Early Application is one of the multiple application pathways offered by US colleges. Understanding these different pathways, their implications, and which ones might be the best fit for you is vital to creating an effective application. As the selectivity of a lot of US schools increases, Vela Education is dedicated to creating a strategy for each student to boost their chances of success. We recommend this US News and World Report article that lays out the main pathways for admission.

The deadlines for Early Action usually fall at the same time as Early Decision, between the 1^st and 15^th of November. Offers will then be sent out to applicants in December. To submit applications on time, students need to submit their finalised Common App and all associated supplements. It is important to note that for Regular Decision applications do not need to be completed or submitted at this time, even if a student is submitting an early application. Students can continue to work on their Regular Decision applications until the deadline in early January.

Unlike Early Decision, Early Action is not a legally binding option; this means that if a student gets accepted to their Early Action school, they are not obligated to accept that offer. As such, this application pathway does not provide the same strategic advantage as Early Decision. However, this option does still signal interest to the university while allowing students to also have an Early Decision choice at another institution. Selective US universities that have an Early Action pathway include the University of Virginia, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Villanova University, and Northeastern University amongst others.

This list includes three public universities which can help broaden the application landscape for a student. Public universities offer an excellent quality of education and are often a great choice for students looking for a larger student body as part of their university experience. Moreover, Early Action can be an attractive decision for students who would like to apply to two schools in the early round.

A few institutions offer another pathway: Single Choice Early Action. This application is also due as part of the early cycle in the first half of November. Like Early Action, it is not legally binding. However, because it is “single choice”, the student is only permitted to apply to that one school early. This means that a student could not submit other Early Action or Early Decision applications. Colleges that offer Single Choice Early Action do not have to worry about protecting their “yield”. Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and Princeton all offer this early admissions pathway. Due to its restrictive nature, this pathway is best used strategically for legacy students or student athletes.

Navigating these different pathways is complicated and students can benefit from creating a strategy for their application. If you have any questions or would like to discuss applying to the US, please get in touch.