Early Decision, Early Action, REA and Regular Decision: U.S. college application plans explained

The short version

Dates differ by college and change from year to year. Always check each college's admission page for the current cycle.

Early Decision: the promise behind it

Early Decision is a binding agreement. The student, a parent and the school counselor sign that, if admitted, the student will enroll and withdraw every other application. That is why a student can apply ED to only one college.

ED can help a student whose first choice is clear and whose family has checked the cost. Some colleges admit a larger share of their class through ED. It is a poor fit when the student is still comparing colleges, or when the family needs to compare aid offers.

Financial aid: colleges generally release a student from ED when the aid offered does not make attendance possible. Many colleges review international applicants for aid differently from U.S. citizens, so read the college's international aid policy and run its Net Price Calculator before committing.

ED II works the same way with a January deadline. It suits students who were deferred or denied in the first round, or who decided late.

Early Action and Restrictive Early Action

Early Action is early and not binding. Students can apply EA to several colleges, hear back in December or January, and still decide by May 1.

A few highly selective private colleges use Restrictive or single-choice Early Action. It is non-binding, but it limits other early applications. As an example, Yale University's single-choice Early Action does not allow other private colleges' EA or ED plans, but it does allow non-binding early plans at public universities, rolling admission, and early programs at universities outside the U.S. Each college writes its own exceptions, so read them carefully.

Regular Decision and rolling admission

Regular Decision deadlines fall mostly between January 1 and 15. Decisions arrive in late March or early April. Students compare offers and choose by May 1.

Rolling admission colleges review applications as they arrive. Applying early in the fall usually means an early answer and a better chance of housing and scholarship spots.

Deferred or waitlisted? A deferral moves an early application into the regular round. A waitlist means the college may offer a place later. In both cases, follow the college's instructions and secure a place elsewhere by May 1.

Application systems

Most private colleges accept the Common App, which allows up to 20 colleges per student. The University of California uses its own application, with a fall filing period that ends on November 30. Some colleges use their own forms or the Coalition application. Check which system each college on the list uses. Our guide on how many colleges to apply to covers building the list.

Notes for international and boarding school families

• Aid is the big variable. Many colleges are need-aware for international applicants. Compare before using ED.
• Your counselor signs the ED agreement. Talk to the boarding school's college counseling office early. Read how to read a school's college counseling results.
• F-1 students change schools on the I-20. After choosing a college, the student's I-20 record moves from the high school to the college. See Study in the States on transferring and how long the I-20 lets an F-1 student stay.
• Plan the year. Our grade 9 to 12 college timeline shows when each step happens.

No plan guarantees admission. Use the plan that fits the student's certainty about the college and the family's budget. Browse boarding schools and their college results, and read where our information comes from.

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