College Admissions categories

Colleges and universities have varying admission practices. Information pertaining to the policy of a prospective school will be found in its publications and on its website. Some of the more frequently mentioned practices are:

A. Early Admission: An exceptional student would terminate his/her high school education after the junior year and enroll in college. Admission generally is highly selective.

B. Early Decision: Students who have demonstrated sound academic ability apply for admission to their first choice college during the summer or very early in their senior year. Notification of admission is given usually in December or January. Restrictive policies vary with each school and must be checked carefully to see if early decision works to the individual's advantage. Generally, if you apply Early Decision, you must also sign a commitment to attend if accepted and to withdraw any applications submitted to other colleges.

C. Early Action: This plan allows the student to indicate a first choice college and receive a decision in the senior year well in advance of the normal response date in the spring. Students are not committed to enroll if accepted. It is usually not good protocol to apply to more than one college on this plan. NOTE: Students planning early action/early decision are usually advised to take SAT Subject Tests in spring of the junior year or the first possible test date in fall of the senior year.

D. Rolling Admission: As soon as an application is complete (meaning that the forms, the fee, and all required credentials have been received and processed), a decision on that application is made and the student is notified. It is generally advantageous for students to apply well in advance of the posted deadline because it is impossible to know how quickly the available spaces are being filled.

E. Regular Decision: The process whereby a college accepts applications from prospective students and delays the admission decision until all applications from the entire applicant pool have been received and evaluated. Decision letters are mailed to applicants, all at once, traditionally in March or April. The most selective colleges mail their decision letters in early to mid April.

F. Deferred Admission: Students who have alternate plans for the year following high school may apply to many colleges for deferred admission. The application process and timetable remain the same as for regular admission, but students should indicate that they do not intend to matriculate until the following year. An explanation of how the student plans to spend the year and the benefits the student expects to derive from it is usually required by the college.

G. Open Enrollment: A term now used by an institution that publishes a set of admission standards and pledges to admit any student whose credentials equal or exceed them. Most often used by community colleges. H. Wait List: The process used by selective colleges who do not initially offer or deny admission, but extend the possibility of admission at a later date (usually late May through July). Students should accept another college's offer since waiting list acceptances are very inconsistent. (Discuss all wait list situations with your counselor. Second semester grades and your method of reply can be critical to your acceptance.)

REMINDER: Once you make a FINAL decision regarding your college of choice, it is ESSENTIAL that you decline all other offers of admission. An email notification to the college recruiter or counselor is most appropriate.