Early Advantage or Early Mistake?: An Honest analysis

A sleepless junior year, AP exams, and summer SAT classes are finally behind you. Congratulations, seniors, you made it to fall. The college summit is now in sight.

However, you now have applications to submit. Most “early” applications are due November 1st (with exceptions). So, yes, most of the work is behind you, but guess how many students spend their August, September, and October? You guessed it—balancing summer assignments, early term school work, and applications.

What types of early applications are there?

There are a few types of early applications. Early Action (EA) and Early Decision (ED) are the most common. In recent years, some schools have been offering Restrictive Early Action/Single Choice Early Action (REA/SCEA) and Early Decision II (ED2). Every year, schools add or eliminate some of their early application offerings, so it is best to check quickly and annually.

For the vast majority of schools, Early Action and Early Decision are due November 1st. You will usually hear back from schools before Christmas (this makes Christmas either multiples more wholesome or slightly depressing).

ED II is essentially the second phase of ED. The applications for ED II usually open on January 1st. They typically close by the end of January, but—you guessed it—there are exceptions. For the most up-to-date application timeline, consult the website of the school you are interested in. So what is the point of ED II? There are two main reasons. First, if you are rejected from your original ED school (the application that was due November 1st), you can apply ED II to a different school. Second, if you are deferred from your original ED school, you can likewise apply to a different school for ED II. Note that you are not allowed to apply to the same school again.

Restrictive Early Action, also called Single-Choice Early Action, is limited to a handful of schools. This is a blend of ED and EA. It takes the non-binding element of EA and the restrictive element of ED. This is only offered by a handful of very selective universities: Harvard, Stanford, and Yale, to name a few. You are generally allowed to apply to a non-binding early program (essentially, EA) only at a public institution (think University of California, or University of Illinois) and early admissions programs for schools outside of the United States. Because the guidelines for REA change frequently, consult each school’s website and make sure you are up to date.

So, should I apply early or not?

I really wish I could provide a straightforward answer, but it really depends. For example, I personally did not apply ED to any school, because I did not find the binding, obligation aspect appealing. I didn’t feel very strongly about any particular school, which is why I applied EA to as many schools as I could.

My applications were ready to go by November 1st, so I figured that I should. Besides, remember how you get your results before Christmas? I knew that if I got into a school that I was happy with, I would have immense peace of mind, and my only job until graduation would be to, well, not fail my classes and graduate on time. I didn’t even have to take half of my AP exams my senior year because I knew where I was going to attend (the number of AP credits that schools accept varies). Life becomes a lot easier.

This is one major reason why I encourage my students to at least apply EA to a few schools: peace of mind. Once the holidays come around, and some of your friends get accepted, and senioritis kicks in, frankly, it can be a lot to handle. Christmas essays and New Year’s Eve essays are bleak. Even if you get accepted to a “safety” school for EA, many of my students have told me they feel more confident and ready applying to their target schools for regulars. Don’t underestimate the mental-marathon aspect of applying your senior year.

Furthermore, many early applications are demanding. They ask you long and difficult essay prompts. This early preparation ensures a significantly less painful regular application experience. Many of your early essays serve as a crucial foundation for regular essays. After all, many schools will ask you similar questions: in this sense, essays can somewhat be “recycled.”

In general, I believe that if you can meaningfully increase your SAT scores or polish your school essays further, applying regularly is better than forcing an unprepared student to apply early. I also tend to believe that the more competitive the school, the more it will undervalue early admissions. They will have many other qualified students to pick from who come regularly, and the school knows it.

Of course, all of this is my opinion. You should consult with your teachers, counselors, parents—adults that you trust—and choose what fits best for you.

Patrick Kim serves as our Writing Specialist and Associate Consultant, holding a degree in Written Communication from the University of Chicago.