Distinctive

By Adam Muri-Rosenthal, Ph.D.

Each fall, high school seniors around the US and the world race against early college deadlines, hoping to maximize their chances by applying Early Action (EA), Restrictive Early Action (REA), or Early Decision (ED). In most circumstances, applying by these deadlines provides an advantage—slight in some cases, more substantial in others—and is a sensible choice. Indeed, we strongly encourage our students to meet these deadlines and work hard with them over the course of our time together to ensure that they can. That being said, students often ask us whether there are circumstances in which they should wait to apply. And indeed, occasionally students find themselves in situations constituting very good reasons to wait and apply Regular Decision (RD) instead.

Let’s break it down, but before we do, a quick refresher on the different sorts of deadlines you might encounter:

• Early Action (EA): You apply early, get your decision early (typically in December or January), and you’re not obligated to attend if admitted. It’s non-binding and usually a smart option if available.
• Restrictive Early Action (REA): Only offered by a handful of highly selective universities (like Stanford, Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Notre Dame, and Georgetown), REA is non-binding, but typically limits your ability to apply early to other private schools. Rules vary by institution, so always read the fine print.
• Early Decision (ED): A binding commitment—if you’re admitted, you must enroll and withdraw all other applications. Some colleges offer two rounds (ED I and ED II), but in both cases, the commitment is the same.
• Regular Decision (RD): The standard timeline, with deadlines in early January and decisions released by April 1st. No restrictions, no commitments.
• Rolling Admission: Students may apply (and receive responses) throughout the year, sometimes even as late as April (but the earlier you apply, the better your chances). Some less selective institutions even continue accepting applications into June and July!
• Single Deadline: At a handful of schools, only one deadline is available. No early action, no early decision, no nonsense! The Universities of California are perhaps the most popular example, though this is also true of University of Florida, University of Washington, and a few others.

When You Should Apply Early (and Why)

In truth, the answer to this question is: most of the time. We highly recommend that our students apply early to as many institutions as possible. Doing so increases your chances of admission (in some cases considerably) and you also get a major senior-year burden lifted from your shoulders early. In short:

Early Decision (ED) is ideal if all of the following applies:

• You are absolutely sure this is your top-choice school.
• You are willing to commit without comparing financial aid offers.
• You’ve already completed all testing, essays, and application components and feel they are strong.
• You want a potential admissions boost—at many selective schools, ED admit rates are quite a bit higher (though this is partially due to self-selection).

Additionally, recruited athletes should keep in mind that the coach or admissions office may make an ED application a condition of your recruitment.

Restrictive Early Action (REA) makes sense if:

• You’re applying to a school like Harvard, Yale, Stanford, or Princeton and want an early shot.
• You understand the restrictions and are willing to forego applying early to other private institutions.
• You’re a strong applicant who benefits from the earlier timeline without the risk of a binding agreement.

Early Action (EA) is great when:

• You’ve finished your application early and it’s strong.
• You want to hear back in December or January but keep your options open.
• The schools you’re applying to offer EA (not all do).
• You’re applying to public flagships like the University of Wisconsin or UNC Chapel Hill—many of which offer EA and fill a large portion of their class this way.

As the non-binding option, Early Action is almost always a good idea—if you’re ready for it. Early Decision is a good idea if you meet the conditions above, but of course you must keep in mind that you can only apply to one school ED at a time (if you are deferred or rejected, you may then have the option to apply for the Early Decision II round if you are applying to a school that offers it).

Now that we have established that, we get to the main purpose of this post: the exceptions. Sometimes, it’s better to wait for Regular Decision. Below you will find a fairly comprehensive list of the situations in which we would advise it.

Exception 1: You Started Late

If you only began your college application process in September or October, rushing to meet an early November deadline could do more harm than good. Your essays may feel underdeveloped, your activities list incomplete, and your strategy half-formed. A compelling, polished RD application nearly always outweighs a rushed, early one in which you are not putting your best foot forward as an applicant. Getting into college is inherently competitive, so it’s important to recognize when applying early is affording you a competitive edge… and when it’s depriving you of it. The bottom line is that applications must represent your very best. And if by late October, they still don’t, consider waiting until the RD deadline. To make matters more confusing, it’s important to note that there are exceptions. Some universities accept very few applicants in the RD round and do in fact advise students to submit early at all costs. If in doubt, it’s perfectly acceptable to call the admissions office and ask, speak with your school counselor, or speak with your independent educational consultant.

Exception 2: Your Profile Will Improve by January

This is a common scenario. Perhaps you’re retaking the SAT or ACT and expect a substantial score increase. Or maybe you’re about to get stronger first-semester grades that could significantly boost your academic profile. Or it could be that you’re awaiting the (potentially positive) result of a major national competition.

Generally, if only one of these is the case, waiting might not be justified. Indeed, you can always update colleges after application. This is especially true when applying early and the new information, even if arriving too late for the early application round, might be taken into consideration for the RD round. But if several of these apply to you, waiting until RD might improve your chances.

Exception 3: You’re Not Ready to Commit Financially to an Early Decision School

Applying Early Action is generally the best move when it comes to maximizing your financial aid opportunities. The best scholarships tend to be doled out early. Early Decision, however, is another story. ED removes your ability to compare financial aid offers across schools, and frankly, offers little incentive to the university to offer you a substantial aid package. For many families, this is a dealbreaker. If you need to compare need-based or merit aid packages, appeal aid using offers from multiple schools, and consider total cost as a major factor in your decision, then ED is definitely not the way to go, and in these circumstances, RD (or EA, if available) is almost always the better choice.

Exception 4: Your Top School Only Offers ED—and You’re Not Ready

Some colleges (like NYU, Boston University, and many smaller liberal arts schools) only offer Early Decision—not EA. If you’re interested but not ready to commit, wait for RD. You may miss out on a bump in admissions chances, but you’ll avoid a binding agreement you’re not comfortable with. You should never make an ED commitment unless you are 100% sure that you will attend without any reservations whatsoever.

Exception 5: You’re Applying to a School with REA

If you’re applying Restrictive Early Action to a school like Stanford or Harvard, you are not permitted to submit early applications to most other private institutions. In that case, your remaining schools will need to be RD applications, unless they’re public universities that allow non-restrictive EA. It’s important to rigidly follow the rules of the REA school to which you are applying. Not doing so could cost you a favorable decision at the outset or result in a rescission later on.

Exception 6: Stress and Burnout

Applying to college is an inherently stressful process, and it tends to become increasingly so as deadlines approach. That’s to be expected. But when combined with the demands of rigorous senior-year coursework and substantial extracurricular commitments, occasionally the process can lead to situations of burnout. If balancing all of this at once is compromising your ability to perform well in school—or worse, affecting your health—consider pushing back some deadlines to regular decision as a safety valve.

Exception 7: Applying Early Doesn’t Offer an Advantage

Finally, at a few schools, applying early does not in fact confer any advantage. Georgetown is among the most famous. Stanford is also well known for only accepting its most spectacular candidates (often elite athletes) in its REA round, so many professionals recommend against limiting your options by applying early there.

Bottom Line: Quality and Strategy over Speed

It’s easy to feel pressured into applying early just because “everyone else is doing it.” But the truth is that applying early only helps when you’re ready—academically, strategically, and financially.

There’s no admissions advantage in submitting a weaker application just to be early.

Choose early deadlines when they make sense for your unique situation. And remember, it’s not all or nothing: you may feel an application is ready for one school but not another. But remember, if you aren’t feeling ready yet, take the time you need and use Regular Decision to submit the strongest possible application.