Applying Early: Your Options Defined
Do you have your heart set on a certain college and want to know ASAP if you’ll get in? Admission strategies known as Early Options allow you to apply early and find out sooner, rather than later, if you’ve made the cut. These can be tempting alternatives, particularly if you really want to get into a selective school and don't want to take your chances during normal application windows.
So, what are Early Options, anyway?
Early options are application and decision strategies offered by some schools who wish to attract highly motivated applicants who meet their criteria for selection. Early options are also used by some schools with low yield rates to ensure they have enough students enrolled for the coming school year. With Early Action (EA), you apply to a school early in your senior year (usually between October 30 and January 15), and request an early notification of acceptance. Within a month, you should have an answer. So what’s the catch? There isn’t one, really. You’re under no obligation to attend, and you can hang on to that acceptance and apply to additional schools during the normal spring application rush. You can also apply to other schools under EA at the same time and have more than one school eagerly awaiting your enrollment.
With Early Decision (ED), the process is quite similar, but you must agree at the time of application to attend the school if accepted. Some schools may offer you both options.
Author: Amy Ambler
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