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Confused About Application Terminology? You’re Not Alone! |
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By Margaret Lipman
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 When you’re beginning to think about applying to colleges, there is a lot of confusing and unfamiliar terminology that can seem a bit intimidating. Hopefully, this section will clear some of that up!
Standard Admission/Regular Decision: Applications and supporting documents are due at a specific date during your senior year, usually between January and February. The college will then take action on the applications and notify all students of their decision at the same time, usually around April 1. If accepted, you must notify the college by May 1 of your intent to accept or decline the admission offer.
Early Decision (ED): This program is for students who are positive that they wish to attend a certain college. By applying early decision to a college, you sign a binding agreement that if you are accepted, you will certainly attend. Applying early decision usually will significantly increase your chances of being admitted to your first-choice college. The application for early decision is usually due in the November of your senior year, thus, junior year grades are very important. ED 2 schools give students two early decision dates (as opposed to the single November date in ED 1 schools), one in November and one that coincides with the regular decision deadline. The ED 2 period is for students who would commit to this school if accepted, but are not yet ready to apply (i.e. students who wish to improve their test scores, GPA, essays, etc.) Students who apply to ED 1 colleges will learn whether their application has been accepted or declined in the December of their junior year.
Early Action: This is similar to early decision, but is not a binding program. You are not required to attend this college if you are accepted, but you will find out the school’s decision on your admission in December. You can still apply to multiple schools EA, even if you are already applying to a school ED. This programs is for students who already have “their act together” early in senior year and want to find out the decisions of several of their top choices. Applying early action will also increase your chances of being accepted to a selective school, but to a slightly lower degree than applying early decision. But don’t forget! Even if you’re been accepted ED/EA, colleges will still see your transcript from senior year and may even rescind their offers of admission if they see too much of a “senior slide.”
Deferral: With early action and early decision, a college may decide to defer your application and not accept or decline it outright. This means that your application will be held and considered on the same schedule as the rest of the regular admission applicants.
Early Admission: This program is for students who are at least a year ahead in all of their classes and intend to graduate at least a year early. Early admission involves the same processes as regular decision, just a year (or more) earlier. Early admission is very rare and should be handled on a case-by-case basis.
Rolling Admissions: State and private universities use a rolling admissions policy. They review applications and decide whether to accept or decline the application. These colleges accept students until they reach their capacity enrollment, so it is best to apply as early as possible in your senior year.
Open Admissions: Colleges that offer admission to all students who apply have an open admissions policy. Open admission is primarily used by community colleges.
(Source: The Truth About Getting In by Katherine Cohen, Ph.D.)
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