The College Application Process: What Students Should Know

The application process seems to become increasingly complex with each passing semester. There are more options (early decision, early action, regular decision), more dates and more requirements for students to understand. By adding more options colleges are attempting to make the application process more student friendly. Unfortunately and converse to the desired effect, many students find themselves overwhelmed by the number of options available. In order to take advantage of these application methods and their benefits, it is critical that students educate themselves about the pros and cons associated with each method of application. Colleges and universities use fairly standard definitions to describe each form of application which makes it easier for students to learn about the methods available and understand the differences between each university’s programs.

Early decision. The early decision option is a binding application that gives students who have selected a specific institution as their first choice a chance to show their interest in the school and express their commitment. Binding applications require that students withdraw all other applications if admitted by the university. Early decision applications are accepted as early as junior year at some institutions and as late as December of senior year at others. Notice of acceptance is usually received within a month of application.

Pros. There are many benefits to submitting early decision applications—benefits that can make the difference between a student being accepted by an institution or turned away. Early decision applications are considered more carefully and the student’s level of interest in the school is taken into account when the college reviews the application. If your admittance is not certain, early decision can increase your chance of acceptance because it allows your application to be seen first, apart from a stack of regular decision applications. In addition, this method gives admitted applicants first dibs on campus housing, scholarship packages, and the security of knowing months in advance that you have been accepted at the institution of your choice.

Cons. The decision is binding. If you are still unsure of which university you will choose if accepted, don’t submit an early decision application. The early decision option is only recommended for students who have researched all of their options, visited multiple universities and are one hundred percent committed to the university to which they have applied.

Early action (non-binding). For students who aren’t committed to the notion of attending one specific university but still want to receive priority consideration and express their interest, early action applications are the way to go. This is a non-binding application that is usually submitted around the same time as an early decision application (usually before December of the student’s senior year).

Pros. One of the best features of early action applications is the fact that they afford students a chance at priority consideration without requiring them to attend the university upon acceptance. While students should only submit one early decision application, they can submit early action applications to as many universities as they choose. Typically students receive all the advantages of early decision without having to commit to one specific institution.

Cons. For students who are anxious to find out their acceptance status it is worth noting that early action applicants are not notified as quickly as early decision applicants.

Regular decision. The oldest option for applying to colleges is regular decision. It might seem pre-historic, but it is still a viable option on which many students still rely. Regular decision applications don’t extend the advantage of priority consideration, but they do allow students more time to submit their application. The deadline for regular decision applicants can fall anywhere between the end of January and the beginning of March.

Pros. Regular decision works well for students applying to several colleges. If a student uses early action to apply to schools of interest and is not admitted, he can still apply to schools where his acceptance is guaranteed by the regular decision deadline. Any students who have fallen behind in the application process can also benefit from regular decision acceptance because of the delayed deadlines.

Cons. By using the regular decision process students receive no priority consideration - a benefit upon which many students rely for admission. Additionally, early decision and early action students have first pick at campus housing, scholarship options and a longer period of time to make their final decision.