If you’re a senior in high school, you likely already experienced the stress of applying to a school for your undergraduate studies, whether you’ve drafted your personal statement or finalized a supplemental essay. Application season is a stressful period, especially when deciding between different application deadlines: regular decisions (RDs), early actions (EAs), and early decisions (EDs). So, which is best for you?

RDs are the most common decisions as students have the most time to prepare their applications to colleges and universities. RDs are especially useful for students considering taking additional standardized tests — SAT and ACT — to increase their chances as a competitive applicant. However, due to the later application deadline, there are fewer spots available for incoming freshman or transfer students, and therefore greater competition with students deferred from ED and EA. RDs may not include consideration for merit scholarships, with certain schools only considering ED and/or EA applicants.

Additionally, many schools allow students to apply EA, which offers an earlier application deadline for competitive candidates in exchange for the benefits of higher acceptance rates. Like regular decisions, you can apply to an unlimited number of schools EA, unless you are applying restricted early action, or REA. Some schools like Stanford offer REA as a non-binding version of EDs.

While EDs often have the same application deadline as EAs, these applications are binding, meaning students accepted to a school after applying ED are obligated to attend. If accepted, you must withdraw applications submitted to other schools and reject other offers of acceptance. 

Technically, this obligation is not legally enforced, but there are potentially severe consequences for breaching the social contract by rescinding, such as blacklisting. Your reputation as an applicant may not only be damaged with the school you applied ED to, but also with other schools you applied to, which may result in consequential rejections or rescindings. Furthermore, failure to commit to an ED may damage the reputation of your high school, jeopardizing the chances of acceptance for other students applying to the same school for future years. Additionally, you may only apply ED to one school. If you somehow apply ED to two schools, you risk rejection from both for violating the contract.

Fortunately, if you do apply ED, but rediscover your intense fear of commitment, you have the option to withdraw your ED application and substitute it with an EA or RD application before decisions are announced. Otherwise, release from an ED requires negotiation with the admissions office. Factors such as financial hardship or other extenuating circumstances that prevent a student from committing may justify contract termination. However, there are significant benefits of ED, which include higher admission rates for demonstrated interest through commitment. Decisions for ED applications are released earlier, meaning less stress for the second semester.

So, which of the three application deadlines is best for you? If you have a dream school and are considered a competitive applicant by that school, applying EA, or even ED, would be best as you will be competing against a smaller pool of applicants. But if you don’t have significantly impressive student statistics, including your academic rigor, standardized test scores, or resume of extracurricular activities, applying RD would allow for more time for you to improve your personal statement, supplemental essays, and other materials for supplemental portfolios. Planning your application deadlines also requires considering your needs to attend a school. If you are hoping to receive financial aid or scholarships, applying EA could increase your chances. Applying ED is riskier for low-income students as receiving less financial aid or a smaller scholarship may require negotiation of the contract. Some schools are even need-aware for admissions, meaning they consider financial stability for decisions. 

Overall, plan to apply EA to as many schools as possible for the benefits EA applicants receive that RD applicants do not. And of course, if you need more time to finalize your activity list or supplementals, you can always postpone your application from EA to RD. But regardless of when you apply, where you end up will be only the beginning.