Regular Decision: The classic college application, offering students more time to complete the application process. Deadlines for regular decision applicants vary among schools but typically fall in January or February of a student’s senior year. 

Early Action: Early action (EA) applications are due in the first two weeks of November. EA applications are non-binding. Early action applications are just like regular decision applications in that you won’t have to tell a college whether you plan to attend until the spring.

Early Decision: Early decision (ED) applicants submit their college applications before November 15 of senior year. ED is binding. If a student submits an ED application and the school accepts the student, the student is obligated to attend the school without considering or waiting to hear back from other colleges. Only students who are positively sure of where they want to go to school should apply via ED. Particularly if financial aid will play a significant role in your college decision, ED may not be the right option. Regular decision and early action applications will allow you to compare financial aid and choose a school that offers the most aid.