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Types of College Admission

Types of college admission Early Decision Early Application (Early Action) Single-Choice Early Action Regular Admission Rolling Admission Late Admission Summary Table of Admission Types

Early Application (Early Action)

Under Early Application or Early Action (also called multiple-choice early action), applications typically are due November 1-15, but students are not required to commit to attending a particular college until May 1.

Using the Early Application process has MANY ADVANTAGES:

Students receive decisions from colleges about their admission status early (before the December holidays), but do not have to commit to attend college before May 1.  This gives students plenty of time to compare college characteristics and financial aid offers before committing to attend a particular college.  In effect, this allows students to “shop” for colleges.

Another advantage is students are more likely to be accepted because colleges have higher admission rates for Early Application applicants.  If students are not accepted to the colleges they applied to under the Early Application process, they still have adequate time to apply to other colleges and universities under the Regular Application process.

Even when students apply to or are accepted by a school under Early Application, they remain free to apply to any other college and university using the Early, Regular, Rolling, or Late admission process.

The DISADVANTAGE of using the Early Application process is students will have a busy fall semester because all application documents normally are due in early to mid-November.