A Complete Guide to Applying Early to College
When transitioning to higher education, choosing which college to apply to is a critical decision, and deciding when to apply is another challenge. Most students typically apply to colleges through the regular admission option. However, early admission options, such as early decision and early action, are gaining traction among U.S. students. Each early admission option has its own deadlines and rules for applicants.
Let’s dig deeper into the early admission options.
Understanding the Early Admission Options
In general, the regular admission process is highly competitive, with fewer chances of acceptance. To help students apply before the regular deadline, around 450 colleges in the U.S. offer early admission options such as early decision and early action. Let’s explore what each option offers:
Early Decision:
Early decision is a binding application option in which, if you apply and are accepted, you are committed to enroll at that college and must withdraw any other college applications. This option is best for students who have a clear top choice of college.
Pros of Early Decision:
- Early decision applications have a higher acceptance rate than regular applications because they demonstrate a student’s commitment to the college.
- You get the admission decision earlier, typically by December. This can reduce your stress.
- There is generally less competition for early decision applications compared to regular ones.
- Receiving the admission decision early allows you to plan better for college
Cons of Early Decision:
- The binding nature of the application limits your options.
- It could impact on your financial planning as you cannot compare the financial aid offers from different colleges.
- It requires you to complete your application, essays, and standardized tests earlier than regular deadlines.
- It puts pressure on students to clearly decide their first choice.
Early Action:
Early Action, on the other hand, is a non-binding application process that allows you to apply to multiple colleges offering Early Action. Upon acceptance, you have the option to either accept, decline, or postpone until the spring.
Pros of Early Action:
- The major advantage of the early action application is its non-binding nature, which allows students to apply to multiple colleges without being obligated to attend if accepted.
- You receive your admission decision early, giving you more time to plan and reducing your stress.
- You have ample time to compare financial aid offers from different colleges and make an informed choice.
- Applying early demonstrates your interest in a particular program, which can give you a slight edge in the admissions process.
Cons of Early Action:
- When you apply under early action, you must complete your application, essays, and standardized tests earlier than the regular application process.
- While the number of applications is typically lower than for the regular deadline, strong candidates often apply for early action, making the competition tough.
- Not all colleges offer early action, which can limit your options.
Tips to Apply Early
Applying early can be a turning point in your career, but it requires a strategic approach and proper planning. Here are some tips that will help navigate the early application process seamlessly:
Research Properly:
- Each college has its own set of rules and policies. Before applying for early admissions, carefully research these on the college’s website.
- Set reminders and mark the deadlines, such as EA and ED applying deadlines, submitting test scores, recommendations, and more.
Self-Evaluation of Your Application:
- Assess your application and ensure that it’s complete and competitive enough.
- Highlight your strengths in the application through your essays or extracurricular achievements. This should help you stand out from other applicants.
Understand the Financial Implications:
- In the event of an early decision, it is important to understand the financial implications of an early decision, as you are entering into a binding contract with the college. Discuss this with your family; otherwise, you could end up breaking the ED (early decision) agreement due to financial constraints.
- If you are applying under early action, it’s better to compare financial aid offers by multiple colleges before making a choice.
Seek Guidance from Experts:
- Seek guidance from your high school counselor in choosing the type of application that best suits you.
- If you still have confusion, consider consulting an independent counselor for specialized advice.
Be Prepared for the Outcomes:
- It’s good if you’re selected but be prepared to apply to other colleges if your application is deferred or denied.
- Some colleges provide rolling admission options. It could be a beneficial backup option for you.
- Analyze where you fell short, work on your shortcomings, and then apply through the regular admission process.
I believe these tips will help you stay prepared for your early application and navigate the process smoothly.
Conclusion:
Applying early to colleges is undoubtedly a good option if you are seeking a higher chance of acceptance at your dream college. However, we advise you to thoroughly weigh the advantages and disadvantages of early decision and early action options before submitting your application.
Early Action Deadlines:
To further help you, we have compiled the list of colleges with their Early Action deadlines.
