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Are you interested in knowing the location of your university as fast as it’s possible? If you’re able to apply for early, you could be able to plan your college plans before the mid-winter break of you senior year. This is a huge leap in comparison to waiting for notification announcements in March or April!
There are many schools that provide schools with an earlier action deadline, in addition to an annual decision deadline. This guide will explain the essential information you should learn about early action, and provide you with a an exhaustive list of the schools that provide this feature. What is the first step? How is early action implemented?
What You Need to Know About Early Action
Early action is the best option for you for those who have done their college research and are able to prepare each of the various components of your application prior to the deadline in November.
Research shows that a higher percentage of early action applicants are accepted as opposed to regular decision applicants. But, this higher acceptance rate may be due to the high competition of early action candidates rather than suggesting that applying early can give you an advantage.
A best general rule to go by is this: submit early when you’re well-organized and have a well-constructed application prepared. Be patient until the decision is final in case your application is stronger after a couple of months of work. Keep in mind that your top priority should be to make the best application that you can.
The most popular dates that allow early actions is November 1, and the 15th of November. The typical time to hear from these schools by mid-December. Hopefully, the news will make the perfect New Year’s wish!
If you do hear back in the early hours, you aren’t required to accept an acceptance letter before the national deadline that begins on May 1. Therefore, you are free to hold on to that admissions letter while you wait to receive a response from the rest of the schools you applied to. Then, you can look over financial aid offers and packages after you’ve gotten all admissions decisions.
Like with regular decisions applications, your application might be approved or rejected. There’s another possibility: deferring. This means your application will be put into the decision pool, to be reviewed at the beginning of February or in March.
If you’re deferred, but are keen on the school you can send the mid-year grades or test results in the event that you believe they will help your application. You can also contact an admissions representative to ask what else you could submit to help your application stand out.
In the majority of cases you are able to apply to any number of early action colleges as you like; however there are some schools that have limited or one-choice early action this means that you cannot apply for early action elsewhere. (Note that you may apply your regular decisions elsewhere.) Schools that have restrictive Early action rules comprise Harvard, Stanford, and Yale.
Complete List of Early Action Schools by State
Below is the complete list of schools that have early action, arranged alphabetically by the state in which they are located. Some of the most well-known schools include Caltech, MIT, Georgetown, UNC, the University of Chicago and The University of Michigan, Notre Dame, UVA, and Villanova.
Find your school of interest through the state of your residence, or use the ctrl +F function in your computer keyboard. Type the initial alphabets of the name name and be taken directly to the school.
Please note that there are none of the schools located within Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, or Wyoming that offer early Action admissions. We’ll make sure to amend this article in the event that this alters.
Alabama
- Auburn University
- Birmingham-Southern College
Arkansas
- Hendrix College
- University of Arkansas
California
- Azusa Pacific University
- Biola University
- California Baptist University
- California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
- California Lutheran University
- Chapman University
- Concordia University Irvine
- Loyola Marymount University
- The Master’s University
- Menlo College
- Mount Saint Mary’s University
- Point Loma Nazarene University
- Saint Mary’s College of California
- Santa Clara University
- Simpson University
- Soka University of America
- Stanford University
- University of the Pacific
- University of Redlands
- University of San Francisco
- University of Southern California
- Vanguard University of Southern California
- Westmont College
- Whittier College
Colorado
- Colorado College
- Colorado State University
- University of Colorado Boulder
- University of Denver
Connecticut
- Fairfield University
- Sacred Heart University
- United States Coast Guard Academy
- University of New Haven
- Yale University
Delaware
- Delaware College of Art and Design
- University of Delaware
District of Columbia
- Catholic University of America
- Georgetown University
- Howard University
Florida
- Eckerd College
- Lynn University
- University of Miami
- University of Tampa
Georgia
- Agnes Scott College
- Emmanuel College
- Georgia College and State University
- Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)
- Georgia State University
- Mercer University
- Morehouse College
- Oglethorpe University
- Spelman College
- University of Georgia
Idaho
- College of Idaho
- Northwest Nazarene University
Illinois
- Augustana College
- DePaul University
