Ready or not, the college application season has begun. Early or not is often the question.

I know I’m not the only one who feels the college application process seems to be creeping earlier each year.

There used to be uniformity among colleges and their deadlines. For the most part, applications were due in January of the senior year and students were notified in March or April. When colleges recognized that many students ended up choosing to attend the first college that accepted them, they started a domino effect with earlier and earlier notifications, and with that came earlier application deadlines.

Early admissions consists of four distinct programs: Early Action (EA), Early Decision (ED), and because a handful of colleges insist on making the process even more complicated, we now have something with two different names  “Single Choice Early Action,”  (SCEA) and “Restricted Early Action (REA). Many other schools operate with a “Rolling Admissions” process that reviews applications as they come in and they notify students continuously. Many colleges offer multiple admissions programs and students must choose the right one for them.

Early Action (EA):

Early Action is a great option for the well-prepared student who has a solid transcript and has taken the necessary standardized tests. Students apply early and may apply EA to as many colleges as they choose. The biggest benefit for students is that they are notified early; in most cases before January 1.

October 15 is now the first deadline for many colleges and universities. This movement towards earlier deadlines is especially popular in the Southeast with many of the large public flagships universities leading the way.

Early Decision (ED):

Early Decision is binding; students who are accepted must withdraw their other applications and are bound to attend that school. Students are allowed to apply to just one school ED and the deadlines are in early November with notification by mid-December. A newish program is called ED II

There is a lot of folklore surrounding the perceived benefits of applying ED. However, exactly how much more likely a student is to be accepted if they apply ED  rather than Regular Decision (RD) is very variable. In some cases, there is a big jump in acceptance rates and at other colleges, it is not significant at all. Parents and students need to keep in mind that the higher rates of acceptance with ED can often be attributed to a variety of factors. Typically the strongest students are applying early and they would have been accepted in Regular Decision as well. Additionally, athletes, legacies, students whose families have given generously, and students with focused interests are encouraged to apply Early Decision and these factors often skew the numbers.

Bierer is an independent college adviser based in Charlotte. Send questions to: lee@bierercollegeconsulting.com; www.bierercollegeconsulting.com