Schools having Early Action Deadline in October
| School Name | Early Action Deadline | Early Action II Deadline |
| Hampden-Sydney College | October 15 | December 1 |
| Nebraska Wesleyan University | October 15 | |
| University of Georgia | October 15 | |
| Westmont College | October 15 | November 1 |
| Georgia College | October 15 | |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | October 15 | |
| University of South Carolina—Columbia | October 15 | |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | October 17 | November 1 |
| American University in Beirut (AUB) | October 31 | |
| Transylvania University | October 31 | December 1 |
Schools having Early Action Deadline in November
| School Name | Early Action Deadline | Early Action II Deadline |
| Appalachian State University | November 1 | |
| Assumption College | November 15 | December 15 |
| Augustana College (Illinois) | November 1 | |
| Austin College | November 1 | February 1 |
| Babson College | November 1 | |
| Bard College | November 1 | |
| Bard College Berlin | November 1 | |
| Baylor University | November 1 | |
| Bellarmine University | November 1 | |
| Beloit College | November 1 | December 1 |
| Berry College | November 1 | |
| Butler University | November 1 | |
| California Institute of Technology (Caltech) | November 1 | |
| Carroll College (Montana) | November 1 | |
| Case Western Reserve University | November 1 | |
| Centenary University | November 1 | |
| Chapman University | November 1 | |
| Clark Atlanta University | November 1 | |
| Clark University | November 15 | |
| Colorado College | November 1 | |
| Concordia College | November 1 | |
| Creighton College | November 1 | |
| Dean College | November 1 | December 1 |
| Drexel University | November 1 | |
| Duquesne University | November 1 | December 1 |
| Earlham College | November 1 | December 1 |
| Elmira College | November 15 | |
| Elon University | November 1 | |
| Emmanuel College (MA) | November 1 | December 15 |
| Fairfield University | November 1 | |
| Fisk University | November 1 | February 1 |
| Florida Gulf Coast University | November 1 | |
| Florida Southern College | November 1 | |
| Fordham University | November 1 | |
| George Fox University | November 1 | |
| George Mason University | November 1 | |
| Georgetown University | November 1 | |
| Gustavus Adolphus College | November 1 | |
| Hamline University (MN) | November 1 | |
| Hanover College | November 1 | December 1 |
| Harvard University | November 1 | |
| Howard University | November 1 | |
| Indiana University Bloomington | November 1 | |
| Johnson & Wales University—Charlotte | November 1 | |
| Johnson & Wales University—Denver | November 1 | |
| Johnson & Wales University—North Miami | November 1 | |
| Johnson & Wales University—Providence | November 1 | |
| Kalamazoo College | November 1 | |
| Knox College | November 1 | December 1 |
| Lake Forest College | November 1 | January 15 |
| Lawrence University | November 1 | December 1 |
| Lewis & Clark College | November 1 | |
| Linfield College | November 1 | |
| Lourdes University | November 1 | December 15 |
| Loyola Marymount University | November 1 | |
| Macalester College | November 1 | |
| Massachusetts College for Pharmacy & Health Sciences | November 1 | December 1 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | November 1 | |
| Mercer University | November 1 | December 1 |
| Miami University (Ohio) | November 1 | December 1 |
| Minerva Schools at KGI | November 1 | |
| Morehouse College | November 1 | |
| Mount St. Mary’s University | November 1 | December 1 |
| New College of Florida | November 1 | |
| North Carolina AT&T State University | November 1 | December 15 |
| North Carolina State University | November 1 | |
| Northeastern University | November 1 | |
| Northwestern University in Qatar | November 1 | |
| Nova Southeastern University | November 1 | |
| Oregon State University | November 1 | |
| Penn State | November 1 | |
| Pennsylvania State University | November 1 | |
| Pepperdine University | November 1 | |
| Princeton University | November 1 | |
| Providence College | November 1 | |
| Purdue University | November 1 | |
| Rhodes College | November 1 | January 15 |
| Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | November 1 | |
| Saint Mary’s College of California | November 1 | |
| Saint Michael’s College | November 1 (Extended to November 10 – 2022) | December 1 |
| Salve Regina University | November 1 | |
| Santa Clara University | November 1 | |
| Sarah Lawrence College | November 1 | |
| Simmons University | November 1 | December 1 |
| Soka University of America | November 1 | |
| Southern Methodist University | November 1 | |
| Spelman College | November 1 | |
| St. Mary’s College of Maryland | November 1 | |
| Stanford University | November 1 | |
| Stonehill College | November 1 | |
| SUNY Binghamton University | November 1 | |
| Susquehanna University | November 1 | December 1 |
| Temple University | November 1 | |
| Texas Christian University | November 1 | |
| The Catholic University of America | November 1 | |
| The Ohio State University | November 1 | |
| The University of Tennessee Knoxville | November 1 | |
| The University of Utah | November 1 | February 1 |
| Thomas Jefferson University—East Falls Campus | November 1 | |
| Trinity University | November 1 | |
| Union College | November 1 | |
| University of Akron | November 1 | |
