When you start looking at application requirements for different colleges and universities, you will notice that many of them have both early action and regular decision deadlines.
As the name suggests, early action deadlines are always sooner than regular decision deadlines, which can make some students question when to submit their applications to have the best chance of admission.
While most of these colleges acknowledge that submitting your application before the early action deadline will not improve your chances of admission, there are still some distinct advantages to applying early.
This guide will explain the ins and outs of early action and some reasons why you might consider applying to college before the regular decision window.
What is early action?
If you apply early action, it simply means that you are submitting your application earlier than the regular deadline.
Typically, schools that offer early action will have early action deadlines in early to mid-November and regular decision deadlines in early January.
Because early action applicants submit their applications for review earlier, they also receive their decisions earlier. Instead of waiting until March or April to see if they are admitted, they will see their admission status in December or early January.
Applying early action is not the same thing as applying early decision. You are not bound to attend that university if you are accepted, you are just able to find out if you have been accepted earlier than other applicants.
Advantages of applying early action
Although applying early action in no way guarantees admission, there are a few key advantages to submitting your applications during this early window of time:
Less competition
When you apply early action, you will likely receive your admission decision from a college before many students even submit their application.
This means that your application will be compared with other early action applicants and not the entire pool of students who will end up applying to that college.
Even the most selective colleges and universities have a higher acceptance rate of early admission applicants. By applying early action, you are ensuring that your application is being compared with fewer applicants, which has the potential to give you a better chance for admission.
Quicker decision
When you apply early action, you will receive your admission decision early, too. This will give you more time to decide which college you want to attend, which is one of the most important decisions you will make in your life.
The national college response deadline is May 1.
If you aren’t hearing back from the majority of the schools where you apply until the spring, you may only have a month or two to compare financial aid packages, visit the schools again, and make your final decision.
Applying early will allow you to have from January until May to weigh your options and make the best possible decision for your academic future.
Scholarship opportunities
Some colleges and universities only offer certain financial aid packages and scholarship opportunities to students who apply by their early action deadline.
Look carefully at the financial aid and application requirement details when you browse the websites of each school on your list. If they tie financial aid to application deadlines, you will want to apply early.
Chances for deferment
If you apply to a college early, you could have the chance to be deferred instead of rejected.
When you are deferred, it simply means that the college has moved your application to the regular decision pool so they have more time to consider your application before making an official decision.
During this period of time, many schools allow students to send additional application materials like updated test scores, new grade reports, and extra letters of recommendation to boost their chances of admission.
If you wait until the regular admission deadline to apply, you may not have the opportunity to receive deferment status if your application isn’t up to par.
Early action deadlines
As you can see, it can be advantageous to apply early rather than waiting until the regular admission deadline.
If you are starting to apply to colleges, you should consider applying early.
