Early Acceptance into College

I know that there's such a thing as early decision and early action, but I don't really get why colleges might accept some students early before most other applicants. Can someone shed some light as to how do they actually decide to do this?

Early Decision (ED) and Early Action (EA) are options colleges offer to give students a chance to apply and receive admission decisions earlier than the regular deadline. These options are preferential to colleges because they allow them to admit high-achieving students who are particularly interested in the school, thereby increasing the quality of their incoming class and their yield percentage (the number of accepted students who enroll).

With Early Decision, students make a binding commitment to enroll if accepted. The admit rate is usually higher for ED because colleges appreciate the demonstrated interest and certainty of enrollment. It helps them better plan their incoming class, as they already know a portion of their students before the Regular Decision process begins.

Early Action, on the other hand, is non-binding. Students don't have to commit to the school if accepted, but they still show strong interest by applying early.

To decide who gets accepted early, colleges typically use the same criteria as for regular decisions—grades, test scores (if applicable), essays, letters of recommendation, extracurriculars, and other factors—but they are looking especially for high-achieving students who are strongly committed to their institution. Their holistic review would still look at the "spike" or specialty a student brings, the rigor of their course load, and fit with the university. A bigger emphasis might also be placed on these factors given the smaller applicant pool and shortened timeframe of review.

Bear in mind that these early rounds are generally more competitive. The students applying early are usually among the most prepared and committed. Hence, while there are benefits to applying early, it's important for students to feel confident in the strength of their application and genuinely interested in the school before applying to ED or EA.