As you prepare to apply to college, one of the most important questions to ask yourself is when you should apply. Most schools offer different admissions rounds that allow students to either submit their materials through earlier application rounds—which can typically provide an admissions advantage—or the more common Regular Decision (RD) round.
There are also differences in the ways colleges define their early application routes. You might see that one university offers Early Decision (ED) while another has an Early Action (EA) option. A third college could have both. Things can become even more confusing when a different college offers Restrictive Early Action (REA).
It might seem overwhelming to decide between all of these options. But, if your plan is to apply and hear back early, it’s important to understand each school’s early application policies. Below is everything you need to know about Early Decision, Restrictive Early Action, and how they differ.
Early Decision – A Refresher
Early Decision (ED) applications are binding—meaning when you apply, you’re committing to attend if admitted.ED deadlines are almost always earlier than the deadlines for your Regular Decision (RD) applications. ED applications are typically due around November 1st and admissions decisions are released by mid- to late December.
Some colleges also offer an Early Decision II (ED2) option. This allows students to apply in January—usually around the same time as the Regular Decision applications. One difference between RD and ED2 is that colleges notify ED2 applicants earlier (in February, rather than in March or April when RD applicants get their decisions), and when you apply ED2, you sign the same binding Early Decision agreement as ED1 applicants.
You can apply to only one school ED1, and if you are denied admission in the ED1 round, you cannot apply to the same school ED2. Students who apply ED1 or ED2 are also sometimes deferred to the RD pool. This often means that you are qualified and a good fit for the college, but the admissions officers may want a little more information, such as midterm grades, or they’re waiting to see what the RD pool looks like so that they can ensure a balanced incoming class. In either case, you are freed from the binding contract and can apply somewhere else ED2. If you are deferred, you should definitely submit a letter of continued interest!
Restrictive Early Action
As the name implies, REA is more restrictive than Early Action, but it still requires less commitment than Early Decision.
Also called “single-choice Early Action,” at some schools, students can only apply REA to one school. In general, REA candidates can’t apply ED to another school, but they can apply to other non-restrictive EA public schools. Some schools will have slightly different restrictions for their REA plans, so make sure you read up on each school’s rules carefully before deciding to pursue the REA route. If admitted, applicants are not bound to enroll and have until May 1st to decide.
A possible disadvantage of REA is that because you aren’t bound to commit if you are admitted, there can be a greater chance that colleges will defer or deny strong applicants because they want to protect their yield—the number of admitted students who enroll.
Colleges that offer REA include Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, Yale, Georgetown, and the University of Notre Dame. Each of these schools detail their policies, including individual exceptions, on the early admission pages of their websites.
Let’s take a look at how Harvard phrases the allowances and restrictions within their REA policy to understand better:
- If you are applying to Harvard under Restrictive Early Action, you may not apply to any other private institution under an Early Decision, Early Action, or Restrictive Early Action plan, or to a binding early program at a public university.
- You are welcome to apply early to any public university, military academy, or university outside of the United States under a non-binding program.
- Additionally, you are able to apply to other universities under their Regular Decision or Early Decision II programs.
- If your application is deferred in the Early Action round, you may apply to a binding Early Decision program at another college (i.e. Early Decision II).
- You may apply for scholarships or special academic programs with an early deadline at another institution, public or private, if the timing is proven to be a necessary aspect for consideration, and the outcome is non-binding.
So, you’re welcome to apply REA to Harvard as well as EA to any public university, such as University of Michigan or University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. But you wouldn’t be allowed to also apply REA to MIT or EA to Colorado College, since they’re private institutions..
What about just regular Early Action?
As for regular Early Action, it has its advantages over ED and Restrictive Early Action. Similar to ED, EA plans allow students to apply early to the college (usually around November 1st, though some schools will have even earlier deadlines).
What distinguishes EA from ED is that EA is non-binding—you do not have to commit to the school if you are admitted. Students are generally notified around mid- to late January for most EA applications and have until May 1st to decide whether they wish to attend.
An advantage of the EA route is that you can still apply to colleges in the Regular Decision (RD) round and wait to hear back from them before deciding where to enroll. ED students, on the other hand, are notified in mid-December and are bound to commit. Students can apply to multiple schools in the EA round, as compared to just one school in the ED round.
Schools that offer REA don’t offer ED, so if you have two top choice schools where one offers ED and one offers REA, you have to carefully weigh the pros and cons and only apply early to the one you believe is the best fit. If you have your eyes set on a certain school and ED or REA is the ideal way to apply, prepare the best application you can in the fall so you can get one step further to your dream school.
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