into the school year here in Kentucky, and our seniors both near and far have been working diligently on college applications throughout the summer. As their work continues, students are narrowing down college lists and organizing timelines for the application season. Those who are applying Early Action or Early Decision are in an especially productive mode!
Through all of this, many applicants often wonder what college admissions officers are really looking for. With the article linked below, we hope you will find the answers you are looking for.
Article linked below from Forbes, published on July 30, 2019, written by Brennan Barnard
Admission Deans Share Tips For College Applications
The end of summer feels imminent—not just because the airwaves are inundated with back-to-school advertisements, but also due to the growing frequency of calls to my high school counseling office. With the school year approaching, college applications are weighing heavily on rising seniors’ minds. While colleges and universities have a variety of application plans and deadlines, many students can expect to have at least one application due by early November. Yes, this is over three months away, but the fall can be hectic with classes, sports and activities.
Some students will undoubtedly procrastinate until just days or hours before their first application deadline. However, twenty years of guiding students through this experience has proven that this approach rarely ends well. It usually leads to poorly written essays, hastily drafted supplements and sloppily completed applications. Instead of waiting until the pressure is on, students are well advised to be proactive; the following wisdom from admission leaders offers guidance about how best to do this.
Tagged: Applications, Common application, Early action, Early decision
Early decision news: the wait will soon be over
December 11th, 2018December is here and while it is a glorious time filled with much anticipation of the holidays, it can also be filled with tension as students who applied Early Action or Early Decision anxiously await their college admission decisions.
While waiting is often the hardest part of this entire process, try not to worry too much. Many of you will receive just the news you are looking for. Yet no matter what happens, there are other excellent educational institutions around the country which might be the right fit and your applications are already well under way.
The article referenced below was written for the U. of Pennsylvania’s admission blog by Olivia O’Dwyer, a student at Penn, as an open letter to students who applied Early Decision. In this note, O’Dwyer tells about her experience on ED decision day and what she took away from this time. Her genuine and candid advice is a great reminder that the college admission process is a small stepping stone in your journey to become who you want to be. We believe everyone will find her words worth taking to heart.
We wish everyone the best possible outcome and while we hope for good news right alongside you, we are confident that you will be well placed in college whether or not the near-term news brings joy.
Article referenced below published on December 8, 2017 by University of Pennsylvania, written by Olivia O’Dwyer
Hello, readers!
If you’re reading this and you applied Early Decision to Penn, or to any other university – I know exactly how you feel. Even though it was almost exactly a year ago now, I can still be brought back in a second to those final few weeks, then days, then hours of anxiously awaiting my decision. Everything seemed to hinge on that moment, opening my email to a confirmation or rejection.
Read more at University of Pennsylvania >>Tagged: College, Early action, Early decision
