<p>What is the differce between ED and a normal decision? Is it easier to get into a college with ED?</p>
<p>bumpppppppp</p>
<p>Early Decision: you submit your application earlier than everyone else, usually around November 1. You are notified of whether you got in, were deferred, or were rejected sometime in December, when everyone else is just sending off their apps.</p>
<p>Regular Decision: You apply sometime in early January and get the nod in April, along with financial aid packages. You have until May to decide who to accept.</p>
<p>Plus sides to EA: You will know for sure if you made it into your #1 choice and don't have to worry about applying elsewhere during RD (regular decision). Acceptance rates are higher, because they assume you're more dedicated and forward-thinking than RD applicants (to a certain extent).</p>
<p>Downsides: with RD, you can't apply elsewhere if you change your mind. You're stuck with whatever financial aid they give you, there's no room to discover you'd like a more intimate environment or whatnot. The applicant pool ED is highly, highly competative, because it's filled with all the high-achievers who also want to go to [this school] more than anything in the world.</p>
<p>If you can, I would apply to a college EA, Early Action, instead of ED (that depends on the school, Harvard and Yale are EA while Princeton, Dartmouth, etc. are ED). Then you have some flexibility, because you're not obligated to accept.</p>
<p>I wouldn't say it's easier to get into school ED, but your chances are up and your future is more secure.</p>
<p>There are four main ways that colleges handle admissions:
1. Regular Decision
The most typical way to apply to a college. You submit an application usually some time between January first and mid-March. You will typically receive notification of whether you were accepted, rejected, or waitlisted on or around April 1. You must then accept your place in the class by sending in your deposit around May 1. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>Early Decision
ED is a binding agreement to attend a particular school if accepted. When you apply ED you are not allowed to apply to other ED schools, but you can apply to schools with rolling admissions, to any school during regular decision, and usually to schools offering EA. You will typically be required to submit an application between the months of November and January. You and your counselor (and sometimes your parents) will have to sign a pledge to attend the school if accepted. You will likely receive notice of your status (accepted, deferred, or rejected) about a month after your application was due. If accepted, you are required to withdraw all other pending applications and notify any schools to which you have already been accepted that you will not be attending. It has been shown that applying to the college of your choice ED can give you a boost in the admissions process. That being said, it is also widely accepted that no unqualified applicant is likely to be accepted under ED unless they have some other hook. </p></li>
<li><p>Early Action
A non-binding process of applying to a college at an earlier time. You can typically apply to any other schools in addition to an EA school, be they ED schools, other EA schools, rolling admissions schools, or schools during regular decision. The only exceptions are a few highly selective schools that have SCEA (single choice early action.) EA usually has the same application deadlines as ED, but you are allowed to consider other schools and do not have to accept your spot in the class until the May 1 deadline. Opinions vary about whether applying EA will boost your chances of admission at all. Beliefs range from stating that the EA pool of applicants is more highly qualified and therefore your chances of being admitted EA are actually slimmer to the idea that applying EA is equivalent to a 100-point boost on the old SAT.</p></li>
<li><p>Rolling Admissions
Schools with rolling admissions typically begin accepting applications around September. They evaluate each candidate on an individual basis to determine whether he or she will be admitted. They then let the applicant know of their decision immediately after it has been reached. Schools with rolling admissions typically get more and more selective as the season goes on due to the fact that their classes may be virtually or completely filled by the time their deadline rolls around. Schools that offer rolling admissions are typically large public universities, but there are some notable LACs and smaller universities that use this admission policy as well.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Dang my slow typing! Thanks for answering him/her, tkm256.</p>
<p>Wow, you were thorough, ShadowOfAnEnigma. I didn't even touch on Rolling Admissions--which, BTW Gandhiji, can throw a monkeywrench at the Single Choice Early Admissions policy...just read up on it before submitting anything.</p>
<p>hmm thanks ShadowOfAnEnigma and the other dude...
If I wanna EA or ED to a specific school only if offered a financial aid package, is it possible?</p>
<p>If there is the possibility you will reject admittance if you do not get financial aid, do not apply to a school ED. If you are accepted, but do not get financial aid, you are bound by legal agreement to attend the school regardless. You can apply EA and reject their offer if you receive a better package from another school later, so it's possible there.</p>
<p>Many schools will release you from your obligation to attend if your full demonstrated need is not met. If you want to apply ED and are worried about the possibility of a finacial burden you are unable to meet, I would suggest calling the admissions office to find out what their policy is for such situations.</p>
<p>thanks... my sister (<=== :( ) told me that most colleges usually dont offer good financial aid packages with ED because you have to go there no matter what.</p>