About 450 colleges offer early admission plans. Under these plans, students can apply to colleges early — well before the usual deadline — and get a decision from the college by January. It’s pretty nice when students are able to say, halfway through their senior year, where they’ll be going to school in the fall!
Students who apply under these early admission plans have a better chance of getting in than they would through the regular admission process. Colleges benefit from early decision, as well, because they get students who really want to attend that college to commit early. They can get an early start on planning housing and class loads for the fall semester.
What are the types of early admission?
The deadline for most early admission types is in October or November, and there are two types:
Early decision is binding, and students who apply under early decision are locked into their decision to go to that school. They may also only apply to one school under that format; if they are accepted they must withdraw applications that they’ve made at all other universities.
The second type of early admissions is called early action. Students may apply to as many schools as they want, and they are welcome to accept or reject offers well into the spring of their senior year.
What are the advantages of early admission?
Besides the reduced stress levels that go along with knowing where a student will be attending school in nine months, there are financial reasons that go along with getting into a school early. There’s simply more scholarship money available to students who have applied early. Students who apply early, whether early action or early decision, are more likely to receive merit-based aid at colleges that award such aid. These students are granted awards before the college has exhausted that pool of money during the regular admissions cycle.
Another reason is that a student’s chances of gaining acceptance to the university of their choice is much better if they apply early. The Washington Post recently reviewed admissions data from a number of schools, and found that students who applied early, and especially through the binding early decision process, were much likely to gain entry.
Among schools that are popular with Asheville-area students, and especially with Biltmore Tutoring’s test prep students, the total number of admitted students through early decision can comprise as much as 61% of the incoming class!
Davidson College received 638 ED applications, and admitted 48% of those students. The admissions department, for the entire year, received 5,382 applications, and admitted a grand total of 510 students (306 of whom had already been accepted via early decision). The overall total of accepted applications was only 22%. In other words, by applying early through ED, students more than doubled their chances to get into Davidson!
Vanderbilt University is another popular school among Asheville-area students, and the numbers are similar. Vanderbilt received 3,582 ED applications, and admitted 23% of those. The admissions department, for the entire year, received 31,464 applications, and admitted a grand total of 1,607 students (824 of whom had already been accepted via early decision). The overall total of accepted applications was only 12%. However, 51% of the incoming class was accepted via early decision.
Duke University received 3,048 ED applications, and admitted 27% of those students. For the entire year, they received 30,112 applications, and admitted 1,745 (including 823 students who had already been accepted via ED). The overall total of accepted applications was 12%, but 47% of the incoming class was accepted via early decision.
What should your student do to prepare for early admission options?
All of the usual factors apply…students should be working early on their college resumes, maintaining good grades and involving themselves in athletics or academic clubs. We recommend they start test preparation in the fall of their junior year (11th grade). This way, they can prepare over eight or ten weeks, take two tests in their junior year and one more at the beginning of their senior year. High SAT or ACT scores under their belt, they are ready to begin applying in October of their senior year.
For more information on Biltmore’s test preparation services, feel free to give us a call at (828) 505-2495 or to email us at info@biltmoretutoring.com.