What's the Difference Between Early and Regular Decision?

Can someone explain the key differences between early decision and regular decision applications? How does this affect things like acceptance rates and notification dates? Also, is one generally better than the other?

Early Decision (ED) and Regular Decision (RD) are two different application processes that students can choose from when applying to colleges.

Early Decision is a binding agreement. When you apply ED, you agree that if you're accepted, you will attend that school, hence it should be your top choice. Colleges typically expect your deposit shortly after acceptance. In terms of notification dates, ED decisions are usually released in December. The acceptance rates for ED can be higher than RD because colleges recognize the commitment that ED applicants are making. However, this doesn't inherently mean that it's easier to get in through ED, because the applicant pool can often be very competitive.

Regular Decision, on the other hand, is non-binding. Students have until May 1 (known as National College Decision Day) to decide whether they will attend. Notifications for RD typically come out in March or April. The RD pool is usually larger and more competitive than the ED pool.

Whether one is "better" than the other really depends on the individual. If you have a clear top choice, then applying ED could be beneficial. However, if you're unsure about where you want to go, or have concerns about financial aid, RD might be the better option, as it allows more time to compare offers from different schools.

A key point to note is that you can only apply to one school Early Decision, but you can apply to multiple schools Regular Decision. Lastly, if financial aid is a significant factor in your college decision, RD may be a safer option, as you have the ability to compare financial aid packages from multiple schools. If you apply ED, you're committing to attend, regardless of the financial aid package.