| University of Chicago | November 1 | |
| University of Dallas | November 1 | December 1 |
| University of Dayton | November 1 | |
| University of Delaware | November 1 | |
| University of Denver | November 1 | |
| University of Detroit Mercy | November 1 | |
| University of Evansville | November 1 | |
| University of Illinois at Chicago | November 1 | |
| University of Maryland, Baltimore County | November 1 | |
| University of Maryland, College Park | November 1 | |
| University of Massachusetts Boston | November 1 | |
| University of Massachusetts Lowell | November 1 | |
| University of Miami | November 1 | |
| University of Michigan | November 1 | |
| University of Minnesota Morris | November 1 | December 15 |
| University of Minnesota Twin Cities | November 1 | |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte | November 1 | |
| University of North Carolina Greensboro | November 1 | December 1 |
| University of North Carolina Wilmington | November 1 | |
| University of Notre Dame | November 1 | |
| University of Oregon | November 1 | |
| University of Richmond | November 1 | |
| University of St. Thomas (MN) | November 1 | |
| University of Vermont | November 1 | |
| University of Virginia | November 1 | |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | November 1 | |
| University San Francisco | November 1 | |
| Ursinus College | November 1 | |
| Villanova University | November 1 | |
| Western Colorado University | November 1 | |
| Wheaton College (IL) | November 1 | |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute | November 1 | January 1 |
| Yale University | November 1 | |
| University of Massachusetts Amherst | November 5 | |
| Stetson University | November 11 (2023 extension) | January 15 |
| Agnes Scott College | November 15 | January 17 |
| Bridgewater State University | November 15 | |
| Bryant University | November 15 | |
| California College of the Arts | November 15 | |
| California Lutheran University | November 15 | |
| College of Mount Saint Vincent | November 15 | |
| College of Saint Benedict | November 15 | |
| College of St. Scholastica | November 15 | |
| College of Wooster | November 15 | |
| Concordia University, Irvine | November 15 | February 15 |
| Concordia University, Portland, OR | November 15 | |
| Covenant College | November 15 | |
| DePaul University | November 15 | |
| Eckerd College | November 15 | |
| Emerson College | November 15 | |
| Emory & Henry College | November 15 | January 15 |
| Framingham State University | November 15 | |
| Frostburg State University | November 15 | |
| Goucher College | November 15 | |
| Hampton University | November 15 | |
| Hawaii Pacific University | November 15 | |
| Hendrix College | November 15 | February 1 |
| High Point University | November 15 | |
| Hobart College | November 15 | |
| Hofstra University | November 15 | December 15 |
| Hollins University | November 15 | |
| Illinois Institute of Technology | November 15 | January 15 |
| Illinois Wesleyan University | November 15 | |
| John Cabot University in Rome | November 15 | |
| John Carroll University | November 15 | |
| Kettering University | November 15 | January 15 |
| La Salle University | November 15 | |
| Lasell University | November 15 | |
| Le Moyne College | November 15 | |
| Long Island University | November 15 | |
| Loyola University Maryland | November 15 | |
| Loyola University New Orleans | November 15 | |
| Lynn University | November 15 | |
| Lyon College | November 15 | February 1 |
| Marist College | November 15 | |
| Marymount University | November 15 | |
| McDaniel College | November 15 | |
| Menlo College | November 15 | |
| Merrimack College | November 15 | January 15 |
| Millsap College | November 15 | |
| Mitchell College | November 15 | |
| Monmouth College (IL) | November 15 | December 15 |
| New England Institute of Technology | November 15 | |
| New Jersey Institute of Technology | November 15 | December 15 |
| Northwest Nazarene University | November 15 | |
| Ohio University | November 15 | |
| Pace University | November 15 | December 1 |
| Pacific University Oregon | November 15 | |
| Point Loma Nazarene University | November 15 | |
| Purchase College, SUNY | November 15 | |
| Queens University of Charlotte | November 15 | January 18 |
| Quinnipac University | November 15 | |
| Randolph College | November 15 | |
| Randolph-Macon College | November 15 | |
| Reed College | November 15 | |
| Rider University | November 15 | |
| Roger Williams University | November 15 | |
| Saint Anselm College | November 15 | |
| Saint John’s University (MN) | November 15 | December 15 |
| Saint Joseph’s University | November 15 | |
| Saint Joseph’s College of Maine | November 15 | December 15 |
| School of the Art Institute of Chicago | November 15 | January 15 |
| Seattle Pacific University | November 15 | |
| Seattle University | November 15 | |
| Seattle University | November 15 | December 15 |
| Shepherd University | November 15 | |
| Siena College | November 15 | |
| Southern New Hampshire University | November 15 | |
| St. John’s College (MD) | November 15 | January 15 |
| St. John’s College (NM) | November 15 | January 15 |
| St. John’s University (NY) | November 15 | |
| Suffolk University | November 15 | |
| SUNY University at Albany | November 15 | |
| SUNY College at Old Westbury | November 15 | |
| SUNY College at Oneonta | November 15 | |
| SUNY Cortland | November 15 | |
