The November 1 early action and early decision deadline is fast-approaching for Seniors currently embroiled in the college application process.
According to Deborah Donley, Post-High School Counselor at New Trier, early action allows students to apply to a school before the traditional January first deadline, which in turn gives them an opportunity to be accepted before the traditional April acceptance date. Applicants can then choose if they want to attend that college or apply to others.
Early decision, on the other hand, allows students to apply to a college that they are absolutely sure they want to attend. If accepted, the student is placed in a binding commitment and must attend that school.
According to Donley, early decision can give students a higher chance of being accepted to the school they want, while early action gives them the opportunity to get the application process over with earlier. “November first is a courtesy, and students who have strong academic profiles get this courtesy,” Donley says.
The deadline can mean different things for students, but many seniors are participating because of the advantages it provides, such as higher acceptance rates and the stress-free Spring that can come along for seniors who decide to apply early.
“I’ve never really felt more at home than I do at Nashville,” Senior Olivia Cobb says about her prospective college, for which she is applying early decision, “I want to show that interest,” she explains. Krista Mersino, a senior applying early action says that “I want to know sooner, and get that weight off my back.”
While it often seems like a great opportunity, early action and early decision also are a great source of stress for Seniors. “I think that more people go for November 1 than have to,” said Donley. There are various reasons for the high participation in early decision and early action; some parents may push their kids to apply early, and some students do it because everyone else is.
This deadline has the potential to stress students out, but in many cases, a trip down to the Post-High School Counselors office can never hurt. “If they come and see us, we’ll get them organized and hit that deadline,” said Donley.
This year, as of two weeks before the deadline, the New Trier Post-High School Counseling office reports working with about 71.9 % of the senior class applying early action or early decision. These high levels of participation have increased over the years as students compete and colleges begin to look for applications earlier and earlier.
Donley maintains that students are never obligated to participate in any early application process, and for some, it might not be a good strategy at all. Not all students can benefit from applying early, because sometimes they need time to improve out their schools and their grades. However, the important thing is that all seniors trying to get their applications done by November first go see a Post-High School Counselor. A little help can make the strenuous process a lot easier.