For some seniors, applying for an early college admission can prevent a lot of stress, but only if they know the benefits and drawbacks of their plan beforehand.  

Approximately 450 colleges allow students to apply with either an early decision application or an early action application. Before applying, students should research their colleges thoroughly and have a clear understanding of the admission process. 

“The main difference between early decision and early action is that early decision is a binding decision to attend that school, while early action is just like normal admission but a response is heard sooner,” Senior Ben Kozak states. 

Kozak chose to pursue an early action application because he felt it would suit his academic needs better than an early decision plan due to the fact that he has not yet chosen his number one college. 

Unlike with an early decision, students with early action can apply to multiple colleges and are not committed to a binding agreement. Students should also keep in mind that, for some colleges, students are only eligible for merit based scholarships if they apply for either an early action or early decision plan.  

“Make sure you give yourself enough time to get letters of recommendation, your transcript, and your essay written,” Senior Madyson Frazee advises students looking to apply for early action admission in the future. For either of these application processes, it is important for students to stay organized and keep up to date on the deadlines. Certain colleges have specific tasks that are required to be completed by a certain date. If a student is in need of supplemental materials for these tasks, they can set up a meeting with their school counselor in order to sort things out. 

“Take time to do diligent research on your colleges. If you are making a binding decision, make sure you are 100% certain that school is where you are going to attend,” school guidance counselor Mrs. Amaismeier says, in regards to the admission process.  

If a student is looking to apply for an early decision, they should have a meeting with their guidance counselor first. 

Amaismeier will be adding college application information to the School Counseling Senior Canvas Page. That site will hold the most updated information and allow senior students to get in contact with their counselors if they have any questions. Good luck to everyone in the college application process!