Most college admissions letters get sent out in the spring, however, for those seniors who already have an idea of where they would like to go, applying by the Early Decision or Early Action deadline on Monday provides an admission decision by late winter. 

“Early decision applications usually give you a little better chance of getting into the schools,” counselor Andrea Douglas said. “You have to keep in mind that an early decision is a binding agreement with a college.”

While the deadline for Early Decision and Early Action is the same, the two admissions systems have one major difference: Early Action is not binding, while Early Decision is. For some colleges, there is a statistical advantage to applying Early Decision, however, applicants may receive less financial aid.

“Early Decision is a binding agreement, what you’re signing off on is saying I am going to withdraw all my other applications if I get into your school and I am committed financially to go to your school regardless of what money you give me,” Douglas said. “You need to really consider, is that a school you can afford out of pocket if they don’t give you scholarship money.”

For senior Nitya Sripati, the opportunity to have more time to choose from admissions was the driving force behind the decision to apply early. 

“I decided to apply early so I know the decision beforehand and I don’t have to wait until March to find out if I got in or not,” Sripati said. “Applying early will allow me to figure out which schools I can reapply to or try for more schools for regular decision.”

The shortened timeline that comes with Monday’s deadline is a double edged sword, according to senior Biyanka Hati. 

“I think I underestimated how much time and effort you need for the college essays/supplements so I’m still grappling with time management,” Hati said.  “I would say that now that I’ve finished three applications, I feel more confident and aware of what I’m doing. Nonetheless, doing college applications sometimes feels draining-which is why it’s important to give yourself a lot of time to self-reflect and write. I would strongly encourage incoming seniors to consider applying early. It lifts a load off you. “