As we get closer to the fall, many rising seniors are wondering, “Should I apply Early Decision?” One of our interns, Anita, recalls her decision to apply ED to University of Pennsylvania, why she did it and what her tips are to future applicants considering ED.
I had fallen head over heels for the school of my dreams. Every student was beautifully carved and destined for greatness, the dorms always smelled of chocolate chip cookies, and I wanted to clear out the whole bookstore of its college merchandise. It was love at first college tour. I knew right then and there that I was going to apply Early Decision to Penn.
My decision was greeted by a lot of different reactions. My mom suggested applying early to a lower ranked school, so that I wouldn’t “waste” my early decision advantage on an Ivy League that I had such a slim chance of getting into. My dad weighed in his doubts about not having any financial options if I got in through a binding process. My college counselor supported me with, “Well, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; might as well take a shot at it.” My friends furrowed their eyebrows, asking if this was truly my first and foremost dream school.
And it was.
For me, applying ED just felt right in so many ways. The school was only two hours from my hometown (not too far but not too close), and it had the best undergraduate business program in the country, the city of Philadelphia (I was looking for a city school), and all the spirit and career resources I was looking for. But I’m not telling you all this to sell my university to you and convince you to one day hope to become a Quaker too. I’m telling you this to describe how madly in love and sure I was when I clicked on the Early Decision button.
Here are some tips I want to share from my experience of applying Early Decision:
Early Decision Tip #1.
Applying Early Decision doesn’t guarantee you admissions. Make sure you work hard the first half of your senior year, because you might need to submit regular decision applications. Your fall senior semester will be in your application and don’t want your grades to drop.
Early Decision Tip #2.
Don’t procrastinate on your regular decision applications. If you wait till you hear back from your ED application, it’ll be too late and you’ll have to scramble to make the deadlines. You’ll only have 2-3 weeks to get all your applications done. It’ll be well worth it, even if you already got accepted.
Early Decision Tip # 3.
Make sure it’s obvious that you are wholeheartedly committed to your ED choice. I spent months tweaking my UPenn-specific essay because I really wanted to make sure they could see that I truly pictured myself at their university.
Early Decision Tip #4.
Just go for it. What is holding you back? The fear of not getting in? If you let the fear of failing stop you, you won’t be able to accomplish anything. If you need some reassurance, check out AdmitSee profiles to see how you compare, and what others have done to get accepted. You won’t regret getting rejected. You’ll regret never giving yourself the change.
Early Decision Tip #5.
Know how much financial aid you need. Early decision is a binding application, which means you have to enroll if you’re accepted. While the institution may still offer you financial aid, you won’t be able to compare financial aid packages at other universities. So, if financial aid is a big deciding factor you, consider holding off. Early action might be a better option for you since it’s not binding, and many universities will offer merit-based scholarships during the early round.
Keep in mind that applying Early Decision is might not make sense for everyone. If you think you can improve your transcript a little more with your fall senior semester, consider waiting for regular decision. If you are simply not sure if you are ready to commit, apply early action or regular decision. Don’t rush into a binding decision when you’re not ready.
We hope you found this helpful! If you still want more advice on applying Early Decision, check out what successful ED applicants have to say!
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