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What is the difference between Early Decision (ED) and/or Early Action (EA)?

By MITEA on Saturday, January 18, 2003 - 08:36 am: Edit

Early Decision (ED) is "binding" -- if you are accepted through Early Decision, you must attend the school that accepted you. You must withdraw any other applications currently in progress. By applying anywhere through Early Decision, you are committing yourself to attend if accepted. You should ONLY apply somewhere Early Decision if it is absolutely, positively, no question, your first choice school.

Early Action (EA) is non-binding -- the school lets you know early that your are accepted, but you don't have to accept. You also don't have to give them your acceptance decision (no matter what your decision is) until March or April, or whenever regular decision acceptances are due. I am only aware of a few select universities that offer Early Action (Harvard and MIT, for example), and being accepted through Early Action is very difficult. An Early Action acceptance is of great benefit to the applicant, but of little benefit to the University. I guess its purpose for the University is to instill a sense of loyalty to the University that accepted you.

Most Early Decision and Early Action applications are due in early to mid November, and the applicants usually hear the admissions decisions by mid December. To apply Early Decision or Early Action, all standardized tests should be completed by October of your senior year, at the latest. Most people I know who applied ED or EA tried to have all their testing completed by the end of their junior years, and only used the October/ POSSIBLY November test dates to re-take tests.

You can only apply to one school through Early Decision. Some people say that you can apply to as many schools as you want through Early Action. Perhaps this is true. However, I personally think that someone should only apply to one school either ED or EA. I sometimes wonder if the top schools compare notes about who's applying where, and I think that an applicant who only applies to one school EA is showing their loyalty to that school. But this is just me and my opinion, lots of people apply EA to several places.

By slight advantage on Saturday, January 18, 2003 - 10:39 am: Edit

I applied ED to one place and EA to 2 places. I would recommend applying early action to any college that offers it, since it gives you a slight advantage in the admissions process.

By ? on Saturday, January 18, 2003 - 12:13 pm: Edit

Thanks guys, very helpful info.