| SUNY New Paltz | November 15 | |
| SUNY Oswego | November 15 | |
| SUNY Polytechnic Institute | November 15 | |
| SUNY University at Buffalo | November 15 | |
| Sweet Briar’s College | November 15 | |
| Texas Lutheran University | November 15 | |
| The American University of Paris | November 15 | October 1 |
| The College of Idaho | November 15 | January 16 |
| The College of Saint Rose | November 15 | |
| The Culinary Institute of America (CA) | November 15 | |
| The Culinary Institute of America (NY) | November 15 | |
| The Culinary Institute of America (TX) | November 15 | |
| The University of Scranton | November 15 | |
| Tulane University | November 15 | |
| University of Colorado Boulder | November 15 | |
| University of Hartford | November 15 | |
| University of Mary Washington | November 15 | |
| University of Massachusetts Dartmouth | November 15 | |
| University of Michigan—Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute | November 15 | |
| University of New England | November 15 | |
| University of New Hampshire | November 15 | |
| University of New Haven | November 15 | January 15 |
| University of Puget Sound | November 1 | |
| University of Redlands | November 15 | |
| University of the Pacific | November 15 | |
| University Tampa | November 15 | January 15 |
| Warren Wilson College | November 15 | |
| Westminster College (Pennsylvania) | November 15 | |
| Wheaton College (MA) | November 15 | |
| Whittier College | November 15 | |
| Whitworth University | November 15 | January 15 |
| Willamette University | November 15 | |
| Wofford College | November 15 | |
| Birmingham-Southern College | November 16 | |
| Manhattanville College | November 18 | |
| Maine Maritime Academy | November 30 | |
| University of Maine | November 30 |
Schools having Early Action Deadline in December
| School Name | Early Action Deadline | Early Action II Deadline |
| Adelphi University | December 1 | |
| Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | December 1 | |
| Albion College | December 1 | |
| Alfred University | December 1 | |
| Allegheny College | December 1 | February 1 |
| Bennington College | December 1 | |
| Caldwell University | December 1 | |
| Canisius College | December 1 | |
| Centenary College of Louisiana | December 1 | |
| Centre College | December 1 | |
| Christopher Newport University | December 1 | |
| Colby-Sawyer College | December 1 | |
| Colorado State University | December 1 | |
| Curry College | December 1 | |
| DePauw University | December 1 | |
| D’Youville College | December 1 | |
| Franklin University Switzerland | December 1 | |
| Furman University | December 1 | |
| Guilford College | December 1 | |
| Hampshire College | December 1 | |
| Illinois College | December 1 | |
| Ithaca College | December 1 | |
| Jacobs University Bremen | December 1 | February 1 |
| Juniata College | December 1 | January 15 |
| King’s College | December 1 | |
| Lesley University | December 1 | |
| Lewis University | December 1 | |
| Lycoming College | December 1 | |
| Maine College of Art | December 1 | |
| Maryland Institute College of Art | December 1 | |
| Marymount Manhattan College | December 1 | |
| Massachusetts College of Art and Design | December 1 | |
| Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts | December 1 | |
| Molloy College | December 1 | |
| Monmouth University | December 1 | |
| Montserrat College of Art | December 1 | |
| Mount Saint Mary’s University, Los Angeles | December 1 | |
| Neumann University | December 1 | |
| Notre Dame de Namur University | December 1 | February 1 |
| Oglethorpe University | December 1 | |
| Ohio Wesleyan University | December 1 | |
| Old Dominion University | December 1 | |
| Otis College of Art and Design | December 1 | |
| Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts | December 1 | |
| Presbyterian College | December 1 | |
| Quest University Canada | December 1 | |
| Radford University | December 1 | |
| Regis College | December 1 | |
| Russell Sage College | December 1 | February 1 |
| Salisbury University | December 1 | |
| Sewanee: The University of the South | December 1 | |
| St. Louis College of Pharmacy | December 1 | |
| University of Cincinnati | December 1 | |
| University of Kentucky | December 1 | |
| University of Southern Maine | December 1 | |
| University of Maine at Farmington | December 1 | |
| University of Rhode Island | December 1 | |
| Wabash College | December 1 | |
| Wagner College | December 1 | |
| Washington College | December 1 | |
| Wittenberg University | December 1 | |
| Meredith College | December 1 | |
| Longwood University | December 1 | |
| Nichols College | December 1 | |
| Coe College | December 10 | |
| College of Charleston | December 15 | |
| Drew University | December 1 | |
| Iona College | December 15 | |
| Otterbein University | December 15 | |
| Ramapo College of New Jersey | December 15 | |
| Sacred Heart University | December 15 | February 1 |
| Wells College | December 15 | |
| Western Michigan University | December 15 |
Schools having Early Action Deadline in January
| School Name | Early Action Deadline |
| Kean University | January 1 |
| Luther College | January 1 |
| University of Guelph | January 12 |
| Marlboro College | January 15 |
| Washington & Jefferson College | January 15 |
For more information on planning your college, read our blog Navigating the High School to College Transition: A Comprehensive Guide.
