With the final college submission deadlines around the corner, high school seniors are wrapping up the college application process after a long period of effort, dedication, and sleepless nights. The only thing that is left is the waiting. However, for some seniors, the wait is over, and the decision is made.
These students are the Early Decision (ED) applicants: the fully committed students who applied to college early and received early admission into their top schools. Whether you are applying to college next year or in four years, it is important to understand what Early Decision is and what it means.
Essentially, ED is a binding agreement between the applicant and the school. If the applicant submits their application ED, they are basically saying that if they were accepted into the school, that they would go there no matter what. ED applicants in this fashion are binding, and require the applicant to rescind all other applications if accepted. Because of this, you can only apply ED to one school. The ED decisions usually come back in November or December of the application cycle.
However, an ED application is not a guaranteed admission into college. While ED is known to raise your chances of admission, because you are demonstrating full commitment to the school, it is still possible to get deferred or denied. Getting deferred means that your application is entering the pool of regular decision applicants, and you are no longer bound to the school if you get in. Getting rejected ED, means that your application is done being considered for admission completely.
Since ED is essentially a binding contract, it is hard to get out of it without consequences. One of the only ways to get out of it with no consequences is if the school does not offer the level of financial aid needed by the applicant. In all other circumstances, if you back out, it reflects poorly on the high school and may hurt the chances of future applicants of the school.
ED is not the only option to receive decisions early. Many schools offer Early Action (EA) or Restrictive Early Action (REA). EA is when you apply early, receive your decision early, but are not bound to the school. Because of this, you can apply to as many schools as you want. REA is a little different. You are also not bound to the school if you receive admission, but you cannot apply to any other schools early. Popular schools that offer this are Georgetown University and Stanford University.
Applying to ED is a big decision. The best questions to ask yourself when deciding whether or not you want to apply ED are: Is this school my top choice? Would I go here no matter what any of my other decisions say? ED is a big commitment, but if you know what you want, it can help your process a lot.
