Can you apply for Regular Decision but apply before the Early Decision deadline?

Applying to College
1

Say the Regular Decision for a school is January 1, and they have and Early Decision or Action date at November 15.

If I submit my application before November 15, but applied under the Regular Decision, this would still be RD, right? Even though my application was submitted before the ED?

2

Typically it asks on the applicatio which you are applying for, ED or RD.

3

Yes, you can submit an application early for RD. The college may contact you and ask if you want to switch to the ED pool. If that won’t work for you (perhaps you are applying elsewhere ED), then just tell them you are undecided or need to compare aid offers, etc.

4

Right. The application asks whether you’re applying for RD or ED, and in order for an ED application to be considered as such, you (and your parents/guardians) have to sign an ED agreement.

5

Thank you all for clearing that up!

6

Yes.

7

But, Why? Typically kids can use the other 6 weeks to improve their apps. If you’re thiking this gives you a way around poor first semester grades, think again.

8

Yes. My daughter did this for 2 schools that did not require supplemental essays, and submitted them at the same time as her ED application. One later asked her if she wanted to change her application to ED2, the other did not contact her at all until it sent her an offer during the regular RD round.

9

OP does not need to send in transcript or LoRs when he/she submits the RD application(s). If the school asks for midyear transcript then it should be sent in when it is available (Dec or Jan).

10

It may also be a wasted app fee. Consider completing the app but not submitting until after ED results are announced.

11

^ good point on app fee. I forgot to mention, the two RD apps my daughter submitted was one fee free and one fee waived.

12

Depends on the school - check the web site or application form. At least one school my D applied to didn’t accept regular applications until after the binding early applications were in. We made sure we waited on that one. Others went in early as she completed them.

13

It has nothing to do with that. My grades are still high. I was just wondering. But I will still spend more time reviewing/improving.