Are there any advantages or disadvantages to applying early besides hearing back earlier? I am wondering for Villanova. Is there any difference in acceptance rate? I would have to apply by Dec. 1 if not by Nov. 1.
From what I have seen, Villanova does not appear to have a large difference between EA and RD acceptance rates, such that any difference could just be different pools.
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For some schools, like UMD-College Park, most of the class is admitted EA so if you apply RD you are at a significant disadvantage.
For some schools, certain scholarships have early applications as well. If you’re accepting the offer and you need to sign up for particular housing options, it can help.
In most cases, though, it just gives you an opportunity to visit ealier as an accepted student so that you’re less frenetic in April. And of course, it takes off the pressure if you’re holding an acceptance early.
Even when there is no advantage in likelihood of admission at a particular college when applying EA, it has advantages to the applicant in other aspects, depending on the result:
- Early admission with affordability: that college is now a safety. You may be able to drop applications to other schools that you would not choose over this new safety under any circumstances.
- Early rejection: if you had assessed the college as a match or likely, then you may need to reassess your college application list to check that you are not over-reaching. Knowing this early still gives some time before later RD application deadlines.
- Deferral to RD: this is the least useful result.
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