Navigating College Application Plans: A Strategic Guide for Students

Most college applications fall into one of four categories: Early Action, Early Decision, Rolling Admission, or Regular Decision. But a few important variations live inside those categories, including restrictive versions of Early Action and a second round of Early Decision. Here's what each plan actually means, including the variations that matter, and how to decide which is right for you.

Early Action

Early Action (EA) allows you to apply in the fall of senior year, usually with October or November deadlines, and receive decisions during first semester or early second semester. You still have until May 1 to compare offers, including financial aid packages, before deciding where to enroll. Some colleges also require an EA application to be considered for merit scholarships or honors programs, so applying EA can matter even if you're not in a rush for an early answer. For most students, EA is the strongest application plan available. You hear back earlier without giving up flexibility.

A handful of highly selective colleges—including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Stanford—offer Restrictive EA (also called Single-Choice EA) instead of standard EA. It works like regular EA in one important way: it's non-binding, and you're not committing to attend. But you typically can't apply EA or Early Decision to any other private college at the same time. Some restrictive programs carve out exceptions, but the rules vary by school and need to be checked directly on each college's site before you apply, as policies can change from year to year.

Early Decision (Binding)

Early Decision (ED) may be the best path if you've decided on a top-choice college and it's affordable for your family after running the net price calculator. Though most public universities do not offer ED, a growing number do, including Virginia, William & Mary, Michigan, Florida, and Florida State. One major downside to ED is that it's binding—if accepted, you must attend. Some colleges offer one round of ED, with applications due November 1, and decisions arrive by mid-December. At other colleges, there are two rounds: ED1 and ED2. Students denied or deferred in the initial ED round can apply ED2 at another college. ED2 deadlines are later, usually January 1, with decisions coming in early-mid February.

ED plans can be an excellent option for students who are committed to attending their first-choice school, as students applying ED typically are accepted at a higher rate compared to EA or regular decision. The admission advantage of ED may not be as large as statistics suggest, though, since ED applicant pools often include athletic recruits, legacies (to the extent a given college still considers that), and children of the college's faculty or staff. ED also means giving up the ability to compare financial aid offers from other colleges, subject to limited exceptions for unusual financial circumstances. ED tends to work best for families who are full-pay or who are confident that the college's financial aid package will be sufficient.

Rolling Admission

Colleges with Rolling Admission evaluate applications as received and generally continue accepting students until all spots are filled. This process usually starts in August (sometimes in July) after junior year and continues during the school year and into the following summer. Rolling Admission is an excellent option for students who want to hear back from colleges sooner rather than later, as decisions often come within a few weeks of applying. Colleges that offer Rolling Admission are usually less selective and admit most applicants. Some colleges that have EA—and technically not Rolling Admission—issue decisions in a time frame similar to Rolling Admission.

Regular Decision

Regular Decision (RD) gives you the most time to prepare your applications. Deadlines typically fall at the beginning of January (occasionally in December), and you will receive your decision in March or April. Applying RD offers the advantage of allowing you to include first-semester senior-year grades—which can be helpful for students whose grades need improving—and SAT and ACT scores from mid-late fall test dates. RD also allows students more time to work on their essays. The benefits of RD, however, are usually outweighed by the advantages of applying EA, since admission is often easier and merit scholarships are also often strongest for EA applicants. In addition, for some colleges that don't have EA, such as Vanderbilt and Emory, students applying RD for merit scholarships must apply earlier than the normal RD deadline.

Choosing the Right Plan for You

When deciding which plan is right for you, weigh how ready your applications will be by the fall of your senior year, how certain you are about a top-choice school, and how much you value flexibility to compare offers before deciding. Each college sets its own rules and deadlines around EA and ED, so confirm the specifics for every school on your list before you apply. Getting this right early sets the tone for the rest of your senior fall, so it's worth the time to think it through carefully.