Here are a list of colleges (in alphabetical order) that offer early action and the deadlines for submitting your applications at these schools according to Campus Prep:
| School | State | Early Action Deadline | Early Action Decision |
| Adelphi University | NY | December 1 | December 31 |
| Agnes Scott College | GA | November 15 / January 15 | December 15 / February 15 |
| Assumption College | MA | November 1 / December 15 | December 15 / January 31 |
| Auburn University | AL | December 1 | — |
| Augustana College | IL | November 1 | December 20 |
| Austin College | TX | December 1 / February 1 | January 15 / March 1 |
| Azusa Pacific University | CA | November 15 | Within three weeks |
| Babson College | MA | November 1 | December 15 |
| Bard College | NY | November 1 | December 31 |
| Bay Path University | MA | December 15 | — |
| Baylor University | TX | November 2 | January 15 |
| Bellarmine University | KY | November 1 | — |
| Beloit College | WI | November 1 / December 1 | December 1 / January 1 |
| Bennington College | VT | December 1 | February 1 |
| Berklee College of Music | MA | November 1 | January 31 |
| Binghamton University—SUNY | NY | November 1 | January 15 |
| Biola University | CA | November 15 / January 15 | January 15 / February 15 |
| Birmingham-Southern College | AL | November 15 | December 15 |
| Bloomfield College | NJ | November 30 | December 31 |
| Bridgewater State University | MA | November 15 | December 15 |
| Bryant University | RI | November 15 | January 15 |
| Butler University | IN | November 1 | December 31 |
| Caldwell University | NJ | December 1 | December 31 |
| California Baptist University | CA | December 1 | — |
| California Institute of Technology | CA | November 1 | December 15 |
| California Lutheran University | CA | November 1 | January 15 |
| Carthage College | WI | Summer | September 15 |
| Case Western Reserve University | OH | November 1 | December 21 |
| The Catholic University of America | DC | November 1 | January 1 |
| Centenary College of Louisiana | LA | December 1 | — |
| Centre College | KY | December 1 | January 15 |
| Chapman University | CA | November 1 | December 31 to February |
| Christendom College | VA | December 1 | December 15 |
| Christopher Newport University | VA | December 1 | January 15 |
| Clark University | MA | November 15 | — |
| Cleveland Institute of Art | OH | December 1 / January 15 | January 15 / February 15 |
| Coe College | IA | December 10 | Within two weeks |
| College of Charleston | SC | December 1 | February 1 |
| College for Creative Studies | MI | December 1 | — |
| College of Idaho | ID | November 15 / January 15 | December 15 / February 15 |
| College of Mount Saint Vincent | NY | November 15 | December 15 |
| College of Saint Benedict | MN | November 15 / December 15 | December 15 / January 15 |
| College of Wooster | OH | November 15 | December 31 |
| Colorado College | CO | November 1 | December 17 |
| Colorado State University | CO | December 1 | December 31 |
| Columbia University, School of General Studies | NY | January 15 / March 1 | March 1 / May 1 |
| Concordia College New York | NY | November 15 | — |
| Concordia University Irvine | CA | November 15 / February 15 | December 15 / March 1 |
| Cornish College of the Arts | WA | December 1 | December 15 |
| Curry College | MA | December 1 | December 15 |
| Dean College | MA | November 1 / December 1 | December 15 / January 15 |
| Delaware College of Art and Design | DE | December 1 | January 1 |
| DePaul University | IL | November 15 | December 15 |
| DePauw University | IN | December 1 | January 15 |
| Duquesne University | PA | December 1 | — |
| Earlham College | IN | November 15 / January 1 | December 15 / February 1 |
| Eckerd College | FL | November 15 | December 15 |
| Elon University | NC | November 1 | December 20 |
| Emerson College | MA | November 1 | December 15 |
| Emmanuel College | GA | November 1 | After December 15 / After January 15 |
| Fairfield University | CT | November 1 | December 20 |
| Fordham University | NY | November 1 | December 19 |
| Framingham State University | MA | November 15 | — |
| Furman University | SC | December 1 | January 15 |
| George Fox University | OR | November 1 | Rolling |
| George Mason University | VA | November 1 | December 15 |
| Georgetown University | DC | November 1 | December 15 |
