What are all the different types, and what do they each mean?
<p>ED - Early Decision - binding contract if you are accepted, may only apply to one school ED</p>
<p>EA - Early Action - early application deadline, will let you know of your admission status earlier than later, you can apply to as many as you want and don't give them an answer until you receive other acceptances...some call it "insurance"</p>
<p>SCEA - Single Choice Early Action - only a couple of schools have this...it is basically EA but you can only do one school early</p>
<p>I think you will easily find your answer if you just do a search, but I'll describe these to you briefly. </p>
<p>ED is Early Decision. You apply in November, typically and get a decision by mid December. You are bound to attend this school if you are admitted, and cannot apply to other schools. If you are deferred, you are reconsidered during the regular round; in this case, you may apply to additional schools. If you are rejected early, that is your final decision, and you cannot apply again this year.</p>
<p>EA is Early Action, in which you get a decision about the same time as you would ED. However, Early Action is not binding, and even if you are admitted early, you can go on to apply to other schools. Single Choice Early Action means you can only apply to one school early (only three schools have single choice EA-- Harvard, Yale and Stanford) regular EA means you can apply to multiple schools early. </p>
<p>With EA, you can be deferred or rejected early. Same as ED. </p>
<p>Some schools have EA or ED II, which means the app is due the same time as Regular apps in January, but you get a decision mid February. If it is ED II, you have to withdraw all your other apps if you are accepted. </p>
<p>Regular decision is usually due in early January, depending on the school. You get a decision around early April. The exception is rolling admissions, in which, well, you get a decision whenever they make it.</p>
<p>There is also rolling admissions, which is basically first come first served.</p>
<p>There's also Early Action or Decision Round II, which is basically EA or ED but it happens in between the regular EA/ED and Regular Decision. </p>
<p>There's also another admissions method (I'm not sure what it's called) where schools read the applications by groups. For example, all the apps received before November will be read and considered, then all the ones received in December, then January, etc.</p>
<p>That's rolling admissions, but on a bloc basis, methinks.</p>
<p>RD is regular decision. This is the "normal" way to apply. The deadlines are typically between Dec 1st and Jan 15th, with the bulk of them being Jan 1st. You basically have to have everything done by Christmas break. The universal acceptance date for the colleges to let you know their decisions is Apr 1st, and then you have to let them know back by May 1st. </p>
<p>Apply for financial aid as soon as possible after Jan 1st. You can research it in advance, but your parents and your tax forms have to be completed before the financial aid application can be completed. Don't apply ED to any college if you also plan to apply for finan aid since you lose the ability to compare FA packages.</p>