ADMISSION DECISION OPTIONS AND TERMS
Early Fall of your senior year is the best time to buckle down and finish your college applications. If you complete your forms before the December holidays (and before they are probably due), you can avoid the crunch after the holidays when most financial aid applications are also due.
Early Decision
This option allows a student to commit to his or her first choice of college well before May 1. In exchange for admission, the college or university will require a nonrefundable deposit by a date that is typically not extended. You should not apply to more than one college under this option; you should withdraw all other applications when you accept an early-decision offer. NOTE: unfortunately with this option, you may have to commit to a school without really knowing what it’s going to cost you because Financial Aid packages may not be available until after the May 1st deadline. A better alternative may be Early Action.
Early Action
This option allows a student to make application to a college of preference and receive an admission decision well before the normal response, usually in the spring. Students who apply under this option are not obligated to enroll or deposit.
Regular Decision
This option requires a student to apply by a given date in return for a promise of notification by a given date. This option allows colleges and universities to review most of its applications before notifying the majority of its candidates.
Rolling Admission
This option allows students to receive an admissions decision as soon as their files are received and reviewed. Colleges usually do not state deadlines, although they may recommend a date when files should be complete.
In all options except early decision, applicants will have until May 1 before they should make a nonrefundable deposit, unless they have requested a written extension.