Register for our webinar: Deep Dive of the 2024 College Admissions Cycle Results

May 16, 2024 at 6:00 PM CT

Learn key takeaways and surprising trends through an in-depth analysis of the 2024 results. We'll share strategies for building a balanced college list based on the latest data and crafting a well-rounded application that stands out in an increasingly competitive environment.

Here’s what your student needs to think about when trying to determine if applying ED or REA is the right choice.

Early Decision (ED1 and ED2) 

For better or worse, we live in an Early Decision world. Many highly selective colleges, including Vanderbilt, Pomona, Tulane, Washington University in St. Louis, and Northwestern, fill about half of their classes via the Early Decision pool. And, because colleges know accepted students will attend, the acceptance rates are often significantly higher during the Early Decision round of admissions.

Our good friends Jeff Levy and Jennie Kent compile an annual spreadsheet showing the admissions rates for Early Decision as well as the percentage of the class filled with these early applicants. Analyzing the ED multiplier (the ratio of Early Decision to Regular Decision acceptance rates) of colleges on this spreadsheet can be a smart strategy for students trying to decide between applying early to two highly selective colleges that they equally love. For example, if a student’s two top choices are Dartmouth and Northwestern, with 4.4 and 3.9 multipliers respectively, applying ED at Dartmouth could potentially increase their chances of admission since a student is 4.4 times more likely to be accepted ED than RD. 

If your student is in love with a school and is absolutely sure it's where they want to spend the next four years, it may make sense to apply Early Decision. But it's not a decision to make likely: if they get accepted ED, they are legally bound to go to the school (unless the financial aid offer is too low to make the school affordable). 

With more colleges adding ED2 (with deadlines in January rather than December) as an option, it has become an important consideration.

While applying ED can improve admission chances, it complicates financial aid realities for families with need. While elite colleges meet full demonstrated need, attractive merit aid is rare. Have candid conversations about acceptable college debt and expectations about part-time work before applying ED. Consider using Net Price calculators (typically available on every college’s website - just Google “[name of college] Net Price Calculator”) and emphasize schools with generous aid histories when finalizing lists. For example, here is the Net Price Calculator on the University of Texas’s website. Remember, binding ED means you cannot compare aid offers from multiple top choices. While it may be tempting to test fortunes to gain acceptance at your teen’s dream college, make level-headed assessments of fit and affordability before settling or overstretching means. Education enabling success matters more than attending the absolute highest-ranked school possible, especially if it comes with a heavy debt load. Weigh priorities thoughtfully before applying ED when finances are a factor.

Other Restrictive Early Options

Restrictive Early Action (REA): A non-binding application process for students to apply to their top institution. Students who have applied to a college using REA are allowed to apply to other colleges, including public institutions, service academies, and rolling deadline programs, using non-binding early applications. They can also apply to any other college’s Regular Decision option. In some cases, students may be able to apply ED2 to another school if they are not admitted to their REA school, and the ED2 application deadline is after the REA’s school’s decision is released. Keep in mind that this category varies from school to school.

Single Choice Early Action (SCEA): A non-binding application process for students to apply to their top institution. Students may not apply to other schools through Early Action (EA) or ED. Students may apply to rolling admissions programs, ED2 if they are deferred or rejected from the SCEA school, and any other college by choosing the Regular Decision option.

Some elite schools use REA and Single Choice Early Action (SCEA) application deadlines. For example, Harvard, Stanford, and the University of Notre Dame utilize the former, while Princeton and Yale utilize the latter. While applying using these application deadlines can give the applicant a small boost, applying REA and SCEA doesn’t give applicants the same bump in admission chance as ED does. That’s something to think carefully about because, when they choose REA/SCEA, your student gives up the chance to apply ED1 at another school (although they may be able to apply ED2 at schools that offer that option if they don't get accepted to their REA/SCEA school). 

It’s worth analyzing statistics when thinking about applying REA. For example, Harvard’s REA acceptance rate for the high school class of 2023 was 7.6% vs. 2.6% for Regular Decision candidates. Yale, on the other hand, admitted 10% of SCEA applicants and 3.22% of regular admission applicants. So if your student was equally smitten with Harvard and Yale, applying SCEA to Yale would statistically yield much better odds for admission.

As colleges can change their early admission policies, it’s important to check and double-check before choosing an early option that may prevent or limit other early or regular applications. If your student has found the place where they're sure they will thrive academically and socially, we’re happy to help you strategize the best early option.