Early Decision and Early Action

You can take advantage of Early Decision (ED) and Early Action (EA) programs to speed up the admissions process, but what’s the difference between the two options?

Some students go into their senior year knowing exactly what college they want to attend. Some may not quite know, but they have a school they’re pretty sure about, and they really want to figure out where they’ll be during the next fall.

If you’re in either one of these positions, you should consider ED and EA programs. The typical regular college admissions schedule includes application deadlines around December or January, and admissions decisions around April. ED and EA move the timelines up a bit: applications are due around October or November, but you’ll find out whether you are accepted around December or January. Both programs are good fits if you’ve prepared your college application materials early (including standardized tests) and have a school that’s a clear favorite.

The difference between ED and EA is that ED is binding. In other words, if you apply via ED and are accepted, you must attend that school. With EA, you’ll find out the application decision earlier, but you can still decline and apply to other schools on the regular admissions timeline if you change your mind. Some schools offer both ED and EA options, but most only have one or the other.

Don’t assume you’ll get in everywhere you apply and don’t get discouraged either. Great experiences can come from places you never considered attending. -Tad M., Duke TIP alum

There are two other important considerations to keep in mind with ED or EA. If you are applying for either option, your grades from your Fall semester of your senior year will not be included in the transcript released with your application. This could negatively impact your application if you were depending on your Fall courses to increase your GPA or demonstrate you handled a rigorous curriculum well. In addition, committing to a school early means you will need to commit before you fill out the FAFSA form and will not have an estimate of available financial aid before you make the decision on whether or not to attend. This means it is crucial that you consider your college finances carefully before you request ED or EA. Use the net price calculator that is required to appear on every college website to determine your total costs before you commit to ED or EA.

Finally, if you’re interested in these options, you should research the school you want to apply to see if what they offer is right for you—but make sure you understand the regulations attached to it. Typically, in order to take advantage of a school’s ED or EA option, you must agree to certain restrictions: some schools won’t let you apply to any other schools via ED or EA, and some will only let you apply to certain schools until you get your admissions decision. In addition, there is often a difference in the number of students admitted as ED or EA versus regular admissions—some schools claim it’s more competitive, and some that it’s more accepting.

Supplemental Info

In addition to the standard requirements, some schools require supplemental information that you will send in after completing the basic application.

Examples include a portfolio of work for art schools, interviews, performance tapes, auditions for conservatories, and other specialized demonstrations of your strength as an applicant. Many times, these supplemental pieces of information vary depending on your intended (or selected) major.

Because these parts of the application are often specialized, you should make sure you understand their role in how admissions officers evaluate your application. For instance, an audition for a conservatory is likely the primary factor for admission, and should thus be your focus as your prepare your application. In that case, you should also take care to understand what the school is looking when they ask for that supplemental material. This will require researching the school, the field you are applying for, and seeking advice from your teachers in that field.

Alternatively, many schools allow, but do not require, students to send supplementary materials to demonstrate an aspect of their abilities that may not be clear from the standard application materials. However, the supplementary materials are secondary to the required application components. That means you should spend more of your energy on the rest of the application, and should only consider sending supplementary materials if you have a truly compelling ability that might tip the scales—for instance, if you are applying to a liberal arts college and published a research paper or have samples of your artwork displayed in a gallery.

TIP may have been the greatest time of your life, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. Open up and be willing to take some risks and enjoy new opportunities. You are the future. -Tad M., Duke TIP alum

The Common Application

One way to make applying to college easier is to use the Common Application, or Common App for short. It’s an online application that allows you to enter the information most colleges require in one place, then send it to each school individually.

A helpful way to kick off the college application process is to start with the Common App. When you sign up for an account you will be asked to list the schools you are applying to. If you don’t have your list set yet, you can also use the Common App’s school search feature to find additional schools you may want to do more research on. Then, you can use the Common App’s tools—like their requirements worksheet—to organize all of the things you need to do—even for schools that don’t use the Common App.

Not all schools accept the Common App, but many do, including many Ivy League schools and other selective colleges and universities. If you use the Common Application, you can also use their college search to find schools that meet your criteria, use their checklists and requirement grids to keep track of what each school requires, upload your materials, pay application fees, and submit your applications.

For schools that don’t accept the Common App, you’ll have to visit their individual websites to see how they want you to apply. Most often, they’ll have an online system you’ll use to submit your materials. However, by using the Common App where you can, and taking advantage of the tools and information you can find there, you can ensure that you have all of your tasks and deadlines organized, which will reduce stress and decrease the likelihood of missing out of a chance to go to a terrific college due to an administrative mistake.

The Admissions Process: What to Expect

Sending in your college applications—and waiting to hear back—is a rite of passage that can inspire excitement, glee, stress, and anxiety in equal measure. But when you learn more about what colleges are looking for, you’ll spend less time worrying and more time looking forward to the next stage of your life.

Students looking at computer

This section provides an overview of college application basics, as well as advice on how to put together the strongest application you can. But it’s only a starting point. Applying to college is a long process, and getting accepted to the right college requires planning, dedication, a lot of effort, and—yes—some luck. If you’re aiming for the Ivy League or other highly selective schools, you should expect to be thinking about your application years before you send it in. It’s like preparing for a concert: you have to learn the instrument before you learn the song.

But you should also recognize that applying to college is about finding the school that’s right for you. You’re choosing a school just as much as schools are choosing you. This is your chance to think about what you want to do and where you want to spend the next four years of your life.

As you learn about what colleges require and what colleges are looking for, remember to think first and foremost about yourself: what do you want? How you can prepare yourself for your goals? And, after that, how can you show admissions officers that you’re ready?

“For admissions—think about what you can contribute to the university. Everyone is going to be smart, have good grades and test scores, and have held leadership positions. What makes you uniquely positioned to bring something to THEM?”

 —Katherine (Ramsey) Gilmore, Duke TIP 2000, 2001