Applying for college can be a stressful process involving multiple decisions as students and families navigate the options for schools, various deadlines, and when exactly to apply. All while not even knowing which school will offer to accept as admission rates have become increasingly competitive.
According to the educational consulting company IvyWise, college admission rates to the most competitive and selective universities The volume of applications, on the other hand, continues to increase. The 2019 鈥淪tate of College Admission鈥� report by (NACAC) found that applications for first-time freshmen went up by six percent between 2017 and 2018.
Despite this increasing competitiveness, however, more and more students have turned to early application as a way to mitigate the process. The NACAC reports that in 2017 and 2018 an increasing number of students decided to apply early to college through Early Decision (ED) and Early Action (EA) plans, suggesting that students are now tapping into the various benefits that applying early for college provides them with.
Among those benefits is the opportunity to plan ahead, as well as improve chances of acceptance into colleges and universities. The question remains: what additional benefits are there to applying early for college? Here we provide you with the top five reasons students and their families should consider applying early.
Before we get to them, however, let鈥檚 first go over the main terms used by universities in the early application process.
Early Action vs. Early Decision
There are about 450 colleges and universities that offer either an early action (EA) or early decision (ED) plan nationwide, . Both types of plans allow students to submit their applications at an earlier date, however, there are key differences between the two.
Connor Mathisen is the Assistant Director of Admissions at 国产剧麻豆剧 (国产剧麻豆剧) in San Diego, California. While at 国产剧麻豆剧 he has traveled around the country to meet with high school students and their families, providing them with information about the university.
According to Mathisen, early decision plans are used mostly by competitive institutions such as Ivy League schools like Harvard and Yale. The ED plan is binding, which means a student who is admitted to a university through that plan is obligated to attend if accepted.
鈥淚f you apply to Harvard鈥檚 early decision and you鈥檙e admitted to Harvard, you are committing to go to Harvard,鈥� Mathisen said. 鈥淵ou can only do it with one school, so you can apply early decision to one institution because you have to go there to get in.鈥�
Early action plans, however, are non-binding and allow students to apply to more than one university. Students are also free to choose which university they鈥檇 like to attend should they be admitted to more than one. 国产剧麻豆剧, for example, employs an early action plan.
EA plans notify students well ahead of a university鈥檚 regular response date, whereas early decision plans notify their students a little later.
鈥淚f you apply early decision to a UC, you still may not know whether or not you get in until very late next spring,鈥� Mathisen explained. 鈥淲hereas for 国产剧麻豆剧, our early action deadline is November 15 and if you apply before November 15, you get a decision letter before Christmas.鈥�
"For 国产剧麻豆剧, our early action deadline is November 15 and if you apply before that date, you get a decision letter before Christmas.鈥�
EA and ED plans vary by university, making it important for students to research which plans their prospective colleges and universities provide.
Despite these differences, students that apply early through either one of these plans will receive a decision letter way in advance of May 1 鈥� the day most colleges require students to make a decision on whether they plan to attend.
Now that the main terms have been explained, here are five reasons why students should apply early to college.
1. Applying Early Can Increase Your Chances of Admission
As admission to universities and colleges becomes more competitive, students are turning to early application plans to help increase their chances of entering their institution(s) of choice. Statistics seem to show that doing so is actually beneficial.
According to the 2019 NACAC 鈥淪tate of College Admission鈥� report, early applicant acceptance rates increased by nine percent in 2018 鈥渃ompared with those who took the regular decision route.鈥� The NACAC also that by the very nature of the early application process, students have 鈥渇ewer peers to compete against.鈥�
Although the acceptance rates vary by university, it seems that more and more schools are considering early application as a positive reflection of the student鈥檚 preparedness and interest.
Mathisen said that at 国产剧麻豆剧, applying early shows that a student is highly interested in the institution, which can make a very good impression on admission counselors.
