For Harriton’s seniors, the past few months have been pretty crazy.  Not only do students have to choose from the plethora of schools out there, but also applications are due and decisions regarding the timing of these applications have to be made.  It can be a chaotic time, and now that so many options exist on how and when one applies, the process has become even more complicated.  One of the key decisions that has to be made by a senior is whether to apply to a school under Early Action, Early Decision, Early Decision II, or Regular Decision.  Each option has its merits and drawbacks, and what is right for one student is not always right for another.
Let me begin by describing what each of these application types are.  Early Decision (ED) applications and Early Action (EA) applications are due by November 1st and the student receives the school’s decision at some point before mid-December (but there is the other outcome that a school can defer a student’s decision until the time for Regular Decision).  The difference between them, however, is that Early Decision is a binding decision (that is, if accepted, the student must enroll at that school) and Early Action is nonbinding.  But to make matters more complicated, some schools offer Restricted Early Action.  Under this application, the decision is still nonbinding, but a student can apply to no other school.
I asked a typical Harriton senior (he prefers to remain anonymous) his thoughts on the types of decisions, and he had this to say about Early Decision I: “ED I is good if you know where you want to go because if you’re positive on the place, you get it done with early, and you get to go to your dream school.”  However, Early Decision does not only have positives.  Senior Victoria Cano describes it as both a blessing and a curse: “Early decision is only suitable for those who are absolutely sure of their first choice school.  […]  Early decision is a wonderful choice for those who need to know their fate at a certain school as soon as possible.  [It] is less suitable for those who don’t have a clear idea of where they want to go.  But, even though ED promises a quicker answer, there are the few who must be in limbo for a few more months, despite their best efforts to avoid it.”

Regarding Early Action, the anonymous senior said: “EA is by far the best because you find out early and it’s nonbinding so you aren’t forced to go to a place.  You get the process done earlier, but still have options open.  There is no reason not to do it if the school offers it.  But Restrictive EA is terrible because it’s nonbinding but you have less of a chance to get in.  It’s like the same as ED without the benefit of knowing that you’re done [with] the process.”  Victoria Cano, though, has always felt puzzled by Early Action: “As far as I can figure, Nonrestrictive Early Action is for those who are pretty sure they want to attend a school but they would rather see if they get in before making their decision.  I think this is a perfectly legitimate option though a bit confusing when discussing Restricted Early Action.  I understand the appeal of wanting to know and I think this a more viable option for those who are not quite ready to make the commitment required by applying ED but are prepared to take the leap prior to applying regular decision.”
The next tier of decisions is Early Decision II (ED II) and Regular Decision (RD).  Both of these types of applications are due around January 1st and a decision is usually reached by February for ED II and April or March for RD.  Early Decision II, however, is (similar to ED I) a binding commitment to attend the school if accepted.  Regular Decision is nonbinding and most schools receive applications under this type of decision.  Someone may ask, “Why would you apply Early Decision II when you have to turn in the application the same time as Regular Decision, but don’t have the option to choose from all the schools to which you are accepted?”  An answer to this question may be that a student’s chances of acceptance increase if the school to which they are applying ED II knows that that school is their top choice.
The student I mention above said, “ED II is binding so if it’s a dream school or if it’s your second choice school and you didn’t get into your first choice, it’s really good.”  An expert of The New York Times said, “ED II is essentially identical to ED I, a binding early-decision process but with later deadlines.  In general, the application deadline is the same as for the regular admissions process, but a decision is sent far sooner, usually in early February.  It typically works best when visits and/or further thought, after deadlines for ED I, lead students to be sure that a given school is their clear first choice.”  Therefore, ED II has the benefit of giving students two more months to explore their options.
The majority of students, however, choose to do Regular Decision/Rolling Admission.  Senior Victoria Cano chose “to go the way of Regular Decision.  For me it came down to the fact that I had a list of 22 schools, none of which were an obvious contender over the other.  […]  I think part of the problem students have developed with the college process is the idea of ranking their schools, reach, safety, etc.  Too much emphasis is placed on selecting a school based on its ranking and impressive alumni.”
Regardless what type of application students apply under, it is a stressful time for almost all seniors at Harriton.  When the average student has a college list of over ten schools, making decisions about what type of application to submit can be quite challenging.  It is important to remember that, to some extent, the college admissions process is a bit of a crap shoot, and that, as Victoria says, “it’s the experience you get from attending [a school] that is important.”