College Admissions

The Early Decision Dilemma: Should High School Students Apply Early?

The Early Decision Dilemma: Should High School Students Apply Early?

As a high school student, the college admission process can be overwhelming and filled with numerous decisions to make. One of these decisions is whether or not to apply for Early Decision (ED). On one hand, early decision can provide students with an early acceptance, a sense of relief, and open up the remainder to truly live and experience their final year of high school. On the other hand, it should be considered with real diligence and comes with some risks and limitations.

Before making a decision, it is crucial for students to understand what Early Decision entails. Early decision is a binding agreement that requires students to attend the college if they are accepted. This means that students must withdraw all other college applications (immediately!). This is distinct from Early Action. Some colleges (including Princeton, Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Notre Dame and Georgetown) also have Restricted Early Action. Policies vary by the university, so it is important to check.

Restrictive Early Action: What You Need to Know

Have you heard about early decision and early action for college applicants eager to show commitment to a school? If you’re applying to highly selective schools, another one to add to your lexicon is “restrictive early action.” What is it, and how does it differ from other options? We provide a detailed explanation of REA, highlight which colleges utilize it, and weigh the pros and cons compared to traditional early decision.

Defining Restrictive Early Action

Before delving into REA, let's review Early Decision and Early Action. Early decision is a binding admissions process where students apply to college before the regular deadline, usually in November of their senior year. Admissions notifications are sent out in December, and if accepted, the student must commit. Early action, on the other hand, is nonbinding and allows students to apply to college before the regular deadline, with notifications sent out in December. However, if accepted, they are not required to commit.

Restrictive early action is a middle ground between early action and early decision. Students may only apply to their first-choice early action institution, with some exceptions. They cannot apply to any early decision schools, but can apply to other early action schools. Some colleges call this "single-choice early action," and it is a nonbinding process for students to apply to their top choice. Students are not permitted to apply to other schools, whether early action or early decision.

Colleges That Use Restrictive Early Action and Their Policies

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The Era of Grade Inflation: What It Means for College Admissions

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The Era of Grade Inflation: What It Means for College Admissions

Have you ever heard that a “C” is an average grade? That may have been true in the past, but not anymore. In fact, by 2020, 90% of grades were either A’s or B’s, according to a report from The College Board. The College Board found that between 1998 and 2016, high school GPA overall rose by .11 of a GPA point. So, why are today’s students earning higher grades? Are they smarter or are schools getting easier?

Welcome to the era of grade inflation. This trend has been on the rise since the late 19th century, but it really took off in the 1960s when above-average grades in college coursework could exempt young men from being drafted for the Vietnam war. In addition to this, many other factors contribute to grade inflation, such as the desire to support students, pressure to cede to parents’ complaints, or district policies that pressure teachers to compare favorably against other schools.

How does this translate for college admissions? With so many students earning high grades, it’s harder for admissions teams to distinguish between applicants.

Can I Back Out of Early Decision II Before The College Releases A Decision?

Can I Back Out of Early Decision II Before The College Releases A Decision?

Backing out of or withdrawing an Early Decision (ED) agreement can and usually will negatively impact a student's chances of admission to that college or university. We have seen more and more students both wanting to take advantage of the possible ‘bump’ in early decision acceptance odds, but also waffling. To be clear, you should only apply ED or ED2 if you would be absolutely happy to attend above all other schools you’re applying to. Especially for ED2, families understandably feel pressure to increase the odds of acceptance where there is a precipitous drop in the acceptance rate between ED and RD. You may want to ‘get out’ of an ED2 application for various reasons, such as receiving a favorable Early Action (EA) response in late January, considering financial options, or changing family circumstances. While withdrawing the ED application may allow the student to compare