What Is Early Decision in College Admissions?

Early Decision (ED) can impact your chance of getting into your dream university. This article explains the ins and outs of ED: what it is, the deadlines, the pros and cons of applying ED, and financial aid considerations. Whether you're a high school student navigating the college application journey or a parent seeking clarity, this guide will help you decide whether applying ED is right for you!

What Is Early Decision (ED)?

Early Decision (ED) is a college application process where you can submit your application to a preferred college early in your senior year — typically by November. Early Decision results are announced around mid-December.

Early Decision is distinct from other application routes, such as Regular Decision (RD) and Early Action (EA).

While EA allows applicants to apply early to multiple institutions and receive non-binding early responses, ED involves a binding agreement: if you're granted admission by the school, you agree to accept the offer and withdraw all of your other applications.

This contractual-type agreement to attend if admitted distinguishes Early Decision from Early Action. Because of the binding agreement, the ED option is not to be taken lightly, requiring thorough understanding and careful consideration.

An upside to Applying ED is that it typically means you're likely to benefit from a significantly higher acceptance rate, compared to acceptance rates for students applying RD to the same school.

With acceptance rates at the Ivy League schools and other top-ranked institutions at their lowest ever, applying early can be one compelling option as part of a comprehensive application strategy.

In a moment we'll take a closer look at ED acceptance rates and explore the pros and cons of applying ED, so keep reading!

Types of Early Decision

Many schools only offer Early Decision. However, some schools offer two Early Decision timelines, ED 1 and ED 2.

What you need to know about ED 1 and ED 2:

• Same Policy & Commitments: ED 1 and ED 2 typically involves the same policies, and whichever type you apply under, you're typically subject to the same binding agreement if admitted.
• Variations in Acceptance Rates: In most cases you're likely to discover that the ED 2 acceptance rate is slightly lower than the ED 1 rate at the same school, but still better than the Regular Decision acceptance rate.
• Different Timelines: ED 2 application timelines typically fall between ED 1 and Regular Decision timelines. While ED 1 application deadlines are typically in early November, ED 2 deadlines typically fall between January 1st and January 15th.
• Popularity: You'll find many schools offering only ED, and also many schools offering ED1/ED2. While more schools offer only one ED round, many popular, top-ranked schools do offer ED1/ED2.

Top Schools Offering ED 1 and 2

The following are some of the more popular, high-ranking schools offering both ED 1 and ED 2 options:

• American University
• Boston College
• Boston University
• Claremont McKenna College
• Emory University
• George Washington University
• Harvey Mudd College
• Johns Hopkins University
• New York University (NYU)
• Northeastern University
• Santa Clara University
• Smith College
• Swarthmore College
• Tufts University
• University of Miami
• Vanderbilt University
• Vassar College
• Washington University in St. Louis

Remember, admissions policies and offerings are subject to change and this represents only a partial list of ED 2 schools.

Application Timelines: ED 1 vs. ED 2

Check out Mark Your Calendars: Understanding Early Application Notification Dates to learn more.

Early Decision Acceptance Rates

Below you'll get a glimpse of just how high Early Decision acceptance rates can go at top schools, at the Ivy League schools that offer Early Decision, and at a select handful of top-ranked Non-Ivies.

Keep in mind that rates can change from year to year, not all schools report acceptance rate data or report it promptly, and typically the rates for ED 2 rounds specifically will not be as high as rates for ED 1 at the same the school.

As you can see, Early Decision acceptance rates at top schools are very competitive but they typically offer applicants a significant statistical edge compared to overall acceptance rates, not to mention that Regular Decision rates are almost always the lowest of all.

In addition to this statistical advantage based on acceptance rates, ED applicants may also benefit from the interest most top schools have in boosting and predicting yield rates — the more students who choose to attend the school if admitted, the higher the school's yield rate. Higher yield rates can help schools maintain high rankings, putting ED applicants in a favorable light.

Pros and Cons of Applying Early Decision

Pros of Early Decision

Increased Admission Chances: ED has the highest acceptance rate out of the three application deadline options (ED, EA, and RD). This is probably due to a smaller pool of applicants and very strong applications.

Demonstrated Interest: Schools like to see that you’re prioritizing them and have compelling reasons for attending their school. By meeting the early application deadline and committing to attending if accepted, you're clearly showing which school is your top choice.

Streamlined Process: ED accelerates the application process and gives you an early admission decision. You’ll know whether you were accepted by December of your senior year.

Yield Rate Coattails: Schools are often motivated to admit a high percentage of ED applicants, because higher yield rates can boost the school's rankings. Likewise, being able to predict yield rates can help schools manage enrollment numbers.

