For many years when teenagers applied to college their applications were not due until January and they had all of their first term to decide what schools they wanted to apply to; however, this is no longer the case. Now there is Early Decision, a binding admission and Early Admission, a nonbinding admission. Applications are due in November and most students find out by mid-December which is before regular decision applications are even due.

According to Mr. Cheney, Director of College Counseling at Williston, 35% of students applied to schools ED and 46% EA this school year. This means that a total of 81% of the senior class applied to schools before the usual January 1 deadline.

When asked if college counseling prefers when students apply early, Mr. Cheney said, “With regard to early decision, if a student has completed a thorough and thoughtful search and their top choice school offers early decision, the answer is yes.”

He added, “When available, we often prefer to have a student file an early action application to a school where their chances of admission are greater. An early admission offer can take a lot of pressure off a student as they wade deeper into the college application process.”

Grace McMeekin ’16, who applied early decision to college, said, “I never thought I would be the type of person to apply ED because I’m indecisive but I realized Elon was the only perfect fit for me and my family really supported me going there. They also believed it was the perfect fit for me out of all the schools I looked out.”

Now that she has been accepted to Elon, Grace said, “It is kind of tough staying motivated because colleges have already seen my grades and like what they’ve seen and it seemed like everything I was doing last year was to get into college. Now, I’m staying motivated and enjoying my senior year.”

Although applying early to college whether binding or non-binding is available for the majority of schools, some students prefer to wait until the January deadlines.

Julie Lord ’16 said, “I did not ED because it’s binding and it is only half-way through the year. I could still change my mind.”

Although students may apply early, there is always the chance of being deferred or declined from their school of choice, which leaves them having to wait until April to hear from other schools.

Mr. Cheney shared some advice for students like this. He says, “It’s important for students to meet with their college counselor and they may need to modify their list of colleges. Beyond that, it’s important for students to continue to deliver their very best in the classroom, to remain positive, make good decisions, and focus on the things they can positively influence.”

At the end of the day whether a student applied early or not they will end up getting a school that is just right for them.