Early action

Last updated

Early action (EA) is a type of early admission process offered by some institutions for admission to colleges and universities in the United States. Unlike the regular admissions process, EA usually requires students to submit an application by mid-October or early November of their senior year of high school instead of January 1. Students are notified of the school's decision by early January instead of mid-March or May 1.

Contents

In this way, it is similar to many colleges' Early Decision (ED) programs. Some colleges offer both ED and EA. ED, however, is a binding commitment to enroll; that is, if accepted under ED, the applicant must withdraw all other applications and enroll at that institution. Thus, ED does not allow applicants to apply to more than one ED school simultaneously. Early Action, on the other hand, allows candidates to decline the offer if accepted, and depending on the program, it may be possible for a candidate to apply to one or more EA schools, plus one ED school. EA can be the best choice for students who know they prefer one particular school since a student will know the result of the application sooner, [1] and to varying extents allows a student to compare aid offers from different schools. [2] [3]

History

Harvard University, Princeton University, and the University of Virginia dropped all early admissions processes (which were binding early admission programs) in 2007. The primary reason was a perception that early admission favored some candidate types:

Until 2006, UVA offered an “early decision” program, in which students applied early in exchange for a binding commitment to attend if accepted. The program was abolished in 2007 amid concerns that the early decision application pool lacked racial and socioeconomic diversity. [4]

All three reversed course in February 2011, restoring an early-admission program, though less restrictive than previous offerings. [5] [6] Yale University and Stanford University switched from early decision to restrictive single-choice early action in the fall of 2002 (for the Class of 2007). [7] Schools that offer non-restrictive early action include UNC-Chapel Hill, the University of Chicago, Villanova University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The University of Notre Dame and Georgetown University also offer early action plans containing various restrictions, but less restrictive than single choice. [8] [9]

EA drives a large volume of applications (helping to lower the school's admission rate and increasing its selectivity) but hurts the admission yield (many admitted students are free to go elsewhere). For applications subsequent to fall 2019 (for the Class of 2024+), Boston College eliminated its non-binding EA plan in favor of a new ED plan. [10] Chicago also has adopted ED plans starting with the Class of 2021 but unlike Boston College, Chicago decided to maintain its EA plan. Virginia has also decided to add an ED plan to its EA offering beginning with the Class of 2024. [11]

Types

There are two types of EA programs: restrictive early action and non-restrictive early action. [12] Restrictive Early Action (REA) allows candidates to apply to only one early action institution and to no institutions for early decision, while there are no such restrictions on non-restrictive early action. Regardless, the applicant is still permitted to reject any offer of admission in both types of early action.

The rules or policies for Early Action vary widely across schools and it is important for the applicant to be aware of any restrictions.

Admission rate

Whereas the admission rate for ED tends to be much higher than the rate for Regular Decision (RD) at most schools, EA generally does not offer much of an admissions edge because it is non-binding. [17] EA drives a large volume of applications (helping to lower the school's admission rate and increasing its selectivity) but hurts the admission yield (many admitted students are free to go elsewhere).

The EA admission rate is notably higher at some public institutions, however. The EA admit rate for the Class of 2022 for Georgia Tech, UNC and Virginia was 25.8%, 30.4% and 27.8%, compared to the overall admit rate of 22.6%, 21.9% and 26.4% respectively with a majority of applicants applying through EA rather than Regular Decision.

At the more restrictive EA schools, there is a significant difference in admit rate between EA and RD. In that sense, SCEA or REA is comparable to ED in having a significantly higher admit rate. These schools likely recognize that their SCEA or REA applicants are "giving up" an early application at another school.

