<p>William and Mary has been my dream school for all of high school and most of middle school and now that it is getting closer to application time, i'm really considering applying early, but i'm still on the fence about it. Can applying early help my chances of getting in or hurt them? I know if I am accepted early decision then I have to go to w&m but the college is my first choice, so I won't have a problem with that. Any words of wisdom on early decision vs regular decision?</p>
<p>One advantage of Early Decision for the applicant is that you have the opportunity to stand out in a smaller pool of students. Another is that the whole crazy-making application season ends when you have your decision in the first week of December, provided you aren’t deferred.</p>
<p>Are you instate? The tuition for instate students is beyond reasonable - it’s a great deal for a great college experience. But if you’re out-of-state, you’ll want to be certain you can swing it financially before applying ED. Inability to afford a school, if the school’s financial aid offer puts the school beyond the student’s reach, is one of the few acceptable reasons for refusing an ED offer. But it’s disappointing to all concerned, and certainly something you want to avoid. Here’s what the W&M Admissions website says about financial aid for ED applicants:
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<p>I’m instate, the financial aid is a big deal to my family and I because, without it I would not be able to go to college. But with the whole William and Mary Promise thing it looks as though going to school at William and Mary would definitely be affordable.</p>
<p>Applying Early Decision cannot hurt your application but as mentioned by another poster, it can help you to stand out as the applicant pool is much smaller. You’ll just want to ensure that you feel good about the record you’re presenting (as opposed to waiting on mid-year grades or new standardized testing) and that you’re ready to commit to W&M if admitted. If W&M is your first choice, what’s causing you to waiver on whether or not to apply ED?</p>
<p>I just had my interview at the college yesterday, and I absolutely loved it! She put to rest all the doubts I had about the college. She pretty much convinced me to apply ED but what happens if I get deferred? How does that effect my application in regular decision if I’m not accepted early?</p>
<p>If you get deferred, your application will automatically be reviewed again during regular decision along with any new information you provide (first semester grades, updated testing, etc.). We will then send you another decision when we release decisions for regular decision applicants.</p>