| Georgia College and State University | GA | October 15 | Early December |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | GA | October 15/ November 1 | — |
| Gordon College | MA | November 1 | November 15 / December 15 |
| Goucher College | MD | December 1 | February 1 |
| Gustavus Adolphus College | MN | November 1 | November 15 |
| Hamline University | MN | December 1 | December 20 |
| Hampden-Sydney College | VA | October 15 | — |
| Hampshire College | MA | December 1 | February 15 |
| Hampton University | VA | November 1 | January 31 |
| Hanover College | IN | November 1 | Rolling |
| Harvard University | MA | November 1 | December 15 |
| Hellenic College | MA | December 1 | — |
| Hendrix College | AR | November 15 | Beginning December 15 / Beginning March 1 |
| High Point University | NC | November 15 | December 16 |
| Hofstra University | NY | November 15 | Beginning December 15 / Beginning January 15 |
| Hollins University | VA | November 15 | — |
| Howard University | DC | November 1 | December 15 |
| Illinois College | IL | December 1 | — |
| Illinois Wesleyan University | IL | November 15 | November 15 to December 15 |
| Iona College | NY | December 15 | — |
| Ithaca College | NY | December 1 | February 1 |
| James Madison University | VA | November 15 | — |
| John Carroll University | OH | December 1 | December 21 |
| Kalamazoo College | MI | November 1 | December 20 |
| Kean University | NJ | January 1 | January 31 |
| Knox College | IL | November 1 / December 1 | December 15 / January 15 |
| La Salle University | PA | November 1 | November 30 |
| Lake Forest College | IL | November 1 / January 15 | Rolling |
| Lasell College | MA | November 15 / January 15 | December 1 / February 1 |
| Lawrence University | WI | November 1 / December 1 | December 15 / January 25 |
| Le Moyne College | NY | November 15 | Beginning December 15 |
| Lees-McRae College | NC | December 1 | December 15 |
| Lesley University | MA | December 1 | January 1 |
| Lewis & Clark College | OR | November 1 | January 1 |
| LIM College | NY | November 15 | — |
| Longwood University | VA | December 1 | — |
| Loyola Marymount University | CA | November 1 | December 31 |
| Loyola University Maryland | MD | November 15 | January 15 |
| Lycoming College | PA | December 1 | December 15 |
| Lynn University | FL | November 15 | — |
| Maine Maritime Academy | ME | November 30 | February 1 |
| Manhattanville College | NY | December 1 | Rolling |
| Marist College | NY | November 15 | January 15 |
| Massachusetts College of Art and Design | MA | December 1 | Early January |
| Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | MA | November 1 / December 1 | December 15 / January 15 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | MA | November 1 | December 15 |
| Massachusetts Maritime Academy | MA | November 15 | — |
| The Master’s University | CA | November 1 | — |
| McDaniel College | MD | November 15 / December 15 | December 15 / January 15 |
| Menlo College | CA | November 15 | December 15 |
| Mercer University | GA | October 15 | November 7 |
| Merrimack College | MA | November 15 / January 15 | December 1 / February 1 |
| Miami University | OH | December 1 | January 15 |
| Michigan State University | MI | November 1 | January 15 |
| Millsaps College | MS | November 15 | January 15 |
| Minneapolis College of Art and Design | MN | December 1 | December 15 |
| Molloy College | NY | December 1 | Decisions “made promptly” |
| Monmouth University | NJ | December 1 | January 15 |
| Montserrat College of Art | MA | December 6 | December 19 |
| Mount Saint Mary’s University | CA | December 1 | January 15 |
| Mount St. Mary’s University | MD | November 1 | December 25 |
| New York Institute of Technology | NY | February 15 | Rolling |
| North Carolina State University | NC | November 1 | January 30 |
| Northeastern University | MA | November 1 | February 1 |
| Northwest Nazarene University | ID | November 15 | — |
| Northwest University | WA | November 15 / January 15 | — |
| Oglethorpe University | GA | November 15 | Within two weeks |
| The Ohio State University | OH | November 15 | January 31 |
| Ohio Wesleyan University | OH | December 1 | December 15 |
| Old Dominion University | VA | December 1 | January 31 |
| Oregon State University | OR | November 1 | December 14 |
| Pace University | NY | November 15 / December 1 | — |
| Parsons School of Design (The New School) | NY | November 1 | December 31 |
| Patrick Henry College | VA | November 1 | Rolling |
