When Early Decision is a Bad Decision October 6, 2009

Ian Welham discusses early decision and early action.

This is the time of the year when New Jersey high school seniors are starting to focus on their college applications. As they narrow their list and zero in on their top choices, they’re looking for every advantage that might lift them from “denied” to “accepted.”

Lots of parents have been asking us about early decision, wondering if that improves your odds of acceptance. The conversation usually goes something like this: “Suzie really wants to go to Stanford, so we’re applying for early decision. We hear the odds of getting in are much higher with early decision.”

Let me ask you: Would you buy a house for list price, as is? When you buy a new car do you walk into the dealership and say, “I’ll take it, whatever the sticker price says”?

That’s exactly what you do when you choose early decision. You’re contractually obligated to accept whatever financial aid package they give you (or not give you, which is the more likely case). You have no negotiating power, and zero options.

Even if money is no object, I still caution against early decision. Every study I’ve seen, every book I’ve read indicates that students may have a slight admissions advantage by applying early decision (due to the fact that colleges want to improve their “yield” – the percentage of students accepting their offers of admission). But at what cost?

Besides the fact that it’s the most expensive way to pay for college, early decision means you’re locked in to that one school. You can’t change your mind. I’ve got news for you: kids do change their mind. Lots can happen in the 5-6 months between early decision and May 1. One of my daughters had based all her college plans around staying close to home. But at the 11th hour she decided to attend the University of Miami (and is deliriously happy there). She never could have made that choice had she applied early decision to one of her early top choice schools.

On the other hand, early action decisions are not binding. Early action students have the option of saying yes to an early acceptance, or delaying their decision until hearing from other schools. This is a smart way to go, especially if you’re looking to get an early ‘Yes’ under your belt to relieve some of the pressure.