Every year students contemplate whether they should apply to college via early decision or regular decision. This decision is a very important one, especially if you are considering some of the more selective colleges and universities in the US.

Early Decision:

Several US colleges offer early admission plans. Under these plans, students can apply to colleges early — well before the usual deadline — and get a decision early.

Some students who apply under these plans have a better chance of getting in than they would through the regular admission process. Colleges benefit from the plans as well because they get students who really want to attend that college to commit early.

How to Decide If Applying Early Is Right for You

Applying early can be a good idea if you’re sure about which college you want to attend. That means you’ve researched its programs and, if possible, visited its campus.

Early Admission Options

There are three main types of early admission plans. All three plans usually require you to apply in October or November. All the plans give you an early decision; you’ll know in December or January if you’ve been accepted.

Here are some details about each option.

Early decision plans:

• You can apply to only one early decision college.
• If the college accepts you and offers you enough financial aid, you must go to that college. That’s why these plans are referred to as “binding.”
• Some colleges have two early deadlines, called early decision deadline I and early decision deadline II. They both work the same way, but the second deadline gives you more time to decide whether to apply early.
• Although you may apply to additional colleges through the regular admission process, you must withdraw all other applications if you’re accepted by this college.

Early action plans: 

• You can apply to more than one early action college.
• If you’re accepted, you can say yes right away or wait until spring to decide.
• You can also decline the offer.

Single-choice early action plans:

• You can apply early to only one college. Otherwise, these plans work the same as other early action plans.
• You can still apply to other colleges through the regular admission process.
• You don’t have to give your final answer to the early application college until spring.

Regular Decision: 

• Regular Decision is the most common option for applying to colleges.
• You can apply Regular Decision to as many colleges as you like.
• Regular decision is good for students who might need a little more time to do their college research, or if you’ve narrowed your search but still aren’t completely sure which is the best college for you.
• While the application submission deadlines will vary between institutions, Regular Decision deadlines typically fall in early January.
• Offers of admission are sent out in late March or early April.  Students will have until May 1 to either accept or decline their offers.

Whether you apply early decision, early action, or opt for the regular deadline, doing the necessary research to choose whether a college is the right match and fits you is the first step.

Note: each college will have different policies, deadlines, and requirements, regardless of the admissions timeline you choose.  Make sure to check with the admissions department for any school you’re considering.