subject: Early Decision Isn't For Everyone, Even Those Who Sometimes Think It Is [print this page] Early decision (ED) seems like the perfect answer for many students when it comes to college admissions. You have decided this is the school for you, your application is finished and submitted early, and you will get a college decision back before most of your friends have even sent their applications off. While some of this may be true, early decision is not for everyone, even those who think it is.
Luke visited five of his top college choices the spring of his junior year. One stood out among the rest and Luke decided that he would apply ED. His application was done, teacher recommendations were ready, and he was satisfied with his recent test scores. Luke waited anxiously for the letter to let him know whether he would be accepted.
Luke got the good news and was thrilled. The stress of college admissions was over for him. Luke continued to hear from his other top choice colleges and began to have second thoughts, but he had already signed the ED contract. Luke attended this college but found that it wasn't quite what he had expected. Somehow the fit did not seem as good. He finished his first year but decided to transfer to one of the other schools that had been on his list.
For Luke, perhaps ED was not the best choice. Had he applied early action he probably would have had some other schools from which to choose and maybe he would have made a better decision. Luke realized that early decision may be right for some students, but it wasn't right for him. Luke is not alone. I know of a few students who broke their early decision contracts and suffered unexpected consequences. Since many competitive colleges share their list of early decision students, this can bar students from other top schools on their list.
How do you know if early decision is right for you? Students should only consider this early admissions choice if they are absolutely certain a college is right for them, their grades and test scores indicate they are competitive for acceptance, and financial aid is not a deciding factor in their college decision.
What are the pros and cons of early decision? Let's talk about the pros first.
1. ED allows students to enjoy the second semester of their senior year knowing that they have been accepted to their top choice school.
2. It eliminates the application fees that are an added expense when you apply to other colleges
3. It allows students to have additional time to apply for scholarships
4. Colleges want student commitments as early as possible so ED candidates usually have a higher acceptance rate, but the applicant pool is also more competitive
Now, what about the cons?
1. Early decision can limit students' college choices by not giving them a chance to consider their other options
2. Students can change their minds between October and May and what they thought they wanted can change dramatically in that time period.
3. ED forces students to withdraw all other applications if they are accepted
4. Students do not have a chance to see what other schools might have offered in their financial aid packages
5. Early deadlines do not always give students the time to research and consider why other schools might be a better fit.
6. Students still need to do their applications to other schools because if they are not accepted to their early decision school, they will need to submit the other applications to have some other choices.
Students need to know what they are getting into with early decision. They should not act impulsively, but take plenty of time to decide whether this is the best option for them.
