Riverside Community Center
4498 NW High Drive
Riverside, Missouri 64150
Phone: (816) 741-4172
Fax: (816) 372-9170
Hart's Helpful Hints: Types of College Admission
The City of Riverside has partnered with Steph Hart of Essential Elements: Comprehensive College Planning to present a FREE college prep series for high school students and their parents. Our third session was on Sunday, September 11 and provided an overview on preparing your college essay. After each session, Steph will provide a "Hart's Helpful Hint" with additional details about preparing for college!
EARLY DECISION
• ED is defined as binding, meaning the application, upon admission, becomes a legally binding contract to attend that college or university.
• Students may only apply to one campus ED. Deadlines for these schools are typically November 1 or 15, with a December or early January decision notification. Students may still apply to other schools through Early Action and regular admissions processes. But, when accepted by the first-choice ED campus, must officially withdraw all other applications. In most cases, ED colleges and universities insist upon a non-refundable deposit well before the May 1 National Candidate’s Reply Deadline.
• This type of application is for a student who is academically talented, has impressive test scores, is not reliant upon financial aid, possesses a comprehensive resume, and has a single dream school in heart and mind.
EARLY ACTION
• These applications are similar to ED, but are not binding. EA deadlines are also typically November 1 or 15 and offer a December or early January decision notification.
• There is no limit to how many EA applications a student may submit, nor a requirement to withdraw other applications upon admission. EA schools allow an early deposit if a student is ready to commit, but does not require one until the May 1 National Candidate’s Reply Deadline.
• This type of application is also for academically talented students, who have impressive test scores and who possess comprehensive resumes, but whose families will need to compare financial aid packages as part of the final decision. These students are applying to some selective campuses, but have not narrowed down their options to a single institution.
SINGLE CHOICE EARLY ACTION
• A few colleges and universities have added this option; essentially a combination of ED and EA. Students may only apply early to one campus and again, deadlines tend to be November 1 or 15 with a December or early January notification date. Applications may be submitted to other schools through regular decision and rolling admission. No final decision about attendance is required until May 1.
• When offered, this option is for the same students defined above for ED and EA.
REGULAR DECISION
• Even schools that offer ED and EA, make RD available. Deadlines tend to be January 1 or 15, some as late as February 1. There is no limit to the number of schools a student applies to under a RD plan. Admission notifications are not received until late March or early April, but the National Candidate’s Reply Deadline is enforced.
• This option is great for students who either miss the ED or EA application deadlines or for students who would like to continue exploring options even after submitting early deadline applications.
• The difficulty in this particular plan is that there must be a quick decision process between receiving the admission decision and making the final college choice by the May 1 deadline.
ROLLING ADMISSION
• Rolling admission simply means that as a complete application arrives in an admission office, it is reviewed and a decision is returned, typically with a 4 to 6 week turn-around time. Files are constantly received and reviewed on a “rolling” basis and there is no specific deadline by which to apply.
• Some colleges and universities offer incentives for early submissions so that students do not wait until the last minute to apply. This may entail waiving the application fee, easing the essay requirement, or promising a decision on a shortened timeframe.
• The earlier students apply under rolling admission, the earlier they receive a decision. I encourage students to submit rolling admission applications first, because upon receipt of the first admission letter, the rest of the process seems much more tolerable.
