Even if you might only want to apply to only a small number of your desired colleges, you should consider applying early. By applying early you may be provided with scholarships or financial aid counter offers to help you negotiate a better deal at your top choice of school.
Not only is early action the best choice of selection when applying for college, but it increases your chances of being accepted. According to Kate Sundquist of College Vine, on average, applying early is going to result in a 1.6x or a 60% increase in your chances of admission to super selective schools. Applying early offers peace of mind since you won’t have to stick to only one college you get into and you can keep your options open. On the other hand, you don’t have the chance to compare financial aid offers from different schools, which may be a drawback for those who need to see different cost considerations.
Keep in mind that these decisions also vary from school to school. Some value early action more than others. So far, I’ve applied to about six colleges and I’m still waiting for one more to respond. Since I applied in the first week of October, I have heard back from many colleges that I applied to throughout the month and it has given me a chance to reach out to the colleges and start deciding where I wanted to go.
According to the U.S. News & World Report, colleges frequently have higher acceptance rates during the early admission rounds, especially early decision. They also often give those students who were accepted early priority status in the housing and roommate selection processes, Sarah Wood of the U.S. News & World Report says.
With this in mind, I have found that I’ve been able to plan out what I will do if I don’t get into my dream colleges I have been looking into and am still waiting to hear back from. Even if you don’t decide to choose early action when applying, it’s something to consider when thinking about your future and final college decision.
