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Early decision
01
a college admissions process where students apply to a single institution early in their senior year and commit to attending if accepted
What is "early decision"?
Early decision is a binding application process in which a student applies to a college or university earlier than the regular admission deadline, typically by November. If accepted through early decision, the student is committed to attending that institution and must withdraw applications to other schools. This option is suitable for students who have a clear first-choice school and are certain about their decision. However, early decision requires a signed commitment, and applicants must agree to attend if admitted, regardless of financial aid offers or other factors.
Example
The student applied to Harvard University through early decision in hopes of securing a spot in their dream school.
She was relieved when she got accepted through early decision to her top-choice university.
Early decision applications typically have a higher acceptance rate than regular decision applicants.