- Illinois College
- Illinois Wesleyan University
- Knox College
- Lake Forest College
- School of the Art Institute of Chicago
- University of Chicago
- University of Illinois at Chicago
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Wheaton College
Indiana
- Butler University
- DePauw University
- Earlham College
- Grace College
- Hanover College
- Purdue University
- Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
- University of Evansville
- University of Notre Dame
- Wabash College
Iowa
- Coe College
- Cornell College
- University of Iowa
- Wartburg College
Kentucky
- Bellarmine University
- Centre College
- Transylvania University
- University of Kentucky
Louisiana
- Centenary College of Louisiana
- Tulane University
Maine
- Maine Maritime Academy
- Saint Joseph’s College of Maine
- Thomas College
- Unity College
- University of Maine
- University of Maine at Farmington
- University of Maine at Machias
- University of New England
Maryland
- Goucher College
- Loyola University Maryland
- McDaniel College
- Mount St. Mary’s University
- Salisbury University
- St. John’s College
- University of Maryland
- University of Maryland, Baltimore County
- Washington College
Massachusetts
- Assumption College
- Babson College
- Bay Path University
- Becker College
- Berklee College of Music
- Bridgewater State University
- Clark University
- Curry College
- Dean College
- Emerson College
- Emmanuel College
- Framingham State University
- Gordon College
- Hampshire College
- Harvard University
- Hellenic College
- Lasell College
- Lesley University
- Massachusetts College of Art and Design
- Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
- Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- Massachusetts Maritime Academy
- Merrimack College
- Montserrat College of Art
- Northeastern University
- Regis College
- Salem State University
- Simmons College
- Stonehill College
- Suffolk University
- University of Massachusetts Amherst
- University of Massachusetts Boston
- University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
- University of Massachusetts Lowell
- Wheaton College
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute
- Worcester State University
Michigan
- Central Michigan University
- College for Creative Studies
- Kalamazoo College
- Michigan State University
- University of Michigan
Minnesota
- College of Saint Benedict
- Gustavus Adolphus College
- Hamline University
- Minneapolis College of Art and Design
- Saint John’s University
- University of Minnesota–Twin Cities
Mississippi
- Millsaps College
Nevada
- University of Nevada–Reno
New Hampshire
- Saint Anselm College
- Southern New Hampshire University
- University of New Hampshire
New Jersey
- Bloomfield College
- Caldwell University
- Felician College
- Georgian Court University
- Kean University
- Monmouth University
- Princeton University
- Rider University
- Rutgers–New Brunswick
- Saint Peter’s University
- Seton Hall University
- William Paterson University
New Mexico
- St. John’s College
New York
- Adelphi University
- Bard College
- College of Mount Saint Vincent
- College of Saint Rose
- Columbia University, School of General Studies
- Concordia College New York
- Fordham University
- Hofstra University
- Iona College
- Ithaca College
- Le Moyne College
- LIM College
- LIU Brooklyn
- LIU Post
- Manhattanville College
- Marist College
- Molloy College
- New York Institute of Technology
- Niagara University
- Pace University
- Parsons School of Design (The New School)
- Pratt Institute
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- The Sage Colleges
- Siena College
- SUNY Albany (University at Albany)
- SUNY Binghamton (Binghamton University)
- SUNY Buffalo (University at Buffalo)
- SUNY Cortland
- SUNY New Paltz
- SUNY Oneonta
- SUNY Polytechnic Institute
- SUNY Purchase (Purchase College)
- Utica College
- Wells College
North Carolina
- Elon University
- High Point University
- Lees-McRae College
- Lenoir-Rhyne University
- North Carolina State University
- Queens University of Charlotte
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte
- University of North Carolina at Wilmington
- Warren Wilson College
- Western Carolina University
Ohio
- Case Western Reserve University
- Cleveland Institute of Art
- College of Wooster
- John Carroll University
- Miami University
- Ohio State University
- Ohio Wesleyan University
- University of Akron
- University of Cincinnati
- University of Dayton
- Wittenberg University
Oklahoma
- University of Oklahoma
- University of Tulsa
Oregon
- Eastern Oregon University
- George Fox University
- Lewis & Clark College
- Linfield College
- Oregon State University
- Reed College
- University of Oregon
- Willamette University
Pennsylvania
- Duquesne University
- La Salle University
- Lycoming College
- Penn State (all undergraduate campuses)
- Saint Joseph’s University
- Susquehanna University
- Temple University
- University of Scranton
- Ursinus College
- Villanova University
- Washington & Jefferson College
- Westminster College
Rhode Island
- Bryant University
- Providence College
- Roger Williams University
- Salve Regina University
- University of Rhode Island
South Carolina
- College of Charleston
- Furman University
- Presbyterian College
- University of South Carolina
- Wofford College
Tennessee
- Rhodes College
- Sewanee: University of the South
- University of Tennessee–Knoxville
Texas
- Abilene Christian University
- Austin College
- Baylor University
- Southern Methodist University