ED applicants offer the highest and most predictable yield rates — they have to accept if admitted. This yield rate factor can motivate schools to accept a greater percentage of ED applicants.

Potential Scholarship Opportunities: Some colleges award more substantial financial aid packages to ED applicants. This is not a general rule, though. Ask each school about available scholarships to know for sure.

Cons of Early Decision

Binding Commitment: If accepted through ED, you're obligated to attend that institution. This restricts your options to explore other potential offers or compare financial aid packages.

Pressure to Decide Early: The ED application deadline is earlier than the Regular Decision deadline. This can increase your stress if you’re not ready to commit by November of your senior year, for ED/ED1, or by early January for ED2.

Financial Implications: Given the binding nature of ED, families might face challenges if the financial aid package is not sufficient. Admissions officers expect that you have considered the financial implications of your application when you apply early.

Navigating Admissions Deferrals

If you are neither accepted nor denied outright, you will be deferred to the Regular Decision round. In this case, the college will reevaluate your application with the larger pool of applicants.

Some colleges release you from the binding agreement when you are deferred or waitlisted, enabling you to apply to other institutions.

Keep in mind, deferrals may entail other requirements, as the school may request more information about your senior year: about extracurriculars, grades, IB/AP scores, and so on.

If you are rejected after applying ED, you can’t apply again to the same school that academic year.

A Comprehensive List of ED Schools

Below is a complete alphabetical list of US universities that offer Early Decision with 2023’s Early Decision and Regular Decision acceptance rates.

Note that the following states do not have any schools that offer undergraduate Early Decision: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

Early Decision and Financial Aid

Even if you’re fully committed to your top school choice, there are financial aid considerations to keep in mind.

• As mentioned earlier, if you are accepted ED but cannot afford to attend the school, you may be released from your legally binding commitment.
• You won’t be able to compare financial aid packages when you apply Early Decision. You must be willing to accept whatever financial aid package is offered by the school.
• You can still apply for federal aid if you apply ED. The FAFSA form opens October 1, and early decision deadlines are around November 1. So you should have a month to fill out the forms before your ED deadline.
• You may not receive a merit-based scholarship if you apply ED. Colleges typically use merit scholarships to entice great students to attend. But they don’t have incentive to offer scholarships to students who have already committed.
• If you have applied for other scholarships, you may not hear back from them until after your Early Decision results have been released.

Strategies for Successful Early Decision Applications

1. Thorough Research: Understand the institution's culture, programs, and offerings to ensure a genuine fit before committing.

2. Financial Preparation: Assess the college's financial aid policies thoroughly and discuss potential implications with your family or financial advisors.

3. Application Readiness: Complete all necessary components, such as essays, transcripts, and recommendations, well in advance to meet the early deadline effectively.

Should You Apply Early Decision?

Given the commitment you're making, you'll want to apply ED if you truly have one top school you really want to get into, you understand your commitment, and you've reviewed the financial aid implications.

Depending on the school, you might increase your chances of acceptance by applying ED. An ED application will also demonstrate your interest and commitment to your top-choice school — qualities admissions officers love to see.

Keep in mind that Early Decision alone doesn't give you a better chance of getting accepted. Crimson Education US admissions strategist Steve Han says that ED applicants he works with often succeed in large part because of the motivation they have to submit a really stellar application and well written essays.

In other words, even if you apply early, you still need to submit the strongest possible application, crafting a coherent narrative around a compelling profile, demonstrating a good fit for that school, and attending to each part of your application, including letters of recommendation.

For help with deciding whether to apply Early Decision and for crafting the kind of application submitted by top applicants, book a free consultation with one of our skilled academic advisers.

Final Thoughts

When applying to colleges, Early Decision is clearly distinguished from Early Action by the fact that you're committing to attend the school if admitted.

Given this kind of binding commitment, applying ED should be done with careful thought. That said, with higher acceptance rates and schools' efforts to manage yield rates in play, applying ED can put your application on a more favorable footing. With Regular Decision acceptance rates at top schools lower than ever, an ED strategy is worth considering.

If you want more insights for your decision making, speak with a Crimson strategist for personalized guidance and feedback. You'll be surprised how much more confident you'll feel about the next steps in your college journey as you uncover strategies used by top applicants!

Further Reading:

• Navigating College Applications: Early Action, Early Decision, and Regular Decision Explained
• Take our mini SAT practice test
• Unlocking Excellence: Your Roadmap to Stellar Grades
• Learn how to create a list of safety, target, and reach schools