Understand these admissions acronyms
As if college admissions were not stressful enough, there’s a whole set of confusing abbreviations to learn! One of the questions I get asked by families most frequently is “What is the difference between Early Decision and Early Action?” I’ve created a chart that answers those questions and many more. Below, I break down the key differences between ED, EA, Rolling, Regular, ED II and Restricted EA—and most importantly—give you my honest take on the advantages and disadvantages of each plan.
It’s important to keep in mind that not all schools have all these plans! Typically, the more selective the school, the higher likelihood that there will be a more restrictive plan (ED, ED II and Restricted EA). That said, I have been noticing more and more mid-tier schools have been introducing an ED option. Usually large public schools offer an EA option, though some selective publics (UVA, for example) also have an ED.
In my Common App Companion course, I explain how and where to indicate the appropriate decision plan on your applications.
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Deadline: Usually November 1st or 15th
When you’ll hear back: Hear back by the second week of December. This is a BINDING offer!
Will it help my admissions chances? YES, YES, YES
Where’s the proof? Right here.
What do I do if I am accepted? Accept the offer ASAP and withdraw all of your other applications (this is done through each individual school’s admissions portal)
What are the advantages/ disadvantages?
Pros: Significantly increased admissions rates. Peace of mind (by December, you know where you’ll be going to college, so you don’t have to be worried for all of senior year).
Cons: You need to do your school research EARLY so you can decide where to ED. You have to say no to attractive merit offers you might get from EA/Rolling schools.
Some people claim that ED limits your financial aid, but if you run the net price calculators you should have a clear indication of what your awards is going to look like ahead of time… plus many ED schools are willing to do a financial aid meeting before you apply.
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Deadline: Anywhere from October 15 (UNC Chapel Hill, South Carolina, Georgia all have early dates for EA!) to December 15.
When you’ll hear back: Depending on the school, you could hear back anywhere from the first week of December through the third week of January. In 2025, Ohio State didn’t release EA offers until mid-January. NON-BINDING!
Will it help my admissions chances? Maybe a tiny bit, but there is minimal statistical difference between EA and RD in the reported data.
What do I do if I am accepted? Just chill! You don’t have to ANYTHING even though the schools are going to press you to make a deposit and lock down your commitment. YOU are in the power position now, and the schools are going to be trying to get YOU to say yes to them. But keep in mind, you have until May 1 to make your choice. That said, some schools may have priority housing deadlines that you should keep an eye on.
What are the advantages/ disadvantages?
Pros:
You find out relatively early about acceptances, giving you more time to make decisions/ do repeat visits.
There may be more merit money available if you apply early in the admissions cycle.
You have more time to negotiate merit aid awards.
Cons: None! That said, it’s always smarter to take your time and put together and excellent application than to rush to meet an early deadline. Also, if your junior year grades were poor, you might want to do RD so colleges can see the improvements you’ve made in Q1 of senior year
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Deadline: Usually January 1 or 15, but some schools have an early RD date (U Washington). Some schools’ RDs may be a as late Feb 1
When you’ll hear back: Anywhere from mid-March to April 1. NON-BINDING!
Will it help my admissions chances? No
What do I do if I am accepted? Same as Early Action. You have until May 1 to make your commitment.
What are the advantages/ disadvantages?
Pros:
You have the entire autumn/ early winter of senior year to work on apps.
If you need time to retake SAT/ACT tests or redeem yourself academically after a poor junior year, this extra time will be helpful!
Cons:
You won’t find out if you got into schools until mid-March-April
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Deadline: This means you can submit ANY time between the application opening anad closing. Obviously, you want to submit as early as possible! Pitt is the Rolling school that my students most frequently apply to; I like to get apps in by Sept 1.
When you’ll hear back: Four to six weeks after you submit your application. I have Pitt applicants who hear back in October! NON-BINDING!
Will it help my admissions chances? N/A. For schools that solely use Rolling, this is the ONLY plan offered. That said, some Rolling schools may have priority deadlines for certain majors, so keep your eye out for that. Again, get your Rolling apps in early so you KNOW you have at least one school that you’re accepted into.
What do I do if I am accepted? Same as Early Action and Regular. You have until May 1 to make your commitment.
What are the advantages/ disadvantages?
Pros:
Rolling applications sometimes open really early (Pitt’s opens 8/1), so you can apply early and hear back early
Rolling applications are processed as they come in, so you typically hear back 4-6 weeks after submission
Cons: Honestly, none I can think of… but note: on Common App, if a school has Early Action and Rolling, choose Early Action
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Deadline: Typically January 1 or January 15
When you’ll hear back: Usually mid-March to April 1. This is BINDING!
Will it help my admissions chances? YES. There is no data that show the difference between EDI and EDII, but presumably EDII is slightly less impactful than EDI. Still, because it’s binding, it’s going to give an applicant an advantage.
What do I do if I am accepted? Same as Early Action and Regular. Withdraw all of other applications and place your deposit at your EDII school ASAP. You have until May 1 to make your commitment.
What are the advantages/ disadvantages?
Pros:
Because the EDII deadline is later, you get to see what happens with your EA schools. If you get a great merit offer, you may decide it’s not worth it to EDII
EDII is binding, so admissions rates should be higher
The later deadline gives you more time to decide if you want to make a binding commitment to a school (you might not be ready to make this choice in November)
Cons:
Like EDI, this is a binding commitment, so you’ll have to withdraw other applications and walk away from good merit offers
I don’t have clear data on this, but it seems logical that EDII admission rates would be slightly lower than EDI, as EDI students would have already filled a portion of the class. Keep this in mind when deciding between EDI and EDII.
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Deadline: Usually anywhere from November 1-15
When you’ll hear back: Typically the second week of December. NON-BINDING!
Will it help my admissions chances? YES. Because there is a restricted element to this decision plan, applicants are indicating this as their first-choice school, which presumably gives them at least some admissions advantage.
What do I do if I am accepted? Same as Early Action and Regular. You have until May 1 to make your commitment.
What are the advantages/ disadvantages?
Pros: This is the least commonly used admissions plan: it allows you to apply early, but it is not binding. However, you are not allowed to apply to any ED schools, and some REA schools also place restrictions on applications to private EA schools. Most REA plans will still allow students to apply to a public college using EA. I know; it’s complicated! But the main “pro” here is that it’s a non-binding plan, so you can keep your options open.
Cons: Unlike a typical EA plan, you cannot apply anywhere ED, so you’re giving up the admissions boost that comes with an ED application to a highly selective school.
