APPLYING EARLY

Many students like the idea of applying to colleges early, having the process completed by Christmas vacation, and relaxing during the second semester. Applying early might, in fact, be a good idea for some students, but it is not necessarily the recommended route for you. Discuss your options with your counselor during the summer and early fall. Below is an explanation of some of the terms used to describe the various ways of applying early:

Early Decision: Several schools offer an admission plan for those students who are certain of their college choice during the first semester of their senior year. Application deadlines for early decision plans are usually in November and December. A student who applies to a school under an early decision plan must sign a contract (as do his parents and college counselor) which states that the student will attend that school if accepted. She or he also states that he will withdraw any and all other applications submitted to other schools and that he will not submit any others. Applying to a school early decision is a serious and binding commitment.  Please do not violate an Early Decision commitment.

Students applying early are reviewed primarily on the basis of their performance through junior year, so the early decision option is usually advisable only for students with very good academic records. Responses for early decision applicants are usually received before Christmas of the senior year, and they may be acceptance, denial or deferral to the regular spring applicant pool. A student may apply to only one school as an early decision candidate, and he should be sure that that is the school he or she would like to attend. If you are interested in applying as an early decision applicant, it is important to discuss all of the considerations with your counselor soon after senior year begins.

Early Action: This is a decision plan similar to that described above, but the important difference is that your acceptance is not binding. Most early action deadlines are in November and December, and you will usually receive a decision before Christmas break. You will have until the May 1 Candidate's Reply Date, however, to decide whether or not you will attend that school. You may still apply to other schools even if accepted under this plan. Decisions under this plan are made primarily on the basis of your performance through junior year. It is usually more difficult to get accepted under an early action plan than it is through the regular admission process in the spring.

Early Admission: Some colleges and universities accept students before they have finished high school, usually at the end of the student's junior year. Admission is rare under this plan, and it is only appropriate for the student who has taken an accelerated high school academic program, has an exemplary high school record, and who is mature enough to make the early move to college. It is not recommended for most students.