How do regular decision schools differ from early decision ones?

Can someone explain how regular decision schools operate compared to early decision? I'm juggling which option might be best for me. I'd love to understand the differences in terms of timelines and commitment levels.

Regular Decision (RD) and Early Decision (ED) are two different admission processes that colleges offer and they mainly differ in their application deadlines, notification dates, and levels of commitment.

For Regular Decision, the application deadlines usually fall between January 1-15. After the submission, you'll typically receive notification of your admission decision around March or April. This process is non-binding, which means you have until May 1st (National College Decision Day) to choose from all the colleges that accept you.

On the other hand, Early Decision has much earlier deadlines, typically in November. Notifications for ED applications usually come in mid-December. ED is a binding process which means you're making a commitment to attend that college if you're accepted. You can only apply to one school under ED, but you're allowed to apply to other schools under non-binding admission processes like Regular Decision or Early Action. If accepted via ED, you must withdraw all other applications.

One advantage of ED is that it can sometimes give you a slight edge in the admission process, because colleges appreciate the demonstrated interest and commitment. Remember though, this comes with the requirement to attend if accepted, so it's best for students who have a clear first-choice school and have no major concerns about financial aid. RD, by contrast, gives you more flexibility and time to compare offers from different schools before making a decision.

In terms of choosing which option is best, it really depends on your circumstances and preferences. If you have a clear first-choice school and you're ready to commit, ED might be the better option. If you want to keep your options open and compare financial aid packages from different schools, then RD might serve you better.