Without a doubt, this is the most unacknowledged piece of the college admissions puzzle. And for good reason: not all educational institutions use the terminology in the exact same way. In spite of this, if you learn to recognize the following two terms you will be able to see the point of the major differences between Admission Options:
- Non-Restrictive Application: You will not be restricted from applying to other institutions and have until May 1 to consider your options and confirm enrollment.
- Restrictive Application: You are responsible for determining and following restrictions.
Now let’s explore in detail the full spectrum of Admission Options available for you.
Definitions of Admission Options in Higher Education:
Non-Restrictive Application Plans:
Regular Decision:
- Definition: Students submit an application by a specified date and receive a decision in a clearly stated period of time.
- Commitment: Non-binding
Rolling Admission:
- Definition: Institutions review applications as they are submitted and render admission decisions throughout the admission cycle.
- Commitment: Non-binding
Early Action (EA):
- Definition: Students apply early and receive a decision well in advance of the institution’s regular response date.
- Commitment: Non-binding
Restrictive Application Plans: Students are responsible for determining and following restrictions.
Early Decision (ED):
- Definition: Students make a commitment to a first-choice institution where, if admitted, they will definitely enroll. The application deadline and decision deadline occur early.
- Commitment: Binding
Restrictive Early Action:
- Definition: Students apply to an institution of preference and receive a decision early. They may be restricted from applying ED or EA or REA to other institutions. If offered enrollment, they have until May 1 to confirm.
- Commitment: Non-binding
Not all colleges offer these options, and you will have to research carefully to grasp each institution’s definition of the options available. As an example here is Columbia University’s first-year admission webpage, to the right you will be able to see the different deadlines for Regular as well as Early decision.
http://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/apply/first-year
As a rule of thumb you should reserve your Restrictive Application options for your dream schools, as it is speculated that Restrictive Applications have slightly higher acceptance rates than their Non-restrictive equivalents.
