5 Reasons Why You Should Apply Early Decision This Fall

You’ve probably heard the term “Early Decision” before, likely in conjunction with that superhuman, high-achieving senior girl who somehow snagged an acceptance letter from Columbia in December, when the rest of us were still scrambling to get our personal statement, supplemental essays, and recommendations together before the Regular Decision deadline.

If you’re considering applying ED yourself this application cycle, the time to start on your essays is now! Don’t know where to begin? We’re here to help.

Read on for 5 reasons why applying Early Decision might be the right move for you:

1. You know the decision earlier

The most agonizing part about the college admissions process? The waiting.

Your K-12 path was likely pretty straightforward. You had the confidence that you’d be part of the same school community until graduation. The college admissions process takes a lot of courage. Much like asking your crush to prom, it’s hard to put yourself out there when there’s a chance you’ll be rejected. By applying early, you have a decision one way or another. If it’s the “Welcome to Harvard” you want to hear, you can kick back and celebrate! But if things don’t work out like you planned, you have plenty of time to tackle Plan B.

2. You might be 100% done by December

Best Christmas present ever! While your friend is scrambling to finish 29 supplemental essays over Winter Break, you can bask in the glow of victory and enjoy the holidays without your mom constantly nagging you about how close you are to finishing that Vanderbilt application. You did it! Without the stress of the college admissions cycle on your shoulders, you can enjoy your Senior Spring.

3. It’s the ultimate way to demonstrate interest

We’ve written about how crucial it is for applicants to demonstrate interest throughout the admissions process, and choosing to apply Early Decision is the ultimate way to demonstrate interest. You’re promising WashU that if they admit you, you will go. Colleges don’t have to wonder if they’re your first choice, they know they are.

4. The applicant pool is smaller

Because Early Decision applications are binding, which means that you’re contractually bound to attend if you accept an offer of admission, fewer students apply. This means your competition is thinner!

Plus, schools haven’t filled any of their seats for the incoming class yet, so there are more openings. Some schools, like Wake Forest, offer what’s called “rolling” Early Decision admissions, where they consider applications in the order in which they’re received. The earlier you submit, the better your chances of getting in!

5. The acceptance rate is higher

If you are looking to attend an institution that’s categorized as selective, highly selective, or most selective, you should absolutely apply Early Decision. The differences in the Early and Regular decision acceptance rates at these schools are staggering, and ED admits take up a disproportionate amount of the available seats. At Duke, Early Decision applicants made up 51% of the first-year class last fall! At the University of Pennsylvania, they made up 53%!

This doesn’t necessarily mean that the standards are lower for Early Decision applicants, who often have excellent academic and extracurricular records and strong test scores. It does mean that a qualified applicant has a better chance of receiving an acceptance letter in an Early Decision round than a Regular Decision round. Top schools want to protect their yield rate by maximizing the number of attending students while minimizing the amount of offers they extend. If they accept you ED, not only do you have a lock on them, they have a lock on you and your talent!