The concept of early admission is simple: you apply early, you hear back early. Not all schools offer early admission, but those that do will typically offer some combination of the following three options:

• Early Decision (ED) is a binding commitment to attend the school if accepted. Early Decision I (ED1) apps are generally due in early November with notification in mid to late December, while Early Decision II (ED2) apps are generally due in early January with notification in February.

• Early Action (EA) is non-binding, with an early November due date and notification typically in December.

• Restrictive Early Action (REA) is identical to early action, but with added restrictions on where else you can apply. Some institutions call this Single Choice Early Action.

Colleges love early decision because it's binding, but from your vantage point it only makes sense if you're sure the school is for you. In contrast, early action makes sense all of the time since there is no obligation to attend. Either way, the key insight is that most schools admit competitive early applicants at a higher rate than those applying regular decision.

Early decision is an admission plan that obligates you to attend the institution if accepted.  Early Decision I applications (ED1) are usually due in early November, with notification in mid-December.  Early Decision II (ED2) applications are usually due in early January with notification in February.  Because early decision is a binding commitment, it only makes sense to apply to a school this way under the following conditions:

• You're a competitive applicant
• You are absolutely certain you'd attend if you were admitted
• You don't need fall semester grades to strengthen your candidacy
• You're not dependent on financial aid or are willing to forgo your ability to shop around for it
• You're not precluded from applying to a school this way based on the early admission policies from schools higher ranked on your list

Early action is an admission option that does not bind you to attend an institution if accepted.  Early action applications are usually due in early November, with notification in December.  Because early action is non-binding, in nearly always makes sense to apply this way to schools on your list assuming:

• You're a competitive applicant
• You don't need fall semester grades to enhance your candidacy
• Applying early doesn't actually hurt your odds
• The terms and conditions of the early admission programs ranked higher on your list don't prevent you from doing so

What is restrictive early action?

How can early admission help you to maximize admission odds?