Table of Contents
In this blog I will explain to you the difference between the Early Action and the Early Decision. These two processes are popular among students applying to college, but they have different characteristics that are important to understand.
What is Early Action (Early Action)?
The application of Early Action is an application option available for students who wish to expedite the application process.
In many cases, students can submit their applications prior to the application date. Regular Decision and can apply early to as many early action schools as they offer with no limit. The benefits of this type of application is that it allows you to get an early admissions decision and start planning your academic future early.
What is Early Action?
The process of Early Decision (Ealry Decision) is similar to the early admission process in that in both cases students are aware of the admission decision prior to the Regular Decision. In the case of early action, students are not committed to attend that college if accepted. However, early decision applicants are committed to attend that college if accepted.
This means that once students receive an offer of admission to a college to which they applied under early decision, they do not have the option of rejecting it to seek a better offer of admission from another college. For this reason, students should make sure that the college to which they apply under early decision is right for them.
When should I apply to universities under Early Action?
If a student meets the following requirements, then they should consider filing an early action request.
- A competitive Grade Point Average for the university they are applying to
- A competitive standardized test score for the college or university to which they are applying
- Documents needed to complete application forms prior to early application dates. This includes: letters of recommendation, essays, supplemental essays, transcripts, any additional documents requested by the university.
- Documents required to complete financial aid and scholarship forms
In addition to having all of the above requirements, applying early action is particularly beneficial for students who want to explore various options and would like to apply to many colleges early without doing so in a binding manner.
When is it appropriate to apply to colleges under Early Decision?
If a student meets the following requirements, then they should consider filing an early action request.
- A competitive Grade Point Average for the university they are applying to
- A competitive standardized test score for the college or university to which they are applying
- Documents needed to complete application forms prior to early application dates. This includes: letters of recommendation, essays, supplemental essays, transcripts, any additional documents requested by the university.
- Documents required to complete financial aid and scholarship forms
In addition to having all of the above requirements, applying early is particularly beneficial for students who know they want to attend a certain college regardless of the financial aid and scholarship package they are offered.
Conclusion
The Early Action and the Early Decision are great ways to get an answer about their college admission during the first few months of the student's senior year and even improve the chances of admission. It is important to remember that early action is non-binding, while early decision binds the student to the school they will attend.
If you want to learn how to help your children get accepted to an excellent university in the United States with scholarships, I invite you to register to watch our free presentation: 6 Tips for Going to College on Scholarship.
ES