{"id":1195,"date":"2017-11-29T13:39:48","date_gmt":"2017-11-29T13:39:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/uncategorized\/early-application-can-lead-to-an-early-decision\/"},"modified":"2019-05-02T15:37:57","modified_gmt":"2019-05-02T21:37:57","slug":"early-application-can-lead-to-an-early-decision","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/early-application-can-lead-to-an-early-decision\/","title":{"rendered":"Early Application Can Lead to an Early Decision"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>So, you\u2019ve finally whittled down your list of schools and are considering applying early to get the ball rolling on your college plans. By now, you should know if early admission is even an option at the schools you want to submit your applications to (and if you don\u2019t, you should find out!) Typically, there are three ways that you can apply for early acceptance and some schools may offer more than one of the following options:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/ask-the-experts-early-decision-and-early-application\/\"><strong>Early Action (EA)<\/strong>\u00a0<\/a><br \/>\nThis option\u00a0allows you to apply to more than one school early and gives you an early answer about your acceptance. EA applications shouldn\u2019t be used liberally; do not apply this way to every school on your list. Having the ability to submit multiple EAs doesn\u2019t mean you should feel free to overuse it.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/ask-the-experts-early-decision-and-early-application\/\"><strong>Early Decision (ED)<\/strong> <\/a><br \/>\nThis option also gives you an early answer, but restricts you to applying ED to only one school and requires that you\u2019ll guarantee up front that you\u2019ll enroll if you\u2019re accepted. If you are accepted, you must withdraw your applications to any other colleges. You\u2019re committed to the school and can\u2019t apply anywhere else, even during the regular admission season.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Single Choice Early Action (SCEA) or Restrictive Early Action (REA)<\/strong><br \/>\nThis is the newest option, which limits you to applying early to only one school to get an answer in advance about acceptance. It\u2019s not binding, but restricts you from applying anywhere else under an EA or ED application. You can apply elsewhere during regular admission and do not have to make a decision to enroll until the school\u2019s regular deadline.<\/p>\n<h2>Things to keep in mind when seeking early admission<\/h2>\n<p>It all seems simple enough, doesn&#8217;t it? Apply early, get accepted and wait for school to start. However, it\u2019s not quite that black and white. While applying early offers a couple of advantages, you should limit your ED\/EA application to the one school you want to attend more than any other. If you\u2019re not sure about your school choice, don\u2019t do it. However, if you think it\u2019s THE ONE, make sure you do the following before you send in that paperwork:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Thoroughly research everything about the school and make absolutely certain that it&#8217;s your #1 choice<\/li>\n<li>Carefully read the school&#8217;s requirements and policies<\/li>\n<li>Peruse the admission criteria and make sure that you have a good shot at being accepted<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>If you apply for early decision<\/h2>\n<p>If you decide to apply early after doing all your legwork, then you should know by the end of December if you\u2019ve been accepted, rejected, or placed on a waitlist. If a thick envelope appears in your mailbox, jump up and down with joy, then relax and savor the rest of your senior year, even if you have other applications pending. (If you\u2019ve used the early application option properly, then you know you\u2019ve been accepted at your first-choice school or at least have a guaranteed acceptance if you choose not to enroll at any other school that may accept you later).<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re turned away for early admission, remember that it\u2019s not the end of the world. We swear! Pick yourself up by your bootstraps and keep plowing forward. Revisit your list of preferred schools and get those applications in before the deadlines. You\u2019ll know early on where you stand with your early choice school so don\u2019t waste time lamenting\u2014move on to plan B!<\/p>\n<p>A deferred admission, or non-committal response, means that the school may accept you but won\u2019t make a decision until they receive all of their regular applications. It\u2019s wise to treat this as a possible rejection and to press forward with your other college applications. Take advantage of the interval between December and April to add to your file in the admission office, including any award notices or special recognition that you receive.<\/p>\n<h2>What the schools have to say about early application<\/h2>\n<p>EA\/ED options for getting into college aren&#8217;t without controversy, and most colleges and universities do not promote applying early as a strategy to increase your prospects for admission. Similarly, most don\u2019t rely on EA\/ED applicants to fill up their freshman class, although your chances of acceptance may be slightly higher during the EA\/ED timeframe. However, some schools are actually starting to do away with EA\/ED options completely, including Harvard and Princeton, and others are expected to follow suit.<\/p>\n<p>One well-known school\u2019s philosophy about early-action applicants is based on the belief that if you apply early, you\u2019re demonstrating a strong commitment to their school. Your GPA may be A- to B+, compared to the regular pool\u2019s A average, but if you\u2019ve applied under ED, then you\u2019re showing a definitive interest. That weighs in your favor. This philosophy mirrors that of many schools that offer Early Action and Early Decision application options.<\/p>\n<p>For schools moving away from EA\/ED options, most believe that the EA\/ED process is unfair to less advantaged students, particularly those who don&#8217;t even know that such options exist. By doing away with early application, they hope to level the playing field at admission time.<\/p>\n<p>Overall, an EA\/ED application allows you to get in early to schools that may be highly competitive and that you strongly want to attend. Whether you get early acceptance or are turned down, you can get a step ahead in your college planning.<\/p>\n<h2>Need professional help?<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.essayedge.com\/blog\/big-envelope-full-application\/\">Check out Big Envelope from EssayEdge<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- Blue call to action --><\/p>\n<p><!-- Blue call to action --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>So, you\u2019ve finally whittled down your list of schools and are considering applying early to get the ball rolling on your college plans. By now, you should know if early admission is even an option at the schools you want to submit your applications to (and if you don\u2019t, you should find out!) Typically, there<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[33],"class_list":{"0":"post-1195","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-stories","7":"tag-application"},"better_featured_image":null,"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Early Application Can Lead to an Early Decision - Peterson&#039;s<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Typically, there are three ways that you can apply for early acceptance. 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