Unfortunately, many colleges have increased the percentage of their classes that are being accepted early decision. This makes sense to the colleges, who are often facing a financial crunch due to state support cut-backs or private school enrollment drops, but it does make the landscape different for applicants, who are faced with making binding decisions before even reaching the halfway point of their senior year.
I recently read an article (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mckenzie-maxson/are-university-early-admi_b_5135372.html) discussing the issue of the increasing percentage of students accepted early decision or early admission, which, of course, requires a dropping percentage of students being accepted in the regular decision pool. Students are now feeling the pressure to apply early even when they aren't at all sure that this school is where they want to attend. There is no simple answer to the question, as it depends on the details for each student. These include:
- Is this school absolutely where I want to go? This is the main question for students considering a binding early decision, where you agree to attend if you are accepted. Unfortunately, many students may feel that this is the one in August, but then in January they have changed their minds or found some other great school that they love. Early action, where you don't have to promise to attend, is a better choice, but not always offered by the school a student may want.
- Is financial aid a make or break issue for my family? Early decision commits you long before you even talk about financial aid or fill out the FAFSA, so if the school is on the edge of affordability, it might be best to do a regular application. Colleges do have priorities for their financial aid, as well, and they sometimes use it to tempt a desirable candidate to choose their college, which means there will be less aid available for those who have already committed to the college. In a case where financial aid is vitally necessary and the student is on the high side of average for that school with grades, test scores and other criteria of admission, it might be best to apply later--even with a lower percentage of acceptances in the regular admission pool, a highly qualified candidate will have a good chance of acceptance. Of course, since none of us can predict with any confidence what a given college might do, it's a bit of a gamble either way.
- Is the school a bit of a stretch for me? If your grades or test scores are a bit on the low side and this college is definitely high on your list of places you would be happy to attend, early admission plans may increase your chance of admission, which would make early decision a better choice for you.
So as you make out your college lists, juniors, keep in mind the available statistics and your preferences when making the decision for early application.
