Understanding the difference between college admissions cycles

By: Bella Dalba

           A common misconception of the contemporary college admissions process is the time frame under which a student can apply. Most assume there is only one course of action, and only one subsequent deadline. In actuality, there are four distinctly different opportunities, though they may vary from school to school.

            Regular Decision is the most common choice, under which the majority of each school’s students are accepted. With the exception of universities with “rolling admission” policies, all institutions will offer this option. The vast preponderance of students who apply to a given institution will do so through Regular Decision, as it is the generic college application option. The process is rather cut-and-dry: after finishing their application, the applicant is either accepted to the school, or their bid for admittance is rejected. Regular Decision applications typically open in late August or early September, and generally close between January 1 and January 15, regardless of whether the applicant is using the Common Application or the school’s personal application. Offers of admission are sent out in late March or early April, and these students will have until May 1 to either accept or decline their offers. Guidance Counselor Keith Mayer supports this option: “For most students, Regular Decision is the best choice. It allows them time to decide what they want to study, where they want to go, and what they need to get there.”

            In addition, there are two programs of early admission available: Early Action and Early Decision. For highly competitive institutions, an early admission program means fewer competitors (due to a smaller applicant pool), a higher acceptance rate (increasing chances dramatically), and, if accepted, guarantees them a position in the freshman class before the bulk of the students have been admitted. Some schools even offer incentives for early applicants. However, they are two distinctly different routes, and schools typically only offer one of the two to their applicants.

              Early Action is the most flexible. Students who apply to a school under Early Action will submit their applications before the regular deadline, and will be informed of their admissions decisions soon after (typically in January or February).  These students are not committed to their Early Action schools, and still have until May 1 to either accept or decline their offers of admission. Advanced Placement teacher Lynn Price prefers this option for her classes: “Students who are serious about their education typically have their universities selected before the start of their senior year. Early Action allows them to weigh their options well in advance the deadline, and, as honors kids, being able to plan ahead lessens the pressure of attending college.” Students who are not admitted under Early Action may be “deferred” to the Regular Decision deadline, though these policies will vary between schools. There are a select few colleges (Georgetown University, for example) that implement a program known as Restrictive Early Action. It differs from typical Early Action only in that it prohibits the applicant from applying to any school under Early Decision.

          In comparison, Early Decision is much more restrictive. Though it works very similarly to Early Action, in that students will submit their applications before the Regular Decision deadline and receive their admissions decisions soon after, the most significant difference is that Early Decision is binding, which means any student who applies and is admitted to a school through Early Decision is expected (legally obligated) to enroll. Early Decision applications typically require some type of signed form (such as the Early Decision Agreement on the Common Application) that indicates this intention to enroll upon admission. If a student is admitted Early Decision, he or she is expected to withdraw all other applications and submit the matriculation fee (or fee waiver) upon receiving the offer.

           Unlike regular admission processes with a specific deadline, rolling admission offers students a large window of time during which they can apply to a college or university. A school with rolling admission typically accepts applications for as long as spaces are available. The process first begins in early fall, and it may continue through the summer into the next class admittance cycle. Applicants are often notified of their acceptance or rejection within a few weeks of applying, rather than waiting until a designated time frame, and may begin attendance the next semester.

            Though it varies from school to school, each of these four admission options offer varied advantages to each applicant. As each student (and their preferences) is different, all options should be considered for their pros and cons in relation to the applicant. Carolyn Pippen of Vanderbilt University encourages students to examine all options available to them: “While we as admissions counselors do our best to make the application and admissions process as simple as possible, we know that this decision in particular can be a complex and confusing one. Students should contact each school directly to determine the best course of action for them to apply.”