Not all schools offer Early Admissions, and some that do even discourage prospective students from applying before the regular application cycle. If you're considering early admission to a college you should know:

• What it is
• Why to consider it
• What are the pros and cons

What is early admission?

A working definition: Rules and deadlines concerning early admission differ from college to college. But in general, it is a process that enables a student to apply to a college before the regular application deadline and receive early notification of acceptance or rejection.

Some schools offer two kinds of early admission: 1) Early action, 2) Early decision.

Early action

Under the early action process, you apply to only one institution before the regular application deadline. You may apply to other schools by the regular application deadline. You will be notified of the status of your application well in advance of students applying by regular deadline.

Early decision

Under the early decision process you apply early to one college only. If selected, you must accept the offer. You cannot accept a subsequent offer from another college without a formal release from the school that offered you early decision.

Why Consider Early Admission?

Demonstrates commitment

Applying early shows an admissions committee you are confident and committed to attending their institution. Applying by the regular deadline, however, doesn't mean those qualities are absent.

Defines your options sooner

The sooner you know whether you've been accepted or not, the sooner to plan for the future.

You have an excellent shot at making it

You have the highest grades, the best test scores, the letters of recommendation, extracurriculars, you have it all. After an honest evaluation, if you think you're among the best and the brightest and have carefully chosen your intended college, you should strongly consider early admission.

The Pros of Early Admission

Relieves stress

Not knowing what college you'll attend is often a maddening experience. Early admission can mean one less thing to think about. Once you know where you're going to school, you can get a head start on housing accommodations, financial aid, and preparing yourself for college life.

Save time and money

Applying to college is time consuming and usually expensive. If you get accepted to your chosen college, you can save untold hours and literally hundreds of dollars that would have been devoted to applying to other schools.

The Cons of Early Admissions

"Senioritis"

Once admitted, some students develop acute "senioritis." This condition afflicts hundreds of thousands of high school seniors each year, rendering them inactive and slothful because they know they've been accepted to their college of choice. Bad idea! Colleges have been known to rescind offer letters when a student's senior year grades drop dramatically.

Committing early limits you

Remember, under the early decision process you are obligated to accept an offer. If you are not completely positive that you want to attend a school, don't apply under early decision.

Many counselors advise against it

Applying early may actually hurt your chances of getting into the school you've selected. Because only top students are encouraged to apply early, it stands to reason the pool of applicants who apply for early admission may be more competitive than during the regular application cycle.