Come fall, seniors around the country brace themselves for the stepping stone into the next phase of their lives: college admissions. While not necessarily all seniors may choose this path in life, the ones who proceed onto two- and four-year universities have to decide whether to apply the early application path.

   Early applications are just like it says in the name—applications that are due early. There are a multitude of benefits to applying earlier: a less competitive application pool, an earlier decision date, and the ability to plan ahead on matters such as housing.

   “Applying early lets me enjoy senior year more and gets the stress out of the way,” says senior Keiko Moral. “Once they’re submitted, they’re not looming over my head anymore.”

   There is a common misconception that applying early guarantees a higher acceptance rate on the student’s part; however, this varies based on the college in question. Colleges may vary the percentage of students admitted to allot a certain proportion of the class to early admits. 

   These early applications can be divided into two distinctive plans: Early Action and Early Decision. While both of them are due around the beginning of November and return admissions decisions come out (approximately) in December, they are very different from each other.

   Early Action is simply an early response to an application. A prospective student can apply early and hear an early response back, but are not required to commit until the May 1st deadline. They are also able to submit Regular Decision applications and compare the offers from different colleges.

   Early Decision, on the other hand, is a binding admissions plan, meaning that if admitted, a student must commit and attend that college without comparing other offers, including financial aid. Thus, Early Decision is cautioned and only recommended for students that are applying for their first-choice college that they are certain they would attend, given the chance.

   “Early Decision isn’t ideal because unless their parents are able to pay out of pocket for tuition and they are dead set on going to a specific school, it isn’t realistic for most students,” says senior Niki Bordas. 

   College admissions have also gotten increasingly complicated and competitive in recent years.  The Common Application, an application system used by over 800 colleges, streamlines much of the initial application process, but test scores still have to be sent through the SAT or ACT testing agency. Students must also apply for financial aid through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and, on occasion, the College Board’s CSS Profile. 

   “It’s very stressful trying to get all the essays done by the deadline while keeping up with regular schoolwork, clubs, scholarships, and spending time with friends and family,” says Bordas. “But I know that in the end, it will all be worth it.”