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Health & Fitness

College Decision Time for Seniors - Juniors pay close attention!

Its enough to make your head spin.  The plethora of admission choices out there seems to make an already complex process all the more stressful.  I am here to give you a concise explanation of the various options and some advice about how to decide which is the right one for you.

Early Decision :  Early Decision  (ED) is a binding obligation.  Students agree that if they are accepted, they will attend unless they can prove that it is financially impossible for them to do so.  Additionally, if they are accepted they must withdraw all other applications.  Deadlines for ED are typically November 1st and students are usually notified between December 1 and 16. Applicants must send in their enrollment confirmation between December 15 and January 7

 What are the advantages of ED?  Students may be more likely to be accepted because many colleges have higher acceptance rates for ED applicants. Colleges like to be able to anticipate their “yield”, which is the number of accepted students who wind up enrolling. Students also   relieve the anxiety of waiting until spring.  

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The disadvantages of ED include the fact that students are forbidden to apply to any other school using the ED process and may be forbidden to apply to any college using any type of early notification process such as Early Action.  Additionally students will not have the opportunity to compare financial aid packages and may wind up attending a college where they receive little financial aid.  Students who apply ED may be competing with a more competitive applicant pool.

Early Action: Early Action (EA) is an opportunity for students to apply for admission earlier than the regular deadline and if accepted, they have until May 1 to commit to enroll. Students typically receive a decision before the December holidays.

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What are the advantages of EA?  Many colleges admit a higher percentage of EA applicants than from the regular applicant pool. If they are not accepted to an EA school there is still adequate time to apply to other colleges. If they are accepted they remain free to apply to any other college and decide as late as May 1 to enroll.

 

The main disadvantage to EA is that students have with more of a time crunch to complete applications. They may not be able to take some of the standardized test with dates that fall after EA and ED applications are due.

Single Choice Early Action:  Students can apply earlier than the regular admission deadline but are restricted from applying to any other school using the early action process.  Applications typically must be submitted between November 1st and 15.  Students receive decision letters before the December holidays. They have until May 1st to make an enrollment commitment.

 The advantages and disadvantages are similar to regular EA including earlier notification and a better chance of acceptance. The main disadvantage with this option is that applicants are reducing their chances for acceptance at other schools that use the EA action option.

Please note. There are a variety of rules and regulations regarding Early Action programs. Always check with the college to be sure you are meeting their guidelines.

Regular Decision:  Application deadlines typically range from January 1st to February 15th.  Students are notified in March or April and have until May 1st to make an enrollment commitment. There is no restriction on applying to other colleges.

The advantages of regular decision are students have additional time to compile the required documentation. They also will be able to submit their first semester grades and additional test scores which are a definite plus for students who need to show continued improvement or progress. Students will also be able to compare acceptance and financial aid offers before making a final commitment.

The disadvantages of Regular Decision include a less likely chance of being accepted if a college accepts a large portion of ED and EA applicants.  Students will also have to wait longer to find out if they are accepted.

Rolling Admission:  Applications are accepted throughout the year typically starting in late August. 

The advantage is that students can apply anytime. They are notified typically within six weeks of applying and have until May 1st to make an enrollment decision.  The disadvantages are that once the class is filled no additional applications can be considered. Therefore it is best to apply as early as possible. Financial aid dollars become less available the later the application is received.

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