Admit Rates for Class of 2023, Early Action v Regular Decision
Source: University publications and news releases (figures subject to change)
SchoolTotal App-
licants		Total
Admits		Admit
Rate		EA App-
licants		EA
Admits		EA
Admit
Rate		RD Applicants
(excludes
deferred
EA Apps) [18] 		RD
Admits		RD
Admit
Rate
Harvard [19] [20] 4333020094.6%695893513.4%3637210743.0%
Yale3684422696.2%606979413.1%3077514754.8%
Princeton3280418965.8%533574313.9%2746911534.2%
Stanford [21] 4745220714.4%n.a.750n.a.n.a.1321n.a.
MIT2131214276.7%96007077.4%117127206.1%
Georgetown22788320214.1%780291911.8%14986228315.2%
Notre Dame22199351615.8%7317153220.9%14882198413.3%
Georgia Tech36936~694418.8%20289~400019.7%16647~294417.7%
Georgia Tech (in State)--37.7%--39.6%---
Georgia Tech (out of State)--14.9%--14%---
UNC-CH [21] 43473952421.9%25867786730.4%1760616579.4%
UNC-CH (in State) [21] 13932569940.9%~10650512548%~328257417.5%
UNC-CH (out of State) [21] 29541382512.9%~15217274218%~1432410837.6%
Michigan657161494922.7%n.a.n.a.n.a.n.a.n.a.n.a.
Virginia [22] [23] 40869978723.9%25126655026.1%15743323720.6%
Virginia (in State)12010433136.1%7019305143.5%4991128025.6%
Virginia (out of State)28859545618.9%18079349919.4%10780195718.2%

According to Uni in the USA , "The advantage [of early action applications] is you will know much earlier and can plan accordingly. The disadvantage is that candidates who apply this way tend to be much stronger and rejection is more likely than in the regular admission pool." [24]

See also

Related Research Articles

Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, 438 U.S. 265 (1978) was a landmark decision by the Supreme Court of the United States which involved a dispute of whether preferential treatment for minorities can reduce educational opportunities for whites without violating the Constitution. It upheld affirmative action, allowing race to be one of several factors in college admission policy. However, the court ruled that specific racial quotas, such as the 16 out of 100 seats set aside for minority students by the University of California, Davis School of Medicine, were impermissible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science</span> Residential school in Texas, United States

The Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science (TAMS) is a two-year residential early entrance college program serving approximately 375 high school juniors and seniors at the University of North Texas. Students are admitted from every region of the state through a selective admissions process. TAMS is a member of the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UCAS</span> England-based private limited company for university application processing

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service is a private limited company based in Gloucestershire, England, which provides educational support services. Incorporated on 27 July 1993, the company's main role is to operate the application process for British universities and colleges. The company is funded by fees charged to applicants and universities as well as advertising income; it was formed by the merger of the former university admissions system Universities Central Council on Admissions and the former polytechnics admissions system Polytechnics Central Admissions System.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mills College at Northeastern University</span> Private college in Oakland, California

Mills College at Northeastern University is a private college in Oakland, California and part of Northeastern University's global university system. Mills College was founded as the Young Ladies Seminary in 1852 in Benicia, California; it was relocated to Oakland in 1871 and became the first women's college west of the Rockies. In 2022, it merged with Northeastern University following several years of severe financial difficulties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Program in Liberal Medical Education</span>

The Program in Liberal Medical Education, or PLME, is an eight-year combined baccalaureate-M.D. medical program offered by Brown University. Members of the program are simultaneously accepted into both the undergraduate College of Brown University as well as the Warren Alpert Medical School, allowing them to receive a Bachelor's degree and an M.D. as part of a single eight-year continuum. The PLME is the only combined medical program in the Ivy League, as well as one of only approximately 120 in the nation. The program is highly selective, admitting fewer than 90 applicants nationwide and internationally each year, with an acceptance rate of 2.19% for the class of 2026. The PLME is widely considered to be one of the most competitive and prestigious combined medical programs in the country.

Early decision (ED) or early acceptance is a type of early admission used in college admissions in the United States for admitting freshmen to undergraduate programs. It is used to indicate to the university or college that the candidate considers that institution to be their top choice through a binding commitment to enroll. Applying early decision brings a greater statistical chance of being accepted.

University admission or college admission is the process through which students enter tertiary education at universities and colleges. Systems vary widely from country to country, and sometimes from institution to institution.

DeFunis v. Odegaard, 416 U.S. 312 (1974), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court held that the case had become moot and so declined to render a decision on the merits. American student Marco DeFunis, who had been denied admission to the University of Washington School of Law in the state of Washington before he was provisionally admitted during the pendency of the case, was slated to graduate within a few months of the decision being rendered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legacy preferences</span> Preference given to applicants related to alumni

Legacy preference or legacy admission is a preference given by an institution or organization to certain applicants on the basis of their familial relationship to alumni of that institution. It is most controversial in college admissions, where students so admitted are referred to as legacies or legacy students. The practice is particularly widespread in the college admissions in the United States; almost three-quarters of research universities and nearly all liberal arts colleges grant legacy preferences in admissions.

