College application has so many protocols and strategies to follow and applicants must follow these protocols of the school they are applying for. One of the application strategies to college is the early decision strategy, which helps students to commit themselves to a particular school of choice.
Early decision strategy is a type of admission strategy used in the United States to admit aspirants into college. It is used when the aspirant considers the university to be their only school of choice through a binding commitment( this strategy gives the candidate a higher chance of being enrolled into the university because he/she must withdraw all other applications to other institutions and focus only on the institution.
Early decision
Early decision strategy is a binding decision, it is a commitment to apply to only one college. And this is very advantageous for students who know the school they want to attend, and they are aware of the school admitting them and providing adequate financial aid.
The regular time duration for early decision applications is from late October to late November. Students should compare financial aid packages and see the one has huge financial aid before starting the early decision registration process
Early decision 2
Early decision 2 is just like the normal early decision but the time frame for application is different. The deadline for the application process is January 1st to 15th
Regular decision
The regular decision strategy is the application strategy that most students opt for. This Is because they have the privilege of applying to other schools, which will give them the privilege to choose among a wide range of options when they get accepted by weighing the benefits. The application deadline usually falls between the 15th of December and the 15th of January. Although this varies depending on colleges and most of the time, admission results are usually sent out by March. The difference between the early decision and regular decision strategy is the binding commitment. Early binding requires binding while regular binding dies not to require binding
Early action
Early action is another admission strategy but this is mostly used by students who want to get admitted into the school of their choice earlier than other applicants. Early action does not require binding, therefore, applicants can apply to many schools as they wish. The advantage of using the EA strategy is that applicants get to hear from the school on time. And the application usually falls between late October to late November
Eight early decision application tips for a higher acceptance chance
Before hitting the send button during your application, there are tips you should not be ignorant of. You want to ensure you have taken the time to know if your application is worth it.
The following application tips will help with your application
- Plan ahead
- Reflect before you hit the send button.
- Proofread your application
- Make your supplement essay about your interest in the school-specific
- Talk to a counselor if you are not sure
- Don’t wait until the last minute before you submit your application
- Pursuit your regular decision too
Plan ahead
Planning gives you an edge over any glitch or hiccup that may occur during your application process, ensuring you have all your application materials before the deadlines. A popular saying is, “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. Therefore, plan yourself ahead
Reflect before you hit the send button
Another tip is to judge your motives, why are you applying to the school? Is it because you love the school and you feel they have so much to offer you? Have they built a legacy and you feel it is either the school or no other school, is it because you want to get an admission out of the way and you can’t wait to be in college
Proofread your application
Your essay should be error-free so you don’t reduce your chances of getting admitted. Proofreading your essays, will not only help you get rid of errors but you will discover missing words, and the right choice of words, and also, you can give it to someone who is grammatically inclined to cross-check your essay. Your essay also contributes to your application process, so you don’t want it to be in shambles.
Make your supplement essay about your interest in the school-specific
If you are applying through the early decision strategy, you should have done your research about the school you are aspiring to get admitted into, after all, it is your first choice. So you should have 60% knowledge about the school, so you can channel your reason why the school is preferred above other schools in your essay, and how you plan to pursue your interest in the institution. Colleges like Columbia and Brown University are interested in knowing why students apply to their school
Talk to an academic counselor if you are not sure
Sometimes, as a student, you can be so unsure of the direction your is taking, and mostly, the direction is influenced cant that that that that that that that o hard. If you are not sure about binding yourself to a school, you can talk to your college counselor, you might just need reassurance that you are ready for the next phase of your life. Don’t be scared to ask for help when you need to
Don’t wait until the last minute before you submit your application
Don’t wait till the last minute on the last day of the application deadline, you might experience some glitch in the network or the school website might have huge traffic, therefore, causing it to slow your application process.
Pursuit your regular decision too
It is advisable not to put all your eggs in one basket. Although you might be confident about gaining admission to the school, you can take a two-day break after submitting your application, this gives you an edge over every disappointment.
The benefit of early decision strategy
- The early decision strategy increases your chance of getting admitted into the institution compared to early action and regular decision
- Early admission strategy helps you to be entitled to scholarships
- It helps you to increase your chance of getting better accommodation
- Students who apply for early decision get their admission on time compared to regular decision
Should I apply for an Early Decision: Things to put into consideration
You should probably apply early when you are sure of the school you want to attend, you should, most likely, students who apply using an early decision strategy always put their dream school into consideration. And most likely, you don’t have anything to Lose because your admission into the college is 80%. About financial aid, you should know about the financial aid package and the money you will be spending as well.
For you to be sure of the financial aid, you can contact the admission office of the school to give you an overall estimate
Difference between early action and early decision
The following parameters are used to explain the difference between early action and early decision
- Commitment
- Financial aid
- Number of colleges
Commitment
Early decision strategy ensures that you are only committed to your school. Once you are accepted, all other applications must be withdrawn. that is, you can not apply to other schools because the school is your top-tier choice or preference
Early actions give students the privilege of applying to as many schools as they can. Students are not committed or bonded to any school
Financial aid
For early decision, you cannot compare financial aid if schools, but if you are accepted, you must attend the school and you will be given massive financial support
For early action, you can compare the financial aid of different schools before applying.
The number of colleges
The early decision strategy restricts students to applying to just one school ad their only preference
Early action strategy enables students to apply to many schools as they wish.
Conclusion
In conclusion, an early decision strategy is a good way for students to gain admission into their top-tier institutions, students get to commit themselves to the college once they are accepted and it is good for students who have realized their choice of schools, their reason for choosing the school and also the benefits that are attached to early decision strategy
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What is the early decision?
Early decision strategy is a type of admission strategy used in the United States to admit aspirants into college by allowing them to be committed by binding them to their college of preference
Q2. What is the difference between early decision and early action?
The main difference is that for early decision, you are committed to one college while for early action, you can apply for many schools as possible
Q3. What are the benefits of an early decision strategy?
- The early decision strategy increases your chance of getting admitted into the institution
- Early admission strategy helps you to be entitled to scholarships
- It helps you to increase your chance of getting better accommodation
