Early Action
Many colleges offer this option. The student applies by an early deadline date, November 1 in most cases, and receives notification early (generally by mid-December), but is not bound to accept. The student may apply elsewhere. He/she does not have to notify the college/university until the Common Reply Date of May 1.
Single Choice Early Action
Single choice early action is currently offered only by Stanford and Yale. This restricts applications to a single early choice, in essence eliminating the option of applying early decision elsewhere.
Early Decision I & Ii
For this option the student must have a very solid understanding of the college by mid- September. He/she must realize that if he/she receives an offer of admission in mid-December, he/she is obligated to accept and to pay the deposit, usually within two weeks. The student, parents, and counselor all sign an agreement on the Early Decision application. The deadline for filing Early Decision I for some, but not all, schools is November 1 st. It is the student’s responsibility to check deadlines.
Advantage: The admissions committee reviews each application in a smaller, though more competitive, applicant pool. The student is sending a message of commitment to the college. If the student is deferred, he/she will be looked at again in the spring in the regular pool. Additional essays, letters of recommendation, etc., are suggested. In the meantime, of course, the student should apply to other schools.
Rolling Admission
This plan tends to be used by state universities. The institution reads, processes, and notifies students on a rolling basis as applications come in. Then, when the desired size of a class is reached (that is, when the desired number of offers of admission has been extended—usually three or four times the desired class size), admission closes. If the student is applying to a school that utilizes Rolling Admission, it is in his/her best interest to apply as early as possible. Additionally, if the student is deferred to the regular pool, he or she is released from the original ED contract.
Regular Plan
Deadlines for application filing of January 1 and 15, February 1 and 15, and March 1 are the most commonly used. The student is notified by April 15. Under this plan, the student must respond to offers by May 1.