In order to apply to a college or university prospective students must complete an application for admission. This seemingly obvious and simple step can be confusing because there are several different methods and options available for prospective applicants to choose from depending on the number of schools being considered, the student's level of commitment, the student's academic profile, etc. This page will discuss the two most common methods of applying to college as well as the four most common application options available.
Two most common methods of applying are:
1) The Common Application- The common application is a not for profit organization that allows prospective applicants to complete a single application and send it to any of the organization's 414 members. Students who are considering applying to multiple institutions should consider completing The Common Application as opposed to filling out the same information multiple times for each individual college or university.
A large majority of the institutions that are part of the The Common Application organization are private institutions. Many students and parents ask whether colleges look down upon, or do not give as much consideration to, an applicant who completed the common application as opposed to an applicant who completed an institutional application. Simply put, colleges and universities that accept the common application do not prefer their institutional application over the common application. Both applications are reviewed in the same fashion and given the same consideration.
2) An Institutional Application for Admission- Every college or university in the country offers their own application that can be completed by a prospective student. Students who are applying to a small number of schools or to a school that does not offer the option of utilizing The Common Application should expect to visit the school's website to view and complete the institutional application for admission.
Four most common application options are:
1. Rolling Admission (Non-Binding):
Some colleges and universities offer a rolling admission application option. Institutions that utilize a rolling admission admission procedure often to not specify application deadlines or notification dates. The institution often begins reviewing applications in the early fall and will send out admission decisions to prospective students until the class is filled. Depending on the selectivity of the college or university it may be important to apply early (before January 1st) to ensure the class is not enrolled.
The following link lists most of the rolling admission colleges and universities in the United States: Rolling Admission Colleges
2. Regular Decision (Non-Binding):
A large majority of applicants apply to colleges and universities as "regular decision applicants." Regular decision is a non-binding application option whereby the applicant applies to a college or university but does not commit to attending.
Many colleges utilize a March 1st regular decision application deadline but will begin accepting applications as early as September of the student's senior year of high school. Many schools utilize a fixed date admission response date and will not respond with either an offer of admission or rejection until sometime during the spring of the student's senior year.
If the student is accepted, he or she has until May 1st (National Candidates Reply Date) to either accept or decline the offer of admission.
3. Early Action (Non-Binding):
Many colleges and universities have recently instituted an early action application option. Early action is a non-binding application option whereby the applicant applies to a college or university but does not commit to attending. Early action application deadlines vary from school to school but often the deadline falls between November 15th and December 1st. This application option may be considered a variation of a modified rolling admission plan but is often used by more academically selective institutions.
The benefit of applying early action rather than regular decision is that the student is alerted early whether he or she has been accepted. The applicant pool is often more competitive for acceptance under the early action option and students who are not admitted are often automatically considered in the regular decision application pool.
If the student is accepted, he or she has until May 1st (National Candidates Reply Date) to either accept or decline the offer of admission.
4. Early Decision (Binding):
Some colleges and universities offer an early decision application option. Early decision is a binding commitment that states that if the student is accepted to the institution he or she is applying to under the early decision commitment, upon notification by the college or university of acceptance, the student will withdraw all other college applications and pay an enrollment deposit at the early decision institution.
Application deadlines for early decision vary from school to school but the deadline often falls between November 1st and February 1st. Students who apply early decision are often alerted at approximately the same time as a student who applies early action, but much earlier than a student who applies regular decision. If the college or university the student is applying to is the student's first choice, he or she should seriously consider applying as an early decision applicant. Student's considering applying early decision should consult an admission counselor at the institution to inquire about the specific benefits afforded their early decision applicants.
There are commonly two benefits associated with applying as an early decision student, they are:
1. Less Rigorous Application Criteria - The Early Decision Application Option often offers a less competitive applicant pool. There are two main reasons that colleges are more likely to admit an early decision applicant than a regular decision or early action applicant, they are:
- Early decision applicants are more likely to succeed - Students that apply early decision are often making a declaration to the college or university that this school is the applicant's first choice. The administrators at these colleges tend to believe that students that are excited or passionate about their new college home are likely to take advantage of all that it has to offer by joining clubs and organizations and taking their coursework seriously. Administrators believe that early decision applicants are more likely to succeed than an academically comparable applicant that applied under a different applicant plan.
- Securing early decision applications makes the job of admission officers easier - Every college in the country has an enrollment goal. Early decision applicants are a "guarantee" for the colleges and universities that offer this application option. This group of applicants serves as a "foundation" from which colleges and universities ultimately build their incoming freshman class. In order to build this "foundation" many colleges offer early decision as a less selective admission option. Students applying early decision are very likely to increase their chances of being admitted. In short, colleges want prospective students to apply early decision because it makes it easier for the college to meet their enrollment goals. Applying early decision will likely greatly increase the applicant's chance of being admitted.
2. Better Financial Aid Packages - Students who are admitted early decision are often granted "preferential" financial aid packages. There are two main reasons why early decision applicants often receive stronger financial aid packages, they are:
- Early Decision Applicants receive financial aid from the early decision budget - Although some colleges and universities may not actually have two separate financial aid budgets, many of them expect to spend a significant portion of their budget on committed early decision applicants. Students who apply under another application plan risk receiving the "left overs."
- Securing early decision applications makes the job of admission officers easier - As previously stated, colleges want prospective students to apply as early decision applicants and will often entice prospective applicants with better financial aid packages. If the opportunity to obtain a strong financial aid package is an important part of the student's decision to attend a particular college or university, applying as an early decision applicant should be strongly considered.