Four years ago, Harvard, Princeton, and the University of Virginia made the decision to cancel their early admission policies. Citing an unfair advantage to privileged students, the three schools set a precedent that many of their selective peers chose not to follow. Now four years later, these schools have reinstated their early admissions policies. For hopeful collegiettes everywhere with their eyes on these schools, this motion means the chance to apply to and receive a response from their dream schools by the end of their first semester of senior year, rather than waiting until May 1st.
Early Action, v. Early Decision, and Single-Choice Early Action
Schools will generally offer either Early Decision or Early Admission options for high school seniors. Though the two options require differing levels of commitment from students, they have the same deadline: November 1. Students hear back beginning in mid-December, and if the news is positive, they have the entirety of their second semester to relax and actually enjoy the perks of being a senior.
Andrea Hays, Director of College Counseling at Hawken School, a private high school in Ohio, explains, “Early Decision (ED) is a binding agreement between a college and an applicant. The applicant applies to one ED school by an early deadline (typically November 1 or November 15) and receives a reply by mid-December. In most cases, the student may apply to rolling admission institutions, other EA colleges and any Regular Decision deadline schools. If admitted, that applicant must withdraw any outstanding applications and decline any offers of admission already received.”
Early Action (EA), on the other hand, is non-binding. A student can apply to a school EA, but reserve their final decision for May 1 after hearing from other schools. In many cases, a school’s EA policy allows students to apply to multiple schools on the November 1 deadline. “EA is a common choice for schools offering that plan, because students may head into their winter break with a few decisions already in hand,” says Hays. “I encourage students to consider EA whenever possible, but they must read the guidelines set forth for each school on their list to ensure they are making appropriate decisions.”
Certain schools, including Harvard, Princeton, and UVA, have instated a sort of compromise between ED and EA: Single-Choice Early Action (SCEA), which allows students to apply on the EA deadline to a single school. The decision is non-binding, but students are not allowed to apply EA or ED to any other private universities (in most cases, they are allowed to apply to rolling decision programs at state universities). Once a student has received a decision from their SCEA school, they are allowed to apply to submit applications elsewhere, regardless of whether they were accepted or not.
Harvard
For the class of 2017, Harvard is offering an Early Action option to applicants. Says Hays, “Early Action is non-binding, so applicants apply early, find out in mid-December, but do not have to make a commitment to that college if admitted until the national deposit deadline of May 1.”
Harvard has now exclusively instituted a Single-Choice Early Action policy; though the Early Action is non-binding, students are not permitted to apply EA or Early Decision to any other private colleges or universities. If they do so, their admission to Harvard will be revoked. Students are, however, allowed to apply through non-binding rolling admissions programs and Early Action programs for public colleges and universities.
Princeton
Like Harvard, Princeton has also instituted a Single-Choice Early Action policy. Students applying by November 1 will receive a non-binding decision by December 15, but are prohibited from applying EA or ED to any other private universities. There are three possible outcomes for EA students: accepted, denied, or deferred, which means the student’s application will be reviewed again within the pool of regular decision students, and reevaluated.
University of Virginia
Beginning last year, UVA began offering now offers an Early Action option to applicants. As opposed to Harvard and Princeton, UVA allows students to apply to multiple EA programs as well as schools with rolling admissions. Because UVA’s EA is non-binding, students are not required to make a final decision until May 1.
Why apply early?
For the Harvard class of 2016, the admissions rate dropped from 6.2% to 5.9%. However, of the 2,032 slots for accepted students, 772 of those (almost half) went to students who applied Early Action. While most schools’ EA rates are not quite so drastic, there is an undeniable advantage; by applying EA, you’re expressing an increased interest in attending a school, which automatically adds an extra boost to your application, and in most cases means a 10% increase in a school’s admissions rate. At Colorado College, for example, the rate jump is even higher, with 44.7% of EA applicants accepted as opposed to the 26% of Regular Decision applicants.
The ED rates are less consistent, with some schools, like Colgate University, offering a steep advantage to students who apply (51% v. 23%), and others, like Champlain College, only featuring a 1% advantage (74.9% v. 73.5%). Most schools still hover around the 10% increase, but because ED is binding, it’s a decision that should be reserved for that “dream school.”
Another reason is convenience. Says Hays, “Early Action allows a student to apply earlier, receive a decision earlier, and possibly change their remaining list of applications while still keeping their financial options open.”
For many seniors, however, the decision to apply early is propelled by the desire for an enjoyable second semester. By finalizing your plans in December, it allows you to really sit back and savor your last few months at home without being blinded by college-related stress.