Group items tagged

Apply to only one college early decision.

Receive an admission decision early in the admission cycle (usually in January or February).

Give the college a decision no later than the May 1 national response date.

Has researched colleges extensively.

Is absolutely sure that the college is the first choice.

Has found a college that is a strong match academically, socially and geographically.

Meets or exceeds the admission profile for the college for SAT® scores, GPA and class rank.

Has an academic record that has been consistently solid over time.

Time crunch for other applications: Most colleges do not notify ED and EA applicants of admission until December 15. Because of the usual deadlines for applications, this means that if a student is rejected by the ED college, there are only two weeks left to send in other applications. Encourage those of your students who are applying early to prepare other applications as they wait to receive admission decisions from their first-choice college. 

arly-applying students should know that colleges may rescind offers of admission should their senior-year grades drop.

Higher admission rates for ED applicants may correlate to stronger profiles among candidates choosing ED. Students should ask the admission office whether their institution's admission standards differ between ED and regular applicants, and then assess whether applying early makes sense given their own profile.