Admission Types

Types of Admission Deadlines

Early types of Applications

Traditionally, the Early Application option was often used by very strong candidates who were specifically interested in a particular college. More recently, more colleges have begun accepting students on an Early Action basis. Your School Counselor can give you some insight and feedback regarding whether Early Action or Early Decision is an option you might want to consider pursuing at a specific college.

Early Decision

For students who are sure of the college they want to attend. It is understood that when a student applies early decision they are committed to attend that college. The deadline is usually around December 15th of the senior year. This is a binding agreement, therefore if you are accepted under an Early Decision plan, you must withdraw all other applications and enroll at the institution. You can only apply to ONE school under early decision. Some schools have multiple early decision deadlines (in December and in January/February). 

Note: A college may choose to defer your early application and reconsider it again during the regular decision process. 

Early Action

Non-binding plan where you apply to college early (usually around November 1st) and hear back around December 15th. You are NOT obligated to attend and you MAY apply to more than one school under Early Action plans. You can either accept the offer or wait until May 1st to decide. (Some schools have restrictions, check each school’s website for details)

Restrictive Early Action

A non-binding early application option allows candidates to apply to only one Early Action institution and NO institutions under Early Decision. Admitted students usually have until May 1st to decide, which allows them to compare financial aid awards across institutions.

Types of Admission Policies

Open Admissions

The college admissions policy in which the only criterion for entrance is a high school diploma or a General Educational Development (GED) certificate.

Regular Decision

Students apply to a college by a specific date and are reviewed after that date. Notification letters are mailed in mid-spring.

Rolling Admissions

An admissions procedure by which the college considers each student’s application as soon as all of the required credentials, such as school record and tests scores, have been received.