Should Students Apply for Early Admission to College?

High school students are faced with a mountain of choices in the college application process. One of the key questions they must consider is whether or not to apply for early admission. Before deciding whether or not to apply for early admission to the college of his or her choice, a student should be aware of the following four factors:

1. Different colleges offer different types of early admission programs.

Students need to know the difference between early action (EA) and early decision (ED) admission programs. Both types of early admission programs have an earlier application deadline than regular admissions (typically November 1), and in both programs students are notified of acceptance or rejection sooner than in the regular admissions process.

There is a crucial difference between the two early admission programs, however. EA programs are not binding. Students may apply to other schools both during the early admissions period and the regular admissions period, regardless of whether or not they are accepted. In contrast, in most ED programs, the student can submit only one application to only one school, and he or she pledges to attend the school if accepted.

A third, less common, type of early admission program is Restrictive Early Action (REA), also known as Single Choice Early Action (SCEA). In this program, students can apply to only a single school, but the decision is not binding. Once the student hears yes or no, he or she may apply to other colleges during the regular admissions process.

2. There are several advantages to early admission programs.

While early college admissions programs require students to practice diligence by preparing and submitting applications ahead of schedule, and while ED programs, in particular, prevent students from applying to a variety of schools, these programs also offer some important advantages. There are three primary benefits to early admission programs:

Students learn of the college's decision sooner. This gives them a chance to relax for the rest of the school year while their peers are still worrying about college admission.

Early acceptance saves time and money. If a student applies to just one school and is accepted early, he or she can save hundreds of dollars on application fees. Because the application process requires a lot of effort, students can also save time.

Students who apply for early admission may have a greater chance of acceptance. Educators debate whether or not early admission programs truly give students an advantage in admission to colleges, but there is evidence that they do. In "The Early Admissions Game," Christopher Avery, Andrew Fairbanks, and Richard Zeckhauser analyzed data that revealed that early application to elite colleges can improve an applicant's chance of admission as much as would a 100 point increase in SAT score. Furthermore, because they are potentially binding themselves to a single college, when students apply early decision, they demonstrate to the admissions board that they are committed to attending the school.

3. Some students should NOT apply for early admission.

Binding early decision programs are not a wise choice for students who are not certain about which college they would like to attend. Unless a student has her heart set on a particular college, she should avoid applying under an early decision program. While early action programs, unlike early decision, will not limit a student's choice, any type of early admission program is inadvisable for the student who needs time to increase his or her GPA to a more competitive level.

4. Don't waste your one shot.

If students do choose to apply early decision rather than early action, they should make sure to choose a school to which they have a fairly good chance of being admitted. Students may not submit applications to other schools until they are notified of a negative early decision. If a student is rejected by his chosen school, he or she could be left with as few as three weeks to prepare applications before the general admissions deadline.

To apply early or not to apply early? There are both advantages and disadvantages to early college admission programs. If students keep the above four factors in mind, however, they are more likely to make a wise choice as they navigate the college admission maze.