The Early Bird Admissions Menu
By Reecy Aresty
College Admissions/Financial Aid Expert
and Author
Most families confuse the options on the
Early Bird Admissions Menu: Early Admission, Early Read, Early
Decision, Early Action and Early Notification.
Learning these options and other admissions strategies are crucial in
determining where your
student will spend their college years, and how much it will cost.
Early Admission:
Typically, the student applies at the beginning of the junior year and
goes through the entire process earlier. However, Early Admission is
only recommended for the most exceptional students who complete all high
school requirements prior to the 12th grade. The student must
demonstrate a college level of social and emotional maturity before
implementing this strategy. Schools often get into a bidding contest for
the truly exceptional student. Some even offer full scholarships
for the privilege of having such an accomplished young man or woman.
Use with caution!
Early Read: Many colleges
offer to calculate your EFC, (Expected Family Contribution; the minimum
the federal government determines your family will pay at any college).
Without obligating the student to apply, you simply send them all
your financial information at the beginning of the 12th
grade. If the student eventually applies, the aid offer has already
been predetermined. Surely, you wouldn’t want the IRS to calculate your
taxes, so why let a college determine your EFC? Avoid this at all
costs!
Early Decision:
A program with earlier deadlines and notification dates than regular
decision. Many schools have recently dropped this policy, so stay tuned
for updates. Students sign a binding contract and commit to attending that
school. If accepted, they must immediately notify all other schools and
withdraw their applications. If money is not an issue, Early Decision is
highly recommended because it will give the student a decided advantage
in the admissions process. However, if financial aid is an issue, be
aware that the student must attend that college regardless of the
aid offered!
Use with extreme caution!
Early Decision II:
Virtually identical to Early Decision but with later deadlines, usually
January 1st. As with Early Decision, only one school can be
applied to. Use with extreme caution!
Early Action:
All students are encouraged to apply for Early Action, usually November
1st to January 1st.
Due to the increasingly fierce competition, the sooner a student applies
the better. For the
barely
qualified student,
this is the only way to go. Such a student would not fare well in the
general applicant pool as they would be competing against far too many
honor students and would pale in comparison. Also, any grades beyond
mid-term may not count. Always implement this
strategy.
Early Notification: Similar
to Early Action except some schools ask for a financial aid commitment
well in advance of the traditional May 1st deadline. Unless
they make an offer you can’t refuse, ask them to extend their deadline
so your family can consider all offers. Families are advised against
negotiating for more aid, because of the serious disadvantage of having
no other offers to compare. Avoid this like the plague!
Open Admissions:
Some four-year, most two-year and
virtually all community colleges offer admission on a come-as-you-are
basis. If they have room you’re admitted.
Always Implement.
Rolling Admissions: A most
advantageous policy, as colleges notify students within a few weeks of
receiving all necessary application documents. They usually accept until
their quotas have been satisfied. Always Implement.
Knowing the items on
the Early Bird Menu isn’t enough. You must understand how to use them to
your advantage in order to give your student that all-important edge in
the admissions process. These strategies should not be taken lightly as
they not only affect the student’s education, but their future as
well.
About The Author:
Reecy Aresty has been a financial advisor since 1977, and
is founder and president of College Assistance, Inc., located in Boca
Raton, Florida. He is the best-selling author of How To Pay For College
Without Going Broke, an invaluable, critically-acclaimed parent/student
manual. Arguably the most revealing book ever
written on college admissions and financial aid, it is the only book of its
kind also available in Spanish.
Reecy has been
interviewed by financial experts on radio and television, and by many of
the nation's most respected publications including Money Magazine, US
News & World Report, Bloomberg News, Scripps Howard,
The Washington Post, financial icon Terry Savage for the
Chicago Sun-Times, Consumers Digest, The Education Times and AOL. An Internet search for
Reecy Aresty will result in thousands of links to sites all over the
world that feature his articles, advice and methods. Recently, he created
the College Information Network™,
which includes The High School Blog, The College Blog, PayLess For
College and The Way To College.
For almost three
decades, Reecy has helped thousands of families send their kids to the
college of their choice for less than they ever dreamed possible.
The critics agree. The way to college is Reecy Aresty's How To Pay For
College Without Going Broke. It reveals the trade secrets and insider
information our colleges, universities and the federal government don't want you to know. For
further information on the best college funding book on the market today,
please use the links provided. For more information on admissions and
financial aid - Ask Reecy!
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