Navigating Early Decision, Early Action, and Regular Decision for College Admissions

Discover the secrets to boosting your college acceptance odds and reducing application stress as we unravel the complexities of early decision, early action, and regular decision. Promise yourself a more informed college application journey after listening to this East Coast College Admissions podcast episode. 

Transcript

Speaker 1: 1:07

Hello and welcome to another episode of the East Coast College Admissions podcast, where we give you expert advice and inside information on navigating college admissions at East Coast institutions. I'm your host, cleopatra, and today's episode is a must-listen for high school juniors and seniors and their families who are deep in the college application process. The topic for today early decision versus regular decision, which is right for you. We'll be diving into the pros and cons of applying early decision early action or regular decision at East Coast schools. Whether you are aiming for the Ivy's or other top tier institutions, this episode will help guide you through one of the most critical decisions you'll ever make during the application process. So let's kick things off with the basics. What exactly is early decision, early action and regular decision? Why do these three options even exist? For many students, east Coast colleges offer the flexibility of applying through these different paths, and each path can greatly impact your chances of admission. So let's break each of them down.

Speaker 1: 2:20

First up, early decision, often considered one of the most binding commitments in the college admissions world. If you apply ED, you are essentially telling the school if you accept me, I promise to attend. You can apply to other schools through early decision and if you are accepted you must withdraw all other applications. What are some of the pros of early decision? Higher acceptance rates, of course many East Coast colleges, especially competitive ones, have higher acceptance rates for early decision applicants. Colleges appreciate the commitment ED students make. They fill a significant portion of their class this way and if you've not caught on to what ED is, that's just the short form of early decision. Another pro is demonstrated interest. By applying ED you are showing the school that it is your top choice and that enthusiasm can work in your favor. Another pro is less stress. If you are accepted ED, you can skip the stressful wait for regular decision results and focus on finishing high school. But for every pro there is a cost.