| Pennsylvania State University (all undergraduate campuses) | PA | November 1 | December 24 |
| Point Loma Nazarene University | CA | November 15 | December 15 |
| Pratt Institute | NY | November 1 | Late December to early January |
| Presbyterian College | SC | December 1 | December 15 |
| Princeton University | NJ | November 1 | December 15 |
| Providence College | RI | November 1 | Early January |
| Purchase College—SUNY | NY | November 15 | — |
| Purdue University | IN | November 1 | January 15 |
| Radford University | VA | December 1 | January 15 |
| Randolph College | VA | November 15 | December 15 |
| Randolph-Macon College | VA | November 15 | January 1 |
| Reed College | OR | November 15 | February 15 |
| Regis College | MA | November 15 | Rolling |
| Rhodes College | TN | November 15 | January 15 |
| Rider University | NJ | November 15 | December 20 |
| Roger Williams University | RI | November 15 | December 15 |
| Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | IN | November 1 | December 15 |
| Rutgers—New Brunswick | NJ | November 1 | February 15 |
| The Sage Colleges | NY | December 1 | — |
| Saint Anselm College | NH | November 15 | January 15 |
| Saint John’s University | MN | November 15 / December 15 | December 15 / January 15 |
| Saint Joseph’s College of Maine | ME | November 15 | Beginning December 15 |
| Saint Joseph’s University | PA | November 1 | December 20 |
| Saint Mary’s College of California | CA | November 15 | — |
| Salisbury University | MD | December 1 | January 15 |
| Salve Regina University | RI | November 1 | January 1 |
| Santa Clara University | CA | November 1 | December 31 |
| School of the Art Institute of Chicago | IL | November 15 | — |
| Seattle Pacific University | WA | November 1 | — |
| Seattle University | WA | November 15 | December 21 |
| Seton Hall University | NJ | November 15 / December 15 | December 30 / January 31 |
| Sewanee: The University of the South | TN | December 1 | February 15 |
| Shepherd University | WV | November 15 | Within 10 business days |
| Siena College | NY | October 15 | Within one week |
| Simmons College | MA | November 1 / December 1 | December 15 / January 15 |
| Southern Methodist University | TX | November 1 | — |
| Southern New Hampshire University | NH | November 15 | December 15 |
| Southwestern University | TX | December 7 | — |
| Spelman College | GA | November 15 | December 31 |
| St. John’s College | MD | November 15 | December 15 |
| St. John’s College | NM | November 15 | December 15 |
| Stanford University | CA | November 1 | December 15 |
| Sterling College | VT | December 15 / January 15 | January 1 / February 1 |
| Stonehill College | MA | November 1 | January 1 |
| Suffolk University | MA | November 15 | December 20 |
| SUNY Cortland | NY | November 15 | January 15 |
| SUNY New Paltz | NY | November 15 | January 15 |
| SUNY Oneonta | NY | November 15 | January 15 |
| Susquehanna University | PA | November 1 / December 1 | December 1 / January 15 |
| Sweet Briar College | VA | December 1 | — |
| Tarleton State University | TX | March 1 | — |
| Temple University | PA | November 1 | January 10 |
| Texas Christian University | TX | November 1 | January 1 |
| Texas Lutheran University | TX | November 15 | Within two weeks |
| Transylvania University | KY | October 31 / December 1 | Early December |
| Trinity University | TX | November 1 | December 15 |
| Tulane University | LA | November 15 | January 15 |
| United States Coast Guard Academy | CT | October 15 | December 23 |
| Unity College | ME | December 15 | — |
| University of Akron | OH | November 1 | — |
| University at Albany—SUNY | NY | November 15 | — |
| University of Arkansas | AR | November 15 | — |
| University at Buffalo—SUNY | NY | November 15 | “Candidates will receive an early response” |
| University of Chicago | IL | November 1 | December 15 |
| University of Cincinnati | OH | December 1 | — |
| University of Colorado Boulder | CO | November 15 | February 1 |
| University of Dallas | TX | November 1 / December 1 | — |
| University of Dayton | OH | November 1 | — |
| University of Denver | CO | November 1 | — |
| University of Evansville | IN | November 1 | December 15 |
| University of Georgia | GA | October 15 | December 1 |
| University of Illinois at Chicago | IL | November 1 | December 1 |
| University of Kentucky | KY | December 1 | Rolling, usually in 4-6 weeks |
