Content provided in partnership with

Considering Early Decision

Careers and Colleges, Sept, 2000 by Nancy Fitzgerald

More and more students are applying early, but is it right for you? Here's a look at the pros and cons.

When it came time to shop around for colleges in her sophomore year of high school, Sarah Penniman had a pretty good idea of what she was looking for. "I wanted a school with small classes, politically active students, and strong programs in social science and the arts," the 18-year-old explains. "And the more I learned about Sarah Lawrence College, the more it seemed like it was made just for me.

Most Popular Articles in Business: Research and Markets : Tesco Plc - SWOT Framework Analysis; Do Us a Flavor - Ben & Jerry's Issues a Call for Euphoric New Flavors; eBay made easy: ready to start an eBay business? These 5 simple steps will ...; Katrina's lawsuit surge: a legal battle to force insurers to pay for flood ...; Wal-Mart's newest distribution center opened last month near the southwest ...; More »

Because Sarah Lawrence, in Bronxville, New York, was her flat-out first choice, Penniman decided to apply through the school's early decision plan. She hoped applying early would give her a little boost in the admission process, and she was eager to be done with filling out applications so she could enjoy the rest of her final year of high school.

Penniman began working on her essay early in the fill of her senior year. She signed an agreement stating that she wouldn't apply to other schools and that if accepted to Sarah Lawrence, she'd be there the following fall. She then mailed in her application by November 15. Lucky for Penniman, just before winter break she received a letter from Sarah Lawrence welcoming her to the Class of 2003.

Like Penniman, thousands of high school seniors are applying to college through early decision plans. According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), 45 percent of the 330 institutions offering early decision plans saw an increase in the number of early decision applicants for fall 1999.

In general, applying early decision means you're submitting your application in the fall and getting notified of your status by late December. You're committing to one school that you're sure is your top choice. In return, colleges traditionally have shown a preference toward early applicants because these students show a preference toward them.

Your chances of admission don't always improve by applying early. At many of the most competitive schools, early decision is used to snag the very best and brightest students--locking them in before they get admitted elsewhere. If they have any doubts about the students, they defer them to the regular cycle or reject them.

Early decision is clearly a good thing for the colleges--often assuring a freshman class filled to capacity and students who are more likely to stay on all the way to graduation. But how good is early decision for students? That depends.

COMMITMENT IS KEY

Early decision is designed for students like Penniman, who study college directories, pore over Web sites, and feel that everything just clicks when they walk onto the campus of that one special school. "When I have students coming in and saying to me, 'I don't know where I'm going, but I'm definitely applying early,' that's the wrong approach," insists Judith Berg, president of the Independent Educational Consultants Association. "Only apply early after, thinking about it carefully and visiting a number of campuses."

When you apply early, you're putting your reputation on the line, along with those of your parents and your guidance counselor. Each of you must sign a contract vowing that you will attend the school if you're accepted, and colleges don't take it lightly when you break that commitment.

"A few years ago we admitted a student through our regular pool who--it turned out--had applied early decision to another college," recalls Thyra Briggs, dean of admission at Sarah Lawrence. But when the student told the other school she wouldn't be attending because she'd been admitted to Sarah Lawrence, both colleges called the student's guidance counselor to express their displeasure and--even worse--both colleges rescinded their offers of admission.

"Students need to understand that this agreement is very serious," says Briggs.

Before you take the early decision plunge, be 100 percent sure it's what you want. To make an informed decision, consider these pros and cons.

THE PROS

* YOU FINISH THE ADMISSION PROCESS SOONER. Rather than wasting time and money applying to half a dozen schools--and agonizing until April about getting accepted to one of them--students who apply early can get the application process completed sooner (usually by November 15) and receive a decision before winter break. Of course, that pushes up the admission timetable. Early applicants have to hustle in September and October to write essays, collect recommendations, and complete forms.

* YOU MAY GAIN A COMPETITIVE EDGE. At some colleges, admission rates are significantly higher for early decision candidates than for regular candidates. At Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, 43 percent of the early decision applicants get the thumbs-up, as opposed to 25 percent of the regular applicant pool. "Applying early is to your advantage here," says Nancy Hargrave Meislahn, dean of admission and financial aid at Wesleyan. "We think of it as a definite plus--for the student and for Wesleyan."

Considering Early Decision

Careers and Colleges, Sept, 2000 by Nancy Fitzgerald

Find Research Guides for:

Find Featured Titles for: News

Most Popular Articles in Business

Most Popular Publications in Business