Early Action​

Application opens around the summer or fall of your senior year and is due in the fall. These applications are NON-BINDING therefore you can apply to multiple schools EA, as you are not legally required to attend any of them. Decisions are sent out in November or December. Most students choose to apply Early because they find out quickly whether or not they are attending this college. Also, many colleges are more lenient when it comes to accepting students during EA as opposed to Regular. Also, if a student’s application was deferred to Regular decision during this process, they essentially have a second chance to this college.

Students who apply EA usually already have their college list finalized. Early Decision (I)

Application opens around the summer or fall of your senior year and is due in the fall. These applications are BINDING therefore you can only apply to ONE school ED. Decisions are sent out in November or December. Many students choose to apply Early because they find out quickly whether or not they are attending this college. Also, many colleges are more lenient when it comes to accepting students during ED as opposed to Regular. Also, if a student’s application was deferred to Regular decision during this process, they essentially have a second chance to this college. Students who apply ED usually already have their college list finalized.

Early Decision II

Same as Early Decision I except that applications are usually due in January and notifications come in February.

Regular Decision

Application opens in December/January and is due around March for most college. RD is not binding and decisions are released in April or May. Many students choose to do RD if they do not have strong test scores or if they had a busy schedule at the start of their senior year.

This is one of the more competitive application windows (WAY MORE COMPETITVE THAN ED/EA) so if you don't thrive on competiton, apply ED/EA. Rolling Admissions

This is a special type of process where colleges accept application as they get them. There are no set due dates or release dates (some rolling admissions do have deadlines). Applications are accepted (or denied/deffered) until the institution fills up their class, so it is still advised to apply as early as you possibly can. Being Deferred Admission officers want to see more from your application, maybe grades or a higher SAT score, so your application gets sent to another application period. It is neither an acceptance nor a rejection.

Being Waitlisted The admission officers have finished reviewing your file and made a decision to put you on a waiting list for admission. Being on a waitlist means that you are on a list with other students waiting to be officially accepted. The college has not officially accepted you, but may offer admission in the next few months if spaces become available. The admissions committee may or may not admit students from the waitlist, this all depends on their class size and your place on the list.

For all of these options, students have until May 1st (of the application season) to formally accept enrollment into a specific institution.

***Tip: Read this article if you are indecisive on when to apply.