With many early decision (ED) and early action (EA) deadlines for college applications here today, seniors discussed the factors that go into their decision for when and where to apply this college application season.
Many students in the graduating class of 2024 are submitting one or more applications through these early methods.
Senior Lauren Xiao said, “I like that EA and ED give us the opportunity to complete the college process earlier. It would bring me a lot of peace if I got accepted through early decision or early action.”
The idea of having the application done and out of the way appears to be one of the major factors for completing this process in October rather than in December. However, many have expressed concerns about the ED process because of their uncertainty in fully committing to one school.
Earlier decision deadlines elicit a much faster response from colleges regarding student acceptance. Early decision (ED), on the other hand, is a binding agreement; if you are admitted, the single college you apply to will be the college you must attend in the fall, regardless of any other acceptances. The acceptance rate for most colleges is slightly higher for both EA and ED admissions.
“I chose to do EA because I would like to know the results of whether or not I got into the school,” said senior Kristin Lai. “I didn’t want to do ED because I don’t have a ‘favorite’ school at the moment and I don’t want to already have committed to a school I’m not super passionate about.” This is a thought process that many seniors experience. The concept of choosing a single school without knowing the possible outcome of applying to multiple schools can be a lot of pressure.
Both the EA and ED deadlines are much more fast paced than the regular deadlines. The decisions for these applications are released around mid-December, while the application for regular decision isn’t due until the beginning of January. Some students find this quicker deadline to be more beneficial.
“I chose to do it early because I wanted to get the application over with as soon as possible and to be a part of a smaller application pool,” said senior Faith Park. “Although it might not be the same for all colleges, specifically the top ones, I heard that applying to schools early can increase your chances in getting accepted.”
On the other hand, regular decision applications put students in a larger applicant pool, and allow for more time for students to work on their supplemental essays, resumes, and relationships with teachers who write recommendations.
Senior Jenna Diaz said, “I think EA and ED are amazing for people who have colleges in mind, or dream schools that they want to go to so they have a higher chance of getting in. For me, ED and EA weren’t right since I wanted to keep my options open. I’m just going to go with the flow and do whatever I can to get into a good college that will get me far in life.”
