Rolling Admission vs. Regular Decision: How does it work?

Can someone explain the difference between rolling admission and regular decision? I'm trying to figure out which one might be better for me. Do they affect my chances of acceptance or the timeline for hearing back?

Sure! Let's take these one at a time.

Rolling Admission is a type of application policy where the school reviews applications as they arrive rather than waiting for a specific deadline. This means you could potentially hear back from a school relatively quickly after you apply. It does give an advantage to those who apply earlier, as the school starts admitting students before the application deadline and might fill a significant portion of their class early on.

Regular Decision, however, is a deadline-driven process. All applications must be in by a particular date, and no applications are reviewed before that deadline gets here. Admissions decisions for all applicants typically come out at the same time, often a few months after the submission deadline.

The choice between Rolling Admission and Regular Decision could depend on a few factors. If you have a school that's your top choice and it offers rolling admission, it may be wise to apply as early as possible to take advantage of that process. This could lead to an earlier acceptance and a reduction in stress.

However, if you're someone who needs more time to put together a strong application — say, for instance, you want to showcase improvement in your grades during the first semester of your senior year — Regular Decision might be the best choice for you.

Remember that the timeline for hearing back is generally shorter with Rolling Admissions since schools review and make decisions on applications as they come in, whereas with Regular Decision, you’ll typically hear back around the same time as everyone else, a few months after the deadline.

Both admissions plans have their own advantages and can appropriately suit different scenarios, so it really comes down to your personal circumstances and comfort with your application strength as to which method would be optimal for you.