Should You Apply Early?
“You know what kind of plan never fails? No plan. No plan at all. You know why? Because life cannot be planned. ”
It was the first few days of September when I began to work on this post. I almost immediately began to question if it was too early to address this topic. On the one hand, I had already made reference to it as one aspect of college admission that will never change and also as a sign of demonstrated interest, so maybe the deeper dive could’ve waited. But after considering my options for future posts, and in the spirit of making an early commitment, here we are. Seniors, you might be going through a similar thought process as you decide where or even if you should apply early anywhere. This post might not get you closer to a definitive plan, but I hope it gives you something to think about.
Types of early admission plans
All colleges have a standard or regular deadline, but many offer earlier application deadlines, which can benefit both the applicant and the college. Here’s a rundown of the major options with some pro/cons for each:
Early Decision (ED): Applying Early Decision is an acknowledgement that you will be entering a binding agreement. If you are admitted, you are committed. You will also have to withdraw all other applications. The only way to back out of an ED agreement is if you can demonstrate financial hardship. You may only apply ED to one school, though a growing number of colleges offer a second round of Early Decision (EDII) which follows the release of EDI decisions.
PROS: Ideal for students who have a true top choice. There is also generally a statistical advantage, but as I’ve mentioned previously, that can be misleading. The early pool is also generally more competitive.
CONS: Students will not be able to compare financial aid packages from other colleges. It could also encourage unrealistic expectations.
Early Action (EA): Early Action follows a similar application and notification timeline as Early Decision, but allows you until May 1 to accept or reject the offer of admission. Other colleges offer “priority” deadlines which resemble EA policies. In general, you may apply EA to multiple schools simultaneously, with some notable exceptions below (REA).
PROS: Potential to receive earlier notification. Forces students to begin the process earlier.
CONS: Students sometimes end up needlessly padding their college lists without thinking about fit. EA doesn’t necessarily increase your chances of getting in.
Restrictive Early Action (REA): A number of highly selective universities implement a restrictive early action policy. Under one option, also known as “single-choice early action,” you are prohibited from applying early to any other school with a few exceptions (EA/Priority to public state universities, service academies, scholarship deadlines). These include Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Stanford. Georgetown and Notre Dame offer an REA option where you are allowed to apply to other colleges EA, but not ED. Clear as mud, right?
PROS: Demonstrates a commitment to a highly selective school without fear of actually committing.
CONS: Opportunity cost—students will be bypassing other early options that are potentially more attainable.
Keep in mind that some colleges offer both ED and EA and others do not have an early application option at all. It can be overwhelming at first, but you just have to plan ahead. Please read the early admission policies carefully for each school before weighing your options.
My Opinion: Apply early…but choose the right plan
Applying early doesn’t necessarily mean applying ED, but let’s say you’re considering it. Over the years, I’ve heard countless students say something to the effect of, “I know I want to apply ED somewhere, but I don’t know where yet.” Since not all colleges even offer ED, it would almost sound like the student was thinking strategy over fit. But here’s the thing…I totally get it. As competitive as the landscape has become, applying ED can make the difference. There are enough statistics online, even from the colleges themselves, that may help inform your decision. If you feel that you have done the research and are ready to make that commitment, there’s no real downside. Even if financial aid is a concern, keep in mind that colleges have their full financial aid budget at that point. You should also check to see if the school meets full demonstrated need and try out a net price calculator on their financial aid website.
If you don’t want to apply ED, then apply EA when available. I’ll refer to the standard EA schools here. Even with the convenience of the Common Application, you will have lots of work ahead of you and there’s a good chance you will have to fill out at least one other separate application (UC, Cal State, other state universities, Coalition, maybe MIT/Georgetown). One major benefit of applying EA is that it spreads out your work over a longer period of time. And if you are admitted to at least one of those schools, which can be as early as mid-December, even if the school isn’t your top choice, you will feel much better than another applicant who wasn’t admitted to an REA school and now has to wait until March for the rest of their decisions. Plus, if you are deferred, you have a chance to submit fall grades and if you are denied, then your fall grades wouldn’t have mattered anyway and at least you can move on.
The REA option is a special case because it involves so few schools, which are all highly selective. Just think carefully about what you are passing on and ask yourself if it’s still worth it.
What happens after you apply early?
This may sound obvious, but keep working on the rest of your applications. I’ve seen students wait anxiously for their ED or REA decision, wanting to hear back before doing anything else, but doing so could make for a long winter break if the college comes back with the not-good decision. You don’t have to submit the rest of your applications. In fact, you shouldn’t if you can hold off and save some money. But at least work on them and be ready to submit if necessary.
If you receive the good decision in a few months…congratulations! You will submit your commitment deposit, withdraw any other applications, and be supportive of your classmates and respectful to your teachers throughout your second semester status.
If you receive a decision that is less than good…I will address that in more detail in a few months, though you should also be supportive of your classmates and respectful to your teachers throughout your second semester status.
“What if I don’t want to apply early?”
I will conclude by referencing Mr. Kim from the movie Parasite, whose quote opened this post. If you are familiar with the movie, the patriarch of the Kim family had this attitude, in part, because of his feeling of hopelessness due to their low social status. His feeling was that they were simply not in a position to plan ahead, and so it wasn’t worth it at all. Perhaps you are feeling that the early application process is unfair…or that the entire application process is unfair. Well, that’s even more reason to take advantage of early deadlines. You certainly don’t want to overplan and leave yourself no flexibility, but you are missing out if you don’t plan at all and hold off until regular deadlines.
The test optional movement has evened the playing field to some degree, and while the early application period has always been perceived to give an unfair advantage to some over others, I still think everyone can benefit from what the colleges are offering. Seniors, it will be the last few days of October sooner than you know it. Plan ahead, plan enough, and be flexible.