College Application Time: Should You Apply Early — Or Not?

Now that it's October, a common question on many high school seniors' minds is whether to apply early to college. There can be several benefits to applying early. However, the decision is not right for everyone. There are also several different early options to consider:

Rolling Admission: I remember on the first day of senior year, one boy in my grade had already been accepted to a college. While this might have made the rest of us panicky that we were somehow behind, he sailed smoothly through the rest of the year, knowing that he was going to attend his top choice. Rolling decision gives students a large period of time within which to apply, with the promise that the school will make their decision within a few weeks. Therefore, if a senior wants to apply in August or September to a school such as Elon University or Long Island University - C.W. Post, he or she can have an answer as early as October or November. While Rolling Admission is rare, it can provide comfort to students whose colleges of choice provide this option.

Early Action: This version typically has an application deadline around Halloween, with the guarantee that the school will make a decision by another set date, usually sometime in November or early December. Since the decision is non-binding, students are free to apply to other schools concurrently, and don't have to attend the college if accepted. This can be a great option for students who are very interested in a particular school or two and want to know their fate early on. Finding out that you've been accepted to a school such as Harvard, Georgetown or Bentley can mean not having to apply anywhere else, or it can mean continuing the search.

Early Decision: Most colleges offer applicants the chance to apply Early Decision. The deadlines typically mirror those of Early Action schools, but the conditions are a bit different. Seniors can only apply to one school Early Decision and, if accepted, must attend. The contract is off if the college defers making a decision until the regular deadline. In addition to a possible early acceptance, Early Decision comes with the added benefit of providing the applicant with a slight boost. This isn't to say that a C-student will be accepted to a top 10 school, but it can help tip the decision in his or her favor. This option is not for everyone, however: applying Early Decision can be the wrong choice for students who are uncertain about where they would like to attend or who would like to compare financial aid packages.

Early Decision II: This is just like Early Decision, but with a deadline later on in the year, typically after colleges have already made their Early Decision I decisions. Decisions for EDII are then made available in February or March. Schools such as Emory and NYU provide this to students who may have been rejected from another school early, but still want an acceptance decision soon. Again, this option is for seniors who are committed to attending the school if they are accepted.

Regular Decision: Some seniors simply haven't made up their minds until December. Others have been deferred or flat out rejected by the colleges to which they applied early. Either way, there's nothing wrong with waiting until the December or January deadline that most schools use. It can be a good way to keep your options open and apply to several schools at a time, finding out the schools' decisions around April.

But, take it from me, don't apply to 15 schools at once this way. It took me forever to write all the applications and there's really no need to apply to so many.