UNCOVERING EARLY DECISION AND EARLY ACTION

For those students applying to schools in the USA, there are some application policies that you need to be aware of: Early Action (EA) and Early Decision (ED).

Note however that there are a few policies like Single Choice Early Action (SCEA) and Restrictive Early Action (REA) that we won't provide details on in this post, since they're not as ubiquitous as EA & ED.

Let's dive in!

1) EARLY ACTION VS. EARLY DECISION- WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

Both early decision and early action require that students apply by early or mid November. This is one of the many reasons why we stress the importance of doing the SATs early. While both plans will allow students to receive an acceptance/waitlist/rejection letter from their school earlier on (they will hear in 
December, rather than waiting until March), there are some key differences that we must note:

• Early Decision plans are binding (Early Action is non-binding) - if a student who applies Early Decision to the university is accepted, he/she MUST attend. So students can only apply ED to one school. To apply ED, the student must sign a contract agreeing with the ED policy. The contract can only be broken if the student cannot cover the funds necessary to attend the college even after receiving financial aid. However, parents must PROVE that they cannot cover the required costs. Remember that what a college thinks you can afford, versus what YOU think you can afford can have a discrepancy. Read more on this HERE.
  
  
• Early Action plans are non-binding- applicants have until the regular deadline to commit to attending the college and do not have to select that particular college as their final choice. Students may apply early action to multiple schools (except in the case of SCEA or REA).

2) PROS AND CONS OF EARLY ACTION AND EARLY DECISION

EARLY DECISION
RECOMMENDED FOR STUDENTS WHO
1) Have a clear #1 choice school (this criteria must be met).
2) Are a US citizen whose family can afford USD $20,000 per year or more (either #2 or#3 must be met)
3) Are an international student whose family can afford USD$45,000 per year or more.
PROS

• Significantly improves chances of acceptance. Early Decision candidates are sure to attend, which affects college's yield rates (super important for rankings). Some admissions experts even predict that early decision acceptance rates may even increase given COVID-19. Early Decision allows for increased certainty, given the uncertain nature of the pandemic where students are turning down offers that they may not have in the past.
  
  For many schools, acceptance rates for ED candidates double when compared to the regular round. ED can be particularly advantageous for students applying to highly selective universities. 
  
  
• Finding out whether or not you were accepted in December means students don't have to apply to multiple schools, which lessens stress and saves money. Students will have to continue preparing their other applications until they find out whether they were accepted or rejected from their dream school.
  
  
• Early Decision applicants who require need-based aid may be more likely to receive it over regular decision applicants. Colleges typically prefer to give offers to those committed to the university. If students can not afford to attend the college, the agreement is broken and no longer binding. 

CONS

• Since the decision is binding, students must commit to the university. Students will not be able to compare financial aid offers from other universities.
• This can put pressure on students as they commit to one school and may not have fully explored all their options.
  
  

EARLY ACTION:

PROS

• Applicants may apply early action to more than one school with little to no restriction.
• Students have until the regular deadline to decide on their final college choice and do not have to select said college as their final college since the plan is non-binding.
• Allows students to compare ranges of awards and aid offered by multiple colleges. The students can select the best option for them.
• Just like early decision, early action saves time, money and lessens stress if you are accepted.

CONS

• Students may feel pressured as there is less time to prepare the application and submit required documents for the November deadline.
• Just like Early Decision, receiving an early offer may cause some students to become relaxed in school leading to lower erm grades. You do not want the college to rescind your offer.
  
  

3) WHO SHOULD APPLY EARLY ACTION?

The answer is simple- EVERYONE! 
Both citizens and non-citizens are advised to apply early action. You have nothing to lose and so much to gain! If you are satisfied with your early action offer, you won't need to apply to other schools and international students especially can start prepping for college overseas and organizing visa requirements. 

4) WHO SHOULD APPLY EARLY DECISION? 

Although early decision increases your chances of admission, we typically recommend this plan for US citizens or international students who will not need SIGNIFICANT financial aid offers to attend university. Why? 

5) THE PROBLEM OF EA/ED
According to a study by the Cooke Foundation, only 16 percent of high achieving students from families with an income of less than $50,000 applied for early admissions for the 2013-2014 academic year. Conversely, 29 per cent of high-achieving students from families with an income of over $50,000 applied on an early decision basis. This gap is not because wealthier students are smarter or more informed, but because they can afford to apply early decision and risk not being able to compare financial aid offers.
For this reason, schools like Harvard completely abandoned the early admissions process to level the playing field for all students. 

NOTE: REMEMBER IF YOU WANT TO APPLY EARLY ACTION OR EARLY DECISION TO A COLLEGE THE DEADLINE IS MID-NOVEMBER! ENSURE THAT YOU GET ALL REQUIRED DOCUMENTS READY AND YOUR APPLICATION IS READY FOR SUBMISSION!​
​
Sources:
Article 1 Article 2 Article 3 Article 4
**This post was put together by College Quo Intern - Renee Meeks**