Application Options

Colleges offer different combinations of these application choices:

Regular Admission

This is the choice that 85% of high school seniors select. You apply between January 1 and February 15, and colleges send their decisions by April 15. You make your final decision and send a deposit by May 1. This allows you to consider many options throughout senior year.

Rolling Admission

You apply at any time and receive an admission decision within four to six weeks. You do not need to make a final decision until May 1.

Early Applications

Some students who have a strong high school transcript through junior year, excellent standardized test scores and a clear first choice for college may decide to apply under one of the early application plans. Here are the two choices:

Early Action/Early Notification (EA)

Applications are due by mid fall, usually November 1 or November 15. Colleges send their decisions by January, but students do not need to make a final decision until May 1. The advantage is that you can compare other colleges’ decisions and financial aid offers before committing to a college. You are allowed to apply EA to more than one college.

Early Decision (ED)

Applications are due November 1 or 15 (Round I) or January 1 (Round II). Colleges begin mailing their decisions in December-January (EDI) or February 15 (EDII). Students applying ED agree not to apply to any other colleges. The decision is binding: if you are accepted, you must attend. There are two drawbacks to ED: first, many seniors change throughout their senior year, and a college that looks like a good match in October may not end up being the best fit with whoever the senior has become by May. Second, ED acceptances usually do not come with financial aid offers, so there is no way of knowing until spring how much money a college is going to require you to pay and you have already promised to attend if accepted.