<p>Hi! I'm taking the ACT on october 26th because the September ACTs aren't administered where I live. I'm going to appy Early Action, but I can't seem to find when the scores are due in. Should I register for the test? I'm scared. O.o</p>
<p>You can usually find on a college’s site whether the October ACT is fine for EA. For many it is – it can arrive after the Nov 1 application deadline – but for others it is too late.</p>
<p>As drusba pointed out, you should check with each specific school to verify the policy regarding ACT score submission deadlines. There are no universal guidelines regarding these sorts of matters.</p>
<p>FYI, it’s not the end of the world if your standardized test scores aren’t submitted in time for EA admissions. Apply RD. Problem solved.</p>
<p>I have no idea what sort of applicant you are (legacy, URM, exceptional athlete/musician/scientist/etc.). My sense is that lots of high school students and their parents fall all over themselves trying to apply early because they think it’s going to make the difference between acceptance and rejection. In reality, that’s probably not the case. The small advantage an “unhooked” applicant might get by applying EA vs. RD is greatly exaggerated. If you feel strongly that you want to signal an interest to your first choice school, then by all means apply early (EA or ED). Otherwise, why stress yourself out? If you apply RD, you can choose to take the ACT again in December.</p>
<p>Thank you so much! I’m applying for biomedical engineering, but my parents really want me to apply early because, as you said, they have a huge misconception about it! I am a little afraid of RD because I really don’t want to waste time and I want to be able to know in december and not die during my vacations.</p>
<p>If you plan out essay composition for your college apps properly, the entire app process is very manageable. It doesn’t have to be an anxiety-ridden affair. You could very easily work on essays over the summer…even before your senior year begins.</p>
<p>For what it’s worth, I wouldn’t equate applying RD to “wasting time.” I’ve seen lots of students grow up quite a bit during the process. And, honestly, I don’t understand the rush in figuring out which college a high school student will attend. Whether you get in early or RD, you’ll still be matriculating in the fall of 2014, right?</p>
<p>yeah but applying early gives you time to prepare mentally and financially</p>
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@qt314aaa: I have to disagree.
- Mentally… How much “mental” preparation does one need…really? Are students better equipped mentally for college because they find out in December of the preceding year (vs. April)? If anything, I’ve seen EA/ED determinations hurt students mentally. They psychologically check out once they secure an early acceptance. Their schoolwork suffers. Their grades drop. Motivation lags. Does this make them more prepared for college?
- Financially… For family’s requiring financial aid, most colleges offer online “calculators” based on financial information sourced from the previous year’s tax return. In the vast majority of cases, offered FA packages are the same regardless of when the student is admitted (EA/ED vs. RD). Families/students can’t alter their financial picture significantly in 3-4 months time anyway.</p>
<p>Okay, so Bartleby, for a 16-year-old girl who scored less than she wanted (2040) on her first SAT and NEEDS to raise that sorry little score besides taking the Subject Tests AND the ACT, all in four months, you would recommend Regular Decision. But what if I really want to get into the college I’m applying for and know that I don’t have great chances of getting in? Is it worse if I apply early and spoil my chances for applying regular decision? Or is it better to have time to get all the tests right and prepare properly? What are the real disadvantages of Regular Decision? Are there any? What about Rolling Admission? Is that possible at all colleges? I want to hang myself.</p>
<p>Bartleby (post #3) writes:</p>
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<p>This is really not true. For small liberal arts colleges (LACs) applying ED indeed gives the applicant a significant advantage over regular decision applicants. Ask you college counselor. Review the acceptance rates of ED and regular decision applicants. Look at the size of the applicant pool for ED and regular decision. Consider how an ED applicant appears to the college compared to a potential regular decision “shopper”. For the most selective universities the advantage of applying ED or EA is not quite as high as for LACs but for candidates who fall into the “match” sweet spot for the university it can make a significant difference between acceptance and rejection. There is considerable anecdotal evidence regarding this. Talk to last year’s ED/EA applicants from your school if you have doubts.</p>
<p>In other words your parents are on the right track. They do not have a misconception about ED/EA. Listen to them.</p>