When it comes time for rising seniors to start applying for colleges, they are faced with various options of deadlines to choose. Early Action and Regular Decision are both non-binding deadlines available for students. Since these deadlines are non-binding, students do not have to commit to a college once they are accepted, and can instead weigh their options. Both choices possess their respective benefits, requiring students to determine which option is best for them for each college. As seniors who have gone through the college application process, we have gained an insight into these benefits, and which option is the best overall for the general applicant.
Early Action is the first deadline in the college application process. This deadline, which typically requires submissions by early November, is a common choice for high school seniors. Often the most popular choice, Early Action comes with a multitude of benefits that we feel to be most beneficial to students. Applying Early Action provides students with higher chances of being selected for admission, as the admissions pool for Early Action is considerably smaller than that of the Regular Decision deadline for most schools. Additionally, some colleges offer specific programs or scholarships solely to Early Action applicants. Most notably for students like us, the University of Maryland (UMD) only considers Early Action applicants for the UMD Honors College program. Similarly, applicants for schools across the country will be considered for these selective programs if they apply Early Action. These admissions benefits are often the most convincing factors that push students to apply Early Action.
There are personal benefits to applying Early Action. Students who applied Early Action to all or most of their colleges find themselves blessed with more free time later in the year. On top of maintaining grades to keep those merit scholarships, balancing extracurricular activities and studying for APs, high school seniors find college application season to be especially grueling. Applying Early Action allows students to get this relentless process out of their way as soon as possible. Even better, applicants get their decisions back much earlier than if they applied Regular Decision. With more free time and decisions already in hand, seniors are able to research aid offers, apply to more scholarships, consider their future goals and eventually choose a college sooner, preventing any hasty, last-minute decisions from being made in regards to their future. Evidently, with all the benefits that the Early Action deadline offers, this deadline is the most optimal choice for seniors who are looking to make their college admissions process more manageable.
With as many benefits that come with applying Early Action, Regular Decision’s January deadline poses special advantages for patient students. Once the Early Action season has passed, applicants are given a few months to relax from application stress, but more importantly, they are given the opportunity to reflect upon their application. While the already submitted applications are unable to be changed, students are able to freely edit their application for Regular Decision. Additionally, many colleges release their decisions before January, so students are able to understand what colleges think of their application in general. We found the extra time and available decisions allowed us to better our applications that increased our likelihood of acceptance.
When students finally decide on a college on May 1st, their outlook on post-secondary education may be completely different from when they applied, with an alternate major or a change in priorities. With Regular Decision’s later deadline, an applicant has a more accurate grasp on their college opinions. If a student truly wants to follow a different path from the one they set in November, they would find it easier to alter their application for their Regular Decision colleges than switch their major once they are accepted into an Early Action college.
While both deadlines have their individual advantages, overall, Early Action tends to be a better decision for colleges that a student feels strongly about. While their opinion might change and they may improve their application for the Regular Decision season, these benefits do not outweigh the fact that the decisions are released earlier for Early Action. Having a decision early in the year allows students to better plan for their future, letting a student put their best foot forward to start the rest of their life.