Understanding Early Decision, Early Action, and Regular Decision

This informal CPD article ‘Understanding Early Decision, Early Action, and Regular Decision’ was provided by UES Education, specialists in international university and school admissions, working with top schools across the UK and Europe to provide a bespoke service for those who want the best possible application support in the UK.

The world of US university applications is full of unfamiliar terms. Early Decision, Early Action, Regular Decision: what do they all mean?

Each term refers to a different application round, with its own rules and deadlines. Under Early Decision or Early Action, applicants submit their application early (usually around 1 November) and receive their application decision early as well (typically in December-January of their final year of school) (1). With a strong application, applying Early can give students a statistical advantage. Additionally, many popular US universities fill a large percentage of their incoming class from the Early round, so it can be a smart option for prepared applicants. Students who do not apply Early will apply through Regular Decision (2), with application deadlines around January, and decisions received around April.

Not only is it important for teachers, university advisors, and futures departments to be aware of the differences and deadlines surrounding each application round, but it is also key to have a sense of how to advise students on which round to choose. In this article, we cover the nuances of the different application rounds.

Early Decision

Early Decision allows an applicant to apply early and find out their decision early. It also grants a statistical advantage, as long as an application is as polished as possible at the time it is submitted, and the applicant is the right fit for the college.

Early Decision is also binding, which means if a student is accepted, they are legally bound to attend that university and must withdraw all other applications. This applies to global universities as well: if a student applies to UK and US universities and is accepted to a US university through Early Decision, they must not take up any UK offers they may receive. Due to the binding nature of Early Decision, the application must be signed by the student, parent, and school, and it is important they abide by the contract to ensure good faith. It is crucial that all students applying through Early Decision be aware of its binding nature and be 100% certain that their Early Decision choice is their top choice university.

Early Action

Applying Early Action allows a student to apply and find out their application outcome early. They can also benefit from applying at a time when there is more financial merit aid, and at a time when the pool of applicants is smaller than it will be during the Regular Decision round. The key difference between Early Action and Early Decision is that Early Action is not binding. Students can apply to multiple colleges through early action if they have their applications ready by the Early deadline.

Restrictive Early Action

Adding complexity to the timeline of admissions rounds is Restrictive Early Action. This plan, like Early Action, is non-binding, but colleges that have a Restrictive Early Action option do not allow applicants to apply Early to any other colleges (this includes through Early Decision). Therefore, students considering this plan will need to weigh up whether it is best to opt in to Restrictive Early Action at one college, or to apply only to non-restrictive Early Action colleges, where they can apply to multiple colleges early.

Regular decision

Regular Decision applications are not binding and have deadlines in early January (usually 1 January but can be as late as 15 January or 1 February in a few cases). Regular Decision tends to be the most competitive round, and applicants will be informed of their application outcomes in April.

Rolling admissions

Rolling admission is not an application round in the same way as the aforementioned plans but represents another option in terms of application timing. Universities with rolling admissions have no set deadlines but accept applications until the open places are filled. These colleges can be great options for students who decide to apply to US universities very late, or who do not receive offers – or the offers they want – in the Early and Regular admission rounds.

Which application round to choose?

Applying Early can provide a statistical advantage to those students whose applications are as polished as possible by 1 November. They will need to get everything in place by then: essays, teacher recommendations, standardised test scores, and information in application portals. The advantage enjoyed by early applicants is only helpful if the application is as strong as possible early on: if it would benefit from more time to be improved, it’s usually best to advise students to wait until the Regular Decision round.

A good strategy might be to advise a student to apply to their dream college through the Early Decision option (as long as their grades match the college’s academic profile, and the plan is offered by the college) and add a few others high on their list for Early Action. They can also apply to a few others, including ‘likely’ schools (colleges at which the applicant has a very high chance of admission, based on their profile), through Regular Decision. It is also good practice to check how much of the incoming class is admitted through the Early rounds at a particular college, as it can be more important to apply Early at certain colleges than at others.

When weighing up application plans and considering the timelines when decisions are received, it is important to note that students apply to US universities with predicted grades. Admissions decisions are based on these, and final grades are submitted before a student starts university. If a student’s final grades are far below their predicted grades, this could have negative consequences, like being placed on academic probation, or in severe circumstances, having the offer reassessed.

Although the varying admissions plans add another level of complexity to US admissions, they can be a way for savvy students to set themselves up for success. By ensuring applicants have a clear understanding of these (and of the different deadlines) well in advance, schools can give their students a heads up in the process.

We hope this article was helpful. For more information from UES Education, please visit their CPD Member Directory page. Alternatively, you can go to the CPD Industry Hubs for more articles, courses and events relevant to your Continuing Professional Development requirements.

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