Pre-medical is an educational track that undergraduate students in the United States pursue prior to becoming medical students. It involves activities that prepare a student for medical school, such as pre-med coursework, volunteer activities, clinical experience, research, and the application process. Some pre-med programs providing broad preparation are referred to as “pre-professional” and may simultaneously prepare students for entry into a variety of first professional degree or graduate school programs that require similar prerequisites.

Need-blind admission in the United States refers to a college admission policy that does not take into account an applicant's financial status when deciding whether to accept them. This approach typically results in a higher percentage of accepted students who require financial assistance and often necessitates that the institution has a substantial endowment or other funding sources to support the policy. Institutions which participated an antitrust exemption granted by Congress were required by law to be need-blind, a requirement which will remained in effect until September 30, 2022. An institution may be need-blind in any given year by policy or by circumstances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">College admissions in the United States</span> Aspect of education

College admissions in the United States refers to the process of applying for entrance to institutions of higher education for undergraduate study at one of the nation's colleges or universities. For those who intend to attend college immediately after high school, the college search usually begins in the eleventh grade with most activity taking place during the twelfth grade. Applications to many schools are due in October of senior year for Early Decision or Early Action or in December of their senior year for Regular Decision, though the timeline may vary depending on the universities, some having an earlier deadline due to the fact that the admissions process may weigh in more on transcripts. Students at top high schools may often begin the process during their tenth grade or earlier. There are considerable numbers of students who transfer from one college to another, as well as adults older than high school age who apply to college.

Rolling admission is a policy used by many colleges to admit freshmen to undergraduate programs. Many law schools in the United States also have rolling admissions policies. Under rolling admission, candidates are invited to submit their applications to the university anytime within a large window. The window is usually over six months long, and some schools do not have a previously specified end date. The university will then review the application and notify the applicant of their decision within a few weeks from submission.

Early decision is a college admission plan in which students apply earlier in the year than usual and receive their results early as well. This benefits students by reducing the number of applications to be completed at one time, and by providing results early. It benefits colleges as they generally know what their accepted student pool will look like before the regular admission process begins. Most colleges that participate in early admission request applications by October 15 or November 1 and return results by December 15.

Medical school in the United States is a graduate program with the purpose of educating physicians in the undifferentiated field of medicine. Such schools provide a major part of the medical education in the United States. Most medical schools in the US confer upon graduates a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree, while some confer a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree. Most schools follow a similar pattern of education, with two years of classroom and laboratory based education, followed by two years of clinical rotations in a teaching hospital where students see patients in a variety of specialties. After completion, graduates must complete a residency before becoming licensed to practice medicine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Cambridge</span> Public collegiate university in Cambridge, England

The University of Cambridge is a public collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the third-oldest university in continuous operation. The university's founding followed the arrival of scholars who left the University of Oxford for Cambridge after a dispute with local townspeople. The two ancient English universities, although sometimes described as rivals, share many common features and are often jointly referred to as Oxbridge. In 1231, 22 years after its founding, the university was recognised with a royal charter granted by King Henry III.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transfer admissions in the United States</span> Aspect of education

Transfer admissions in the United States refers to college students changing universities during their college years. While estimates of transfer activity vary considerably, the consensus view is that it is substantial and increasing, although media coverage of student transfers is generally less than coverage of the high school to college transition. A common transfer path is students moving from two-year community colleges to four-year institutions, although there is also considerable movement between four-year institutions. Reasons for transferring include unhappiness with campus life, cost, and course and degree selection. There are no standardized rules nationwide for transfers, and requirements vary by college. However, many states have taken steps to make the transition easier and less problematic, particularly from community colleges to four-year schools within the state, by various methods including school-to-school credit arrangements called articulation agreements. While many state universities are constrained by budget cuts which have sometimes lessened the number of spots open to transfer students, there are reports that many private colleges are becoming more assertive in seeking transfer applicants. Nevertheless, the transfer process can be difficult, such that transfer applicants have been described as collegiate "academic nomads" who face various obstacles trying to make sure their credits transfer properly to their new school. Unlike admission from high school directly to college, there is less data nationwide about transfer admissions, although there are signs that this is changing.

Duke Kunshan University(DKU) is a Wuhan University–Duke University joint venture, independently accredited university in Kunshan, Jiangsu, China.

