| | Early Decision vs. Early Action
EARLY DECISION
| EARLY ACTION
| - Binding
| - Not Binding
| - Must attend if accepted
and given reasonable
financial aid offer
| - May compare acceptance
offers from numerous schools
| - Must withdraw other
applications
| - No decision required until
May 1st
|
Benefits to Early Decision/Early Action
- If accepted, no admissions stress
- If not accepted, application is filed and may be reconsidered during final acceptances
- Application may be considered more seriously due to early expressed interest in the school
Drawbacks to Early Decision/Early Action
- Less time to explore options; may be forced to rule out schools offering more attractive financial aid packages
- No chance to improve profile using first semester grades and activities during senior year
- You'll be competing against high quality applications; you'll have to work extra hard to stand out against a qualified group
|
