How the Early Bird Gets its Worm

Can’t wait to get into the American university you’ve set your heart on? Don’t wait then. Youth Inc gives you the lowdown on applying early to the US and saving time for the next important bit-packing and going!

Applying to colleges and getting admitted is one of the most harried and stressful times in the transition from high school to university. It could get a lot more confusing if a student is looking to go abroad. To help students cope with the mounting pressure of application deadlines, Early Decision (ED) and Early Action (EA) are two early application policies used by several American universities for undergraduate admissions.

What are Early Decision and Early Action?
Typically, one would submit their university applications by January 1 and receive a response by April 1.
Institues that have ED and EA allow candidates to apply much earlier and receive a decision earlier as well. For ED one would apply by the end of October and hear back by the middle of December, and EA, apply by November 1 and receive a decision mid-December. ED and EA, however, differ on the nature of the obligation they place upon the candidate. In an ED application the candidate cannot apply to any other university offering ED, and once accepted into an ED university, must enrol there and withdraw all other applications. But ED does allow candidates to apply to as many universities as they wish during the regular admission time. The EA, however, is more flexible: it allows candidates to apply to more than one EA university and the candidate may choose any one of the EA schools that has accepted them.

Sounds too good to be true. There must be a catch!
There is. The binding nature of ED is not to be taken lightly; the only way a candidate can turn down an ED is on grounds of genuine financial hardship. If turned down for other reasons, no other university will offer the candidate a place.While the EA is more accommodating, some Ivy Leagues offer Single Choice Early Action (SCEA) which means the candidate can apply to only one EA university early but endless other universities during the normal admissions round. However, unlike ED, if accepted under the SCEA, the candidate can turn it down in favour of another offer.

They’re both too restricting. Is there a leeway?
SCEA applies only to private universities, so the candidate can apply to a private SCEA institute and other public or state EA institutes simultaneously. And when the time to choose one arrives, he/she may reject the SCEA offer and pick an EA offer.

Volume 2 Issue 4