| University of Maine | ME | December 1 | — |
| University of Maine at Farmington | ME | November 15 | Rolling |
| University of Mary Washington | VA | November 15 | January 31 |
| University of Maryland | MD | November 1 | February 1 |
| University of Massachusetts Amherst | MA | November 5 | January 15 |
| University of Massachusetts Dartmouth | MA | November 15 | December 15 |
| University of Massachusetts Lowell | MA | November 5 / January 5 | — |
| University of Miami | FL | November 1 | Late January to early February |
| University of Michigan | MI | November 1 | — |
| University of Minnesota—Twin Cities | MN | November 1 | January 31 |
| University of New England | ME | November 15 | December 31 |
| University of New Hampshire | NH | November 15 | January 31 |
| University of New Haven | CT | December 15 | Rolling, usually in 4-6 weeks |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | NC | October 15 | January 31 |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte | NC | November 1 | January 30 |
| University of North Carolina at Wilmington | NC | October 15 | Rolling |
| University of Notre Dame | IN | November 1 | December 15 |
| University of Oregon | OR | November 1 | December 15 |
| University of the Pacific | CA | November 15 | January 15 |
| University of Redlands | CA | November 15 | — |
| University of Rhode Island | RI | December 1 | — |
| University of San Francisco | CA | November 1 | Beginning December 15 |
| University of Scranton | PA | November 15 | Beginning December 15 |
| University of South Carolina | SC | October 15 | December 15 |
| University of St. Thomas | TX | November 1 | December 15 |
| University of Tampa | FL | November 15 / January 15 | December 15 / February 15 |
| University of Utah | UT | December 1 | January 15 |
| University of Vermont | VT | November 1 | December 15 |
| University of Virginia | VA | November 1 | February 1 |
| University of Virginia’s College at Wise | VA | December 1 / February 1 | — |
| University of Wisconsin—Madison | WI | November 1 | January 31 |
| Ursinus College | PA | November 1 | December 15 |
| Utica College | NY | November 15 | December 15 |
| Vanguard University of Southern California | CA | December 1 | — |
| Villanova University | PA | November 1 | January 15 |
| Wabash College | IN | December 1 | December 31 |
| Warren Wilson College | NC | November 15 | — |
| Washington College | MD | December 1 | January 15 |
| Washington & Jefferson College | PA | January 15 | February 15 |
| Wells College | NY | December 15 | — |
| Western Carolina University | NC | November 15 | December 15 |
| Westminster College | PA | November 15 | December 15 |
| Westmont College | CA | October 15 / November 1 | December 1 / Christmas break |
| Wheaton College | IL | October 15 / November 15 | Thanksgiving / Christmas |
| Wheaton College | MA | November 15 | January 15 |
| Whittier College | CA | December 1 | December 31 |
| Whitworth University | WA | November 15 / January 15 | — |
| Willamette University | OR | November 15 | December 30 |
| Wittenberg University | OH | December 1 | January 1 |
| Wofford College | SC | November 15 | February 1 |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute | MA | November 1 / January 15 | December 15 / March 1 |
| Worcester State University | MA | November 15 | — |
| Yale University | CT | November 1 | December 15 |
Tips for applying early action
If you do decide to apply early action, here are some tips to keep in mind:
- Work on your essays during the summer. If you spend time crafting the perfect personal essays over the summer, all you will need to do is have an English teacher or tutor review them in August before they are ready to submit.
- Take the SAT/ACT early. It is better to take the SAT or ACT for the first time early in your junior year so that you have plenty of time to retake the test and reach your target score before early action deadlines.
- Get teacher and counselor recommendations early. As a rule of thumb, you should ask for recommendation letters at least 2-3 weeks before they are due. Since many teachers and counselors expect students to apply during regular decision windows, they may not be able to write a strong recommendation letter for you if you wait until the last minute to ask.
Learn how to earn a great SAT or ACT score and discover more tips for getting into the college of your dreams when you contact Prep Expert.
