The Common Application has rolled over, and colleges are starting to connect their supplemental essays to the Common Application (www.commonapp.org). Some students will need to complete and submit their application before December 1st for scholarship consideration opportunities. In fact, in some cases, students need to be applying by November 1st! Remember that if merit scholarships are important to you, you might NOT want to apply ED to any institution.
EARLY ACTION (EA)
This is a non-binding agreement. Early Action Deadlines for most colleges are typically October 15th or November 1st. Applying Early Action will eliminate the college from looking at the student's senior year first semester grades. This admission plan is non-binding and offered by a lot of colleges. *WIth COVID-19 EA deadlines might change!
EARLY ACTION SINGLE CHOICE or RESTRICTIVE (EA-Single Choice)
This is a non-binding agreement and should only be used if the student is confident about their college which offers this plan. Early Action Deadlines for most colleges are typically November 1st. This is when a student applies before the regular decision deadline and applies only Early Action to ONE college. There are exceptions to this rule. Students may apply to another college with early deadlines for scholarships or special academic programs as long as it is non-binding. Also, students may apply to public universities with a non-binding early application or rolling option. Applicants may apply to other colleges and universities under their Regular Decision Option as well. Applying Early Action will eliminate the college from looking at the student's senior year first semester grades. *WIth COVID-19 EA deadlines might change!
EARLY DECISION (ED)
This is a binding admission plan that requires an early application (typically October or November) and promises a reply by December or January. There are two types of ED plans: (1) Single Choice, in which the student is allowed to apply to only one college and (2) First Choice, in which the student may apply elsewhere but agrees to withdraw other applications if accepted by the ED school. This plan is recommended only if the applicant is sure of his or her college choice. If accepted, the student is ethically obligated to attend if sufficient financial aid is offered. Some schools like Emory and Vanderbilt have two rounds of Early Decision allowing a student to have flexibility. *WIth COVID-19 ED deadlines might change!
ROLLING or EARLY NOTIFICATION
This admission plan does not have an actual hard deadline. Therefore, it is crucial to apply as early as possible. Rolling or early notification is an admission plan that promises an early notification to the applicant. The student is not obligated to attend if accepted.
REGULAR DECISION (RD)
Regular Decision is the normal process by which students apply by published deadlines, like January 1st, with a promise of receiving an admissions offer by April 1st. *WIth COVID-19 RD deadlines might change!
If your student decides an ED or EA SINGLE CHOICE plan, then he or she will need to have your signature and their Counselor's signature stating they understand the ED or EA Single Choice Agreement. This is a form that will be part of the college's application. If you are struggling with deciding on when or how to apply to your college, please reach out to Williams Educational Consultants for assistance!