College Deadlines 101: Regular Decision, Early Action, and Early Decision

College applications are inherently difficult. There are essays to write, transcripts to send, and deadlines to juggle. But which deadlines should you and your student pay attention to? 

With college application season in full swing, and deadlines right around the corner, we wanted to take a moment and explain the difference between a few common terms you will encounter throughout the application process.  

Regular Decision (RD)
This round is the one most people associate with the “normal” college acceptance process in which a student submits their application by the college’s deadline (normally late December or early January) and receives a response sometime in March or April. Students are allowed to apply to as many colleges as they’d like via the regular decision route, unlike the Early Decision option which is limiting. We’ll get into that below.  If you are applying to schools via regular decision, remember you may not hear back from the college or university until spring or at the end of the school year which can make things more hectic. 

Early Action (EA)
If students can apply via the Early Action route, it is highly encouraged. Early Action pushes your deadline and notification earlier by a few months. The most common EA deadlines are November 1 and November 15. Students should hear back in December.  Early Action gives students several extra months to compare schools and make a more informed financial decision before having to make a final choice by May 1. In addition, with EA students are able to relax, knowing that they have gained admission to a college as they apply to their other choice schools during the regular application period. It is important to note that EA is non-binding unlike Early Decision. As mentioned before, be sure to check with the school’s admissions office for specific application deadlines. 

Early Decision (ED)
Unlike Early Action, Early Decision applications are binding. This is the biggest difference from EA. That means if you apply during the ED phase and are accepted, then you will have to accept the offer normally by New Year’s Eve or risk being rejected by the college. If you are accepted via the Early Decision just remember that the binding policy means that you will not be able to compare financial aid offers come spring when other colleges send out their decision letters. ED applications typically require some type of signed form (such as the Early Decision Agreement on the Common Application) that indicates the students intention to enroll upon admission. Where that might seem daunting, a perk of Early Decision is getting your application in front of the admissions committee before regular decision applicants. Statistics show that a number of Ivy League schools such as Brown and Dartmouth have seen an increase in the number of students they are accepting via ED. Also, students accepted through Early Decision can stop worrying about whether or not they will get accepted into college before many of their peers who apply through the traditional process of regular decision. This gives students the opportunity to focus on other things during the remainder of their senior year. But choose wisely. Students are only allowed to apply to one college via the Early Decision route. 

If you are a high school senior preparing to apply to college Ivy Link can help. Whether you need in-depth guidance on essays or all-things Common App, Ivy Link advisors are here to help. Click below to schedule a consultation with one of our experts.