- Southwestern University
- Tarleton State University
- Texas Christian University
- Texas Lutheran University
- Trinity University
- University of Dallas
- University of St. Thomas
Utah
- University of Utah
Vermont
- Bennington College
- Marlboro College
- Saint Michael’s College
- Sterling College
- University of Vermont
Virginia
- Christendom College
- Christopher Newport University
- George Mason University
- Hampden-Sydney College
- Hampton University
- Hollins University
- James Madison University
- Longwood University
- Old Dominion University
- Patrick Henry College
- Radford University
- Randolph College
- Randolph-Macon College
- Sweet Briar College
- University of Mary Washington
- University of Richmond
- University of Virginia
- University of Virginia’s College at Wise
Washington
- Cornish College of the Arts
- Northwest University
- Seattle Pacific University
- Seattle University
- Whitworth University
West Virginia
- Shepherd University
Wisconsin
- Beloit College
- Carthage College
- Lawrence University
- University of Wisconsin–Madison
You can observe that there are lots of schools that offer early action. However, does it provide you with an advantage when you apply early to an institution? Yes, it does. Early application can show how much you love the institution, and also show your determination to attend.
In addition, schools generally admit more early action students than regular decision applicants. This means that they are able to get a greater yield. Yield is the percentage of students who accept acceptance of admission offers.
Because early action applicants are committed to attending the school and are much more inclined to agree with admission offers. When it comes to yields, the greater number of students accept admissions offers and accept the offer, the greater the school’s return will be. The higher the yield of a school more likely to be to anticipate the number of students who will enroll and not have to create the waitlists.
However the fact that you apply early does not result in bad grades or low scores appear better, particularly because students who apply early are often among the most successful applicants.
Timeline for Applying Early Action to College
If you decide to apply for early, then you’ll have to be immersed in college planning several months earlier than you do for regular deadlines for decision making (though whatever you choose to do you’ll be able to benefit from preparing earlier! ).
The components that require time-bound planning are the SAT/ACT as well as you recommendations letters as well as the personal essays. The fall semester is when you’ll be required to send the transcript request form to your guidance office. You can also take time to fill out your Common Application or school’s individual application.
Here’s a quick timeline to show how you can take early intervention.
Step 1: Take the SAT/ACT
For the SAT/ACT, it’s a great suggestion to plan ahead for ample time for SAT and ACT testing dates. The students usually increase their scores when they take the SAT/ACT again particularly when they practice specific, focused test preparation between tests. If you take early action, your final opportunity to test the ACT is in September, and the last opportunity to test for the SAT is in October (both in you final year of high school).
As this is just prior to the deadline for early action and you’ll likely not be able to see your scores prior to you decide to decide whether you want to submit them. In the midst of all the other events happening during the autumn of the senior year there’s no question it’s best to take the tests earlier. We recommend taking the test first in the autumn during your senior year. You can take it later in the Spring of your Junior year and the third time (if necessary) in the fall or in the summer following your junior year.
Consider the amount of time you’ll be able to dedicate to test preparation and how often you’d like to complete the tests in order to get those SAT or the ACT score goals. As you can see, preparing your SAT/ACT may begin more than an entire year before the actual date for early action!
Step 2: Ask for Letters of Recommendation
For letters of recommendation You should give your counselors and teachers at least a month to draft your letter. That means that you must get your recommendation letters in by the 1st of October in your senior year.
It’s a great idea to make a request at the end in your senior year because these teachers will be able to remember you the best at this stage. They’ll be impressed by the way you’re doing on college applications!
Step 3: Plan and Begin Writing Your College Essay
Similar to letters of recommendation It is important to take some time creating as well as writing the personal essays along with any other essays. I suggest working on it during the summer. Reading essay prompts may assist you in brainstorming ideas for ideas.
Then, you can spend several months writing your essay, receiving feedback, then revising the essay till you are ready to submit it.
Step 4: Finish Your Application
Then, between September and October, it is time to will be able to finish the rest of your application by proofreading all of the information and creating a narrative regarding your other activities with a persuasive style.
If you begin your application process early in the early spring in the junior school year (earlier which includes the SAT/ACT) You should be prepared with a thorough and well-written application by the end of November, absolutely!