Application Options

There are several different options for applying to colleges. It is important to note that each college will have its own set of policies and not every college will offer all application options. Students should check with each college to which they wish to apply for application deadlines.

Early Action (EA): an EA application will have an early deadline, usually in October or November, and will receive a decision much earlier than the regular decision response date. This decision is non-binding.

Early Decision I (ED I): an ED I application will have an early deadline, typically in October or November. If a student is admitted through an ED I round, she is bound to enroll at that college and is obligated to withdraw all pending applications immediately. For this reason, this option should be reserved for a student’s first choice of college.

Early Decision II (ED II): an ED II application will have a deadline later than an ED I deadline, typically in January. If a student is admitted through an ED II round, she is bound to enroll at that college and is obligated to withdraw all pending applications immediately. For this reason, like the ED I application, this option should be reserved for a student’s first choice of college.

Restrictive Early Action (REA): a Restrictive Early Action application typically has an early deadline and is non-binding. However, there will be restrictions on what other applications a student may file. Colleges have different Restrictive Early Action policies with varying rules and students must be mindful of the individual requirements of each college to which she is applying.

Regular Decision (RD): a RD application has a deadline typically in January or February that will receive a decision in late March.

Rolling Admissions: colleges with rolling admissions will accept applications and render decisions on a rolling basis until all spaces in the freshman class have been filled.