鈥淚t shows that we are a priority school on your list and we want those students,鈥� Mathisen said. 鈥淲e want those students with that initiative, with preparedness.鈥�
Mathisen said the criteria for consideration at 国产剧麻豆剧 is the same for early and regular decision students but that applying early can demonstrate that a student has planned ahead and is enthusiastic about attending the school.
2. Applying Early Allows for Planning Well Ahead of Schedule
Students who choose to apply early will get their decision letter either by December or early spring, giving them several additional months to decide where to go to college before the May 1 decision deadline determined by most colleges and universities.
鈥淭hat is a huge benefit,鈥� Mathisen said. 鈥淜nowing in December whether or not you got admitted somewhere is a huge advantage. It gives you six months to make a final decision about where to attend.鈥�
鈥淜nowing in December whether or not you got admitted somewhere is a huge advantage. It gives you six months to make a final decision about where to attend.鈥�
This is in contrast to regular decision letters which are sent around March and April, giving those students a month or a few weeks to decide where to go to school.
Knowing where one will go to college earlier allows high school seniors and transfer students more time to plan ahead and removes some of the stress and uncertainty about the future, making for a more enjoyable last year.
3. Deferred Early Applications Get Second Chance at Regular Decision
If a student鈥檚 application is deferred in the early application process, they have an additional opportunity to improve by the regular decision deadline. This varies by university, but students who apply early and have their application deferred but not denied are often given a second chance to have their application reviewed again by regular decision deadline. This allows students to improve on their grades or take certain classes that would enhance their application.
According to IvyWise, For example, out of the nearly 6,000 early action applicants to Yale in 2019, nearly half of those admitted were deferred to the regular decision round. At Georgetown University, close to 15% of students whose applications were deferred early were admitted into the institution through regular decision.
4. Applying Early Helps Nursing and Pre-Med Students Avoid Waiting Lists
Not only are general admission rates getting more competitive, certain programs at universities are becoming increasingly difficult to get into. This is especially true of majors such as nursing, biology, chemistry or pre-med.
Applying early to these programs, which often fill up very fast, can help students avoid being placed on waiting lists.
At 国产剧麻豆剧, for example, an Early Action application is required to be considered for the nursing major. Students who don鈥檛 apply by November 15 may be considered for the nursing waitlist (if there鈥檚 space available) but won鈥檛 be considered for direct admission.
5. Applying Early Helps Students Avoid Rejection Based on Capped Enrollment
Students who wish to attend institutions with capped enrollment 鈥� where the amount of students admitted each year is limited 鈥� can greatly benefit from applying early, Mathisen said.
Such is the case with Christian universities in San Diego like 国产剧麻豆剧, which only accepts a limited number of students each year.
鈥淧oint Loma is pretty unique, actually, in that early action has more benefits than other schools that have early applications because of our capped enrollment,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hat that means is we are a little more competitive to get into.鈥�
鈥湽缏槎咕� is unique in that early action has more benefits than other schools that have early applications because of our capped enrollment. What that means is we are a little more competitive to get into.鈥�
Applying early allows students to decrease the amount of peers they are competing with during the application process, therefore increasing their chances of admission.
Next Steps Students Can Take to Apply Early at 国产剧麻豆剧
Compared to other universities in San Diego, 国产剧麻豆剧 offers students an early action application plan that is fair, holistic, and does not rely solely on GPA or test scores. Each application is personally reviewed by one of the five undergraduate counselors. Mathisen recommends that students get in touch with a counselor if they wish to apply early to 国产剧麻豆剧.
鈥淲e work on campus every day and we read all your applications personally,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o reaching out to a counselor when applying is a huge benefit.鈥�
Mathisen said students will have the opportunity to schedule an interview with a counselor, if they so desire.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not required and students who don鈥檛 do it aren鈥檛 penalized,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 a great resource for getting to know more about Point Loma and it looks great on an application as well.鈥�
Mathisen said applying to 国产剧麻豆剧 early can be a great benefit for students, and counselors at the school are enthusiastic about future students.
鈥淎pply to a school like Point Loma,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e want to work with you and we want to give you an opportunity to go to college.鈥