A question that I’ve been getting from a lot of people this year is what exactly is the point of Early Action applications? Students understand that they get an admission decision earlier, but other than that, why rush?
Fall of senior year is really busy for a lot of International Baccalaureate students. It seems like every week there is another Internal Assessment or Extended Essay draft due. For students applying to universities in the United States, the combination of applying to college and staying on top of their IB work can be backbreaking and requires some serious discipline to make sure they are still meeting all their deadlines. Delaying the application process to winter break is certainly tempting, but I could not recommend anything less!
The purpose of Early Action deadlines can vary from institution to institution. Some will only award merit scholarships to applicants who apply with this deadline, while others use this deadline to admit the majority of their incoming class. It can be hard to decipher exactly how each university uses Early Action, but students should check the instructions on each universities’ website explaining the different deadlines. If there is official information to be found about how each school uses this deadline, this is where you’ll find it.
So how do you decide which applications you should apply to Early Action?
Consider if there is a financial advantage to applying early. If merit scholarships are important to you, it may be required to apply early.
Which schools are your favorite? If you hear back early from your top choice schools, you might be able to save yourself some work later by not completing as many applications.
Sometimes application fees are waived for applicants who apply early. Check university websites or the Common App for application fee information. Fees can vary from $0-90, so if applying to a high number of schools, this can really add up!
Are there any times when you shouldn’t apply Early Action?
Your junior year grades aren’t as strong. If your grades are improving in the fall of senior year, you may be better off applying with the Regular Decision deadline so that your first term grades are available for the colleges to consider.
You are taking another SAT/ACT, and want to know your new score first. This is important if you are deciding to apply test optional or not. Applicants submitting standardized test scores are sometimes admitted at higher rates than those without a score, or you may be eligible for higher merit scholarships with a higher score.
Launch recommends looking at all the schools on your list, and check which ones offer an Early Action deadline. Then, figure out how many applications you’ll actually be able to complete by the deadlines. When you have that information, you can prioritize the Early Action applications where you might have the biggest advantages from that deadline!
To make sure Launch clients are able to manage these early deadlines with their schoolwork, we make sure that their college lists are more or less finalized before the end of 11th grade, and aim to complete the Common App personal statement during the summer. By the time September hits, we are ready to get into Application Strategy, helping our clients decide which deadlines are best for them.
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