How Do I Apply?-Types of U.S. College Admission Processes
It is that time of the year: college application season. As a senior in high school, applying to colleges was one of the most stressful things I have ever done in my life. I am sure it is the same for the majority of high school seniors like me. I had decided where to apply, but I had no information about when to apply for these schools. So today, for those who are having the same problem as me, I will help you with information about different types of admissions: ED, EA, RD.
To begin with, Early Decision (ED) is a binding admission standard. You can only apply to one school with early decision status, so if you get accepted to a school with ED, you must withdraw all other applications from the schools you have previously applied. The selection of ED schools and departments should be done with caution, as they are only available to one school and cannot be reversed or withdrawn later. Many universities check with ED that applicants need financial assistance (including financial aid/scholarships). ED's financial assistance opportunities are also known to be more restrictive than the general admission process, so you should be careful with your application. Generally, the ED acceptance rate is higher than the regular recruitment rate, but its deadline is much earlier which is before November 1st. Since the application deadline is earlier than the regular admission process, the announcement of acceptance is revealed in December before most other colleges and universities.
Early Action (EA) is another form of early screening for American college entrance admissions. Unlike the ED, EA allows you to apply to several schools. Even if you are admitted, there is no binding agreement. Therefore, if several EA schools notify you, you can go to universities with the best conditions by comparing various conditions, including scholarships. You will be able to apply earlier than Regular and arrive early. EA's common deadlines are November 1 and November 15, but by the end of this deadline, all materials, including letters of recommendation and test scores, must be submitted to the college. Like ED, the announcement of acceptance of EA is in mid-December, and you will receive notification as either accepted, denied, or deferred. Deferred means you are transferred to the same group as the applicants for on-time recruitment so that the application can be reviewed again in the future. If you are "deferred," you will have the opportunity to strengthen your application, so you will need to contact the university to find out what is missing before they review it.
Lastly, Regular Decision (RD) is the process that majority of universities and colleges use to determine admission status of applications. This is because there is no limit to the number of student-supported universities in the country. Although universities
have varying application deadlines, the deadline for regular decisions is usually in early January, and you can see if you will pass by the end of March or early April. Students who receive notification of acceptance will be required to make a deposit to their school by May 1, and this deposit holds your spot, and you may only have a deposit at one school. This means that students who do not have a satisfactory score in Early Action can take advantage of the fact that they have more opportunities to score higher on entrance exams, improve their resume, or ask for others to write recommendations. Most US universities utilize Early Action and Regular Decision for their admission process, so you have opportunities to improve before a final decision is reached.
The applying process is one of the most stressful things seniors in high school experience. However, with this information, I hope it made your application process a bit easier. If you work a bit hard during this time in your life, you will go to the college you desire, the college you deserve to attend.
