If you submit your application by this date, you will receive an admissions decision from that college sooner (typically in December).  Early Action deadlines can vary at each school, but are typically in mid-October or early November. This gives many students & families reassurance by receiving an acceptance early on OR allows families more time to change their game plan and apply to additional schools if not accepted to top choices.

This type of deadline (usually in November) is “binding” which means you must attend this school if they choose to accept you.  Students may only make this commitment to 1 school and must withdraw all other applications if accepted by this school.  Choosing this shows your commitment to the school which makes you a more appealing applicant, but students often receive less comparable financial aid packages if accepted.  You may deny an Early Decision acceptance if the school does not meet your demonstrated financial need, but the key word here is "Decision"...you are making the decision to commit to this school if they accept you without hearing from any other schools.

This is a type of early deadline.  Many colleges will specify that you must apply by this deadline to have priority consideration for admission to a specific program (honors college, certain majors, etc.), scholarships, and/or other forms of financial aid.

This type of deadline is typically in January for most schools.  This is the last deadline to apply to a school.  Applying Regular Decision may be a good fit for you if you need more time to work on your college application material and/or need to show your 1st semester senior year grades to strengthen your application. 

If a school offers “rolling admissions”, you may apply to this school at any time during their listed application window. Acceptances are usually granted on a first-come, first-serve basis.  Rolling Admissions does NOT mean that you should procrastinate.