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Early Decision / Early Action

You've written the college essay, signed the application and sealed the envelope, all before the deadline. Now, you'll spend the next four months wondering if you'll be accepted to the college you love, or if you'll need to rely on your safety school.

Fortunately, many schools permit students to apply for "early decision" or "early action." Both options allow students to submit their applications early, usually in November, and find out if they've been accepted by December. But before you apply for early decision, make sure you've made the right decision.

Early Decision

Early decision is binding, which means you must attend that college or university if it accepts you and gives you a reasonable financial aid package. If you are accepted, you must withdraw any applications sent to other schools.

"When you apply early decision, you're saying 'If I get in, I'm coming there,'" says Roz Bolger, director of development at Emory University. "If you know where you want to be and there's no doubt, you get to know early. And early decision can be a real enticement to admissions counselors."

But early decision isn't for everyone. Apply for early decision only if you're absolutely sure about where you want to go to college and are reasonably sure you'll be accepted (i.e., your profile is similar to other students who go to that school). It's not a good idea to apply early if you're worried about the financial aid package or if you're curious about other schools.

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