The short answer to this question is, YES. Apply early to college may give you an advantage in the admissions process because colleges want to admit qualified applicants that are excited to attend their institution.
The longer answer, however, depends on where you want to apply, how ready you are to commit to a school, and the type of student you are. But is early decision right for everyone? It depends on where you want to apply, how ready you are to commit to a school, and the type of student you are.
Today, applicants have a variety of deadlines and admissions types to choose from. But this wasn't always the case. Early decision is a relatively new phenomenon; it was first offered by a small group of elite New England colleges in the late-1950's, nearly two-hundred years after the first American university was chartered. These schools, which included Amherst, Bowdoin, Dartmouth, Wesleyan and Williams, offered early admissions decisions to a small group of applicants who committed to attend if admitted. This enabled the colleges to compete with each other, attract top students, and admit applicants that they were confident would accept their offers and be enthusiastic members of the campus community.
Today, the majority of four-year colleges offer some type of early admission, and many offer a few different application deadlines and options for applicants, including early decision I and II, early action, and regular decision. In recent years, as applications to top colleges have swelled, schools have begun admitting a larger percentage of their incoming classes through early decision or early action because it helps them better predict yield (which is how many admitted students will actually attend). As a result, more and more students are choosing to apply early in an attempt to gain an admissions edge.
Applying early can be a great way to increase your chances of admission, especially at schools with low admission rates. Early decision is a way to get a school’s attention and lets the school know that they are your first choice. In return, the school will take a closer look at your application and, if you have the right grades and a good application, you will have a higher chance of admission than if you were to apply regular decision.
President and Chief Educational Consultant Laurie Kopp Weingarten of One-Stop College Counseling advises:
Each year, over 90 percent of my students apply Early Decision; it greatly increases their chances of acceptance at their first-choice college. I encourage my students to do so under most circumstances. Early Decision is a ‘sure thing’ for the colleges since the student has signed a contract agreeing to attend; colleges are running a business, and they highly value their Early Decision applicants. Students show the college their “love” by selecting ED, and the colleges reciprocate by giving them an extra-look and higher admit rates.
