{"id":12756,"date":"2014-11-03T09:34:24","date_gmt":"2014-11-03T15:34:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mma-tx.org\/blog\/?p=12756"},"modified":"2021-04-13T14:49:04","modified_gmt":"2021-04-13T19:49:04","slug":"understand-early-college-admission-programs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mma-tx.org\/blog\/12756\/understand-early-college-admission-programs\/","title":{"rendered":"Understand Early College Admission Programs"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is Early College Admission?<\/h1>\n

Early college admission allows high school seniors\u00a0to apply and receive an acceptance letter before the regular admission deadline. \u00a0Application deadlines for early admission programs are at the beginning of \u00a0October and \u00a0 admission decisions are returned by mid-December.<\/p>\n

By applying for early admissions you demonstrate a decisive desire to attend a school which may\u00a0slightly<\/em> improve your chances of acceptance. \u00a0 \u00a0You’ll also receive\u00a0an admission decision\u00a0sooner. \u00a0Instead of waiting until spring for the admission verdict you will know in December. \u00a0This should help to\u00a0reduce your\u00a0“worry\/stress factor” and allow you to focus on enjoying\u00a0your senior year. \u00a0Early admissions will also decrease the number of applications you will need to complete. \u00a0Fewer applications means fewer application fees and less time spent filling out forms. \u00a0As a side benefit, if accepted, you’ll have more time to prepare for your college transition. But, if your favorite school rejects you, then you’ll have time to find another ‘favorite.’<\/p>\n

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This graphic, from the NACAC website<\/a>, compares various admission plans.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Who Should Apply for Early Admission?<\/h2>\n

There are two general forms of early admission programs: binding early decision<\/strong> and early action<\/strong>. \u00a0With either program\u00a0you must meet the minimal requirements for admissions and it is likely that you’ll need to be a strong candidate to be selected.<\/p>\n

If you are interested in applying using\u00a0the\u00a0binding early decision option then you should\u00a0be absolutely certain<\/em> that that school is where you belong. A binding early admission program is exactly that — binding<\/em>. \u00a0You agree, that if accepted, you will attend and that you will withdraw all other college applications. \u00a0You should\u00a0be absolutely certain<\/em> of your choice before\u00a0you submit your application. \u00a0If you have not properly researched your school\u00a0or are prone to whimsical, romantic or immature notations regarding that\u00a0school then early decision is probably not a good option for you.<\/p>\n

Is There a Downside to Early Admission?<\/h2>\n

The pros and cons of early college admission may not be completely obvious. \u00a0On the pro side, you receive an early admission notification and your chance of admission (if you are strong candidate) may be\u00a0slightly better then if you applied via regular admissions.<\/p>\n

On the con side, if financing your college education is a concern then you may want to weigh the early decision option carefully. \u00a0Committing yourself to a single school won’t allow you the option of selecting the\u00a0school with the best financial aid offer.\u00a0 And, there is little incentive for a school who accepts you for early decision to offer an extensive financial aid package.<\/p>\n

Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are an early admission “shoe-in” for your favorite school. \u00a0You might be the “best and brightest” student at Podunk High School, \u00a0but everyone else applying early admission is\u00a0likely to be the\u00a0“best and brightest” at their high school. \u00a0It will be competitive, so have\u00a0a backup plan ready. \u00a0If you don’t make the cut you won’t have much time to meet the regular admission deadlines at other competitive schools.<\/p>\n

Here is a short video from US News and World report describing\u00a0early decision programs and\u00a0their implications:<\/p>\n