Explain Early Action/early decision?

hop
Sat, 20 Feb 2016 17:29:46 +0000

Things change. The answer today might easily morph by the time your student is a senior. [Since your student is still in middle school, how she applies via a given schools’ process is not as important as doing well in her course work now.]

That said, here’s the current answer about EA/ED.
Schools, both public and private, make the decision about how and when a student can apply individually.
A student would need to read the fine print on any early option.

Early Action - which is non-binding - is offered as a way to attract students who are well prepared to submit their applications early (usually November 1 or so, with an offer date of December 15 or so), but still hope to make their choices and compare FinAid offers through April, but not commit until they head back from their regular decision (RD) schools. Students can apply to as many EA schools as they want, with the exception being those schools (Stanford, etc.) who regulate through some variation of a Single Choice Early Action option.

Early Decision - which is binding - requires a student apply during the same early time frame (usually November 1 or so, with an offer date of December 15) and sign a contract that their parents and HS counselor co-sign, which states that if accepted, they will attend. A deposit is generally required two to three weeks after the student has been notified of their admission. The only way to wiggle out is if the students finances just don’t cut it. At that point, if the student withdraws, it’s game over for that school. While some schools can provide a bit of an admission bump for borderline ED candidates, a family needs to make sure that it understands the impact of loosing the ability to compare financial offers on their finances.

Some schools reward the EA applicants with larger merit awards (Tulane, Case, etc.). Some students simply prefer to get the process over with early and have an admission in their pocket. Some will use an EA strategy to secure a safe school, then apply to reach schools knowing that they have a solid place.
An EA student adheres to the same May 1 National Candidate Reply Date as the RD or rolling admission student.

Remember, things can change and your mileage may vary…