The undergraduate education at the University of Oxford in England involves weekly tutorials at the colleges and halls, supported by classes, lectures and laboratory work provided by university faculties and departments.

Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. University of North Carolina are a pair of lawsuits concerning racial discrimination in affirmative action programs in college admissions processes. The first case involves Harvard University's undergraduate admissions process which is claimed to discriminate against Asian American applicants, while the second centers on the University of North Carolina's use of socioeconomic factors in administration, which is claimed to incorporate race and violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Both cases seek review of the Supreme Court decision Grutter v. Bollinger (2003) which validated the use of affirmative action programs in college admissions as long as race is not used as the sole deciding factor.

References

  1. ↑ Diana Hanson; Esther Walling; Craig Meister; Kristen Tabun (November 16, 2011). "Which College Admissions Deadline Should You Choose?". US News. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
  2. ↑ Sarah Winkler (July 7, 2012). "How Early Decision Affects Financial Aid". HowStuffWorks.com. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
  3. ↑ Carolyn Butler, Arlene Weintraub, Justin Snider, Margaret Loftus, Rett Fisher, Kimberly S. Wetzel (others) (2012). "Best Colleges: Choose the Right School For You". U.S. News & World Report. 2012 edition; various authors and rankings; pages 19, 20, 30, 62, 63, 68–70, 78, 84, 86, 88, others{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ↑ "Early Action". Archived from the original on 2019-09-24. Retrieved Sep 21, 2019.
  5. ↑ Scott Jaschik (February 25, 2011). "Elite universities surrender to early admissions". USA Today. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
  6. ↑ Beckie Supiano (February 2011). "Harvard and Princeton Restore Early Admissions" . Retrieved 11 August 2011.
  7. ↑ "Farewell, Early Decision". stanfordmag.org. January 2003. Archived from the original on 2018-11-10. Retrieved Sep 21, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Restrictive Early Action & Regular Decision". admissions.nd.edu. Archived from the original on 2019-09-24. Retrieved Sep 21, 2019.
  9. ↑ "Early Action Program". uadmissions.georgetown.edu. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  10. ↑ "BC to launch Early Decision program in undergraduate admission". Boston College. Jan 24, 2019. Retrieved Aug 29, 2019.
  11. ↑ "UVA Adds Early Decision Option for Prospective Applicants". news.virginia.edu. 29 May 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-09-22. Retrieved Sep 21, 2019.
  12. ↑ Jennifer Gross and Nicole Verardi (May 2006). "NACAC Early Decision and Early Action: Does the Early Bird Get the Worm?". The National Association for College Admission Counseling. Archived from the original on 2008-02-19. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
  13. ↑ "Stanford University Undergraduate Admissions". July 23, 2019. Retrieved Aug 29, 2019.
  14. ↑ "Caltech Announces Updates to Admissions Practices". California Institute of Technology. 2022-07-27. Retrieved 2023-04-30.
  15. ↑ "MIT Admissions, Early vs Regular" . Retrieved Aug 29, 2019.
  16. ↑ "Class of 2022". www.coloradocollege.edu. Archived from the original on 2013-03-23. Retrieved Sep 21, 2019.
  17. ↑ Margaret Loftus (September 12, 2011). "Know if Applying to College Early is Right for You: Getting in could be easier, but a search for financial aid might suffer". US News. Retrieved July 7, 2012.
  18. ↑ This number is derived as Total Applicants less EA Applicants. In practice, the deferred EA Applicants will join the Regular Decision pool for consideration and can become an RD Admit, so the Regular Decision pool is larger than this number.
  19. ↑ "935 admitted early to College Class of '23". 13 December 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-12-14. Retrieved Sep 21, 2019.
  20. ↑ "43,330 apply to College Class of '23". 21 February 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-02-22. Retrieved Sep 21, 2019.
  21. 1 2 3 4 Class of 2022. Figures for Class of 2023 not yet released as of Sep 24, 2019
  22. ↑ "Unofficial Admission Statistics for the #UVA Class of 2023". Archived from the original on 2019-09-24. Retrieved Sep 21, 2019.
  23. ↑ "Unofficial #UVA23 Early Action Statistics". Archived from the original on 2019-01-20. Retrieved Sep 21, 2019.
  24. ↑ "Study Abroad Grants | Study Abroad Funding | University in the USA". Archived from the original on 2013-09-26. Retrieved 2013-02-13.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.