Many students apply to US universities in the Early Round. This means applying Early Action, Restrictive Early Action, or Early Decision 1. These offers are often released in the middle of December. Precise dates are determined by schools. So double check with your first-choice uni!

At Vela Education, we aim to make the US university admissions process as clear as possible. Below are the possible outcomes from early applications.

Accepted: You have been offered a place! In most cases, this offer is unconditional, though, it is necessary that you finish your secondary school at the level indicated by your school in their transcript. For A Level, Pre-U, or IB students, this means that your final grades must be submitted to the US uni you choose. However, conditions may be placed on scholarship awards – for example, needing an A* result in a certain subject. Please remember that to hold your place, you must pay a non-refundable deposit. 

Deferred: During the early round, some students may be deferred to the regular decision pool. Though this is disappointing, students should not be too discouraged by this news!  Being deferred means an admissions committee thought you were a promising candidate, but the school wants more time to consider your application in the context of the regular decision pool. Deferment does mean you need to you write a letter of continued interest and also continue to update the school about your achievements via your applicant portal.

Denied: Unfortunately, you have not been offered a spot. Sadly, with US university admissions becoming increasing competitive. Though you may feel compelled to enquire why you did not receive an offer, schools will not provide an explanation! You can reach out to an advisor at Vela Education to review your materials and help you prepare stronger applications for the Regular Decision round.  

If you have any questions about your early round offer, please reach out to us! We are here to help.