Early Decision vs. Early Action

There are a variety of reasons why a student would apply Early Decision or Early Action to a university: they want to receive an admissions decision as early as possible, they have all of their application materials ready to go by the ED or EA deadline, they have a definite top choice and want to ensure they have the best chance at earning admission, etc. Applying early can boost your interest quotient (IQ) by confirming to the university that you are fully committed to attending and can give your application an edge; however, you want to be certain that you are choosing the admission process that is right for you. To the right, you will find the commonly used application processes along with a description for each.