Know if Applying to College Early is Right for You

Connor Cerniglia's application to Bates College looked highly promising. The Annapolis, Md., senior was in the top third of his class at St. Mary's High School, played football and lacrosse, and was active in student government and the environment club. But the likely clincher given the applicant pool the college attracts, his college adviser Dave Gibson says now, is that he applied early decision (ED), promising to attend if accepted. "I wanted to express to the school how much I truly wanted to go there," says Cerniglia, now a Bates freshman.

Contrary to speculation four years ago that early admissions was on the wane, following decisions by Harvard University, Princeton University, and the University of Virginia to drop their early options as a disservice to racial and socioeconomic diversity, the programs have only grown in popularity. "More students are using their early card than ever before," says Bev Taylor, founder of the admissions consulting firm The Ivy Coach, who has been guiding applicants and their parents in New York City for 20 years.

Of high school seniors who filled out the Common Application last year, nearly 49 percent applied to some form of an early program, says Rob Killion, the Common App's executive director. The programs range from simple early action, which doesn't obligate you to attend, to binding early decision. Of Cerniglia's class, more than 70 percent applied early; 11 percent chose early decision.

Not wanting to miss out on all these choice candidates, the three universities that ended early options have re-entered the game. Harvard has restored "single choice" early action for this fall, which restricts applicants from applying early to other private schools but doesn't require them to attend or even decide until May 1. Princeton's new program is similar, except that you can't apply early anywhere else. U.Va.'s early action option won't be restrictive. Greg Roberts, dean of admissions, says the university is responding to strong interest in an early plan from parents and students—and that, without the option, U.Va. may have been losing applicants.

[Read more about Harvard and Princeton returning to early admissions.]

The programs are without doubt a boon for the colleges. ED, in particular, is the proverbial bird-in-hand for admissions staffers facing increasing uncertainty in picking a freshman class as high schoolers hedge their bets by applying to 10 or more schools. By securing in some cases nearly half of the incoming freshmen by December 15, as Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania do, colleges can avoid coming up short after May 1. They also boost their yield, the percentage of admitted students who enroll, which has become a key indicator of popularity.

ED is becoming a way to manage enrollment in times of high flux, says Douglas Christiansen, vice provost for enrollment and dean of admissions at Vanderbilt University, which generally admits about a third of its freshman class during two ED rounds. For the first, applications are due November 15 and processed by mid-December, and the second has a January 1 deadline with mid-February notification.

Early decision applicants can't automatically assume a lowered bar; Miami University in Ohio offers them no special advantage, for example, and Wake Forest University characterizes any edge as slight. But as a strategic move, ED can make good sense for students who know what they want and "may not have all the A's, the scores, the activities, or the talent," says Taylor.