Applying ‘Early Decision’ – and to a lesser extent ‘Early Action’ – is an indication to a college that it is your No. 1 choice. That is, if you were accepted to every one of the schools to which you applied, you would attend that one. In applying Early Decision, you are also signing an agreement that binds you to that college should you be admitted. While there can be an advantage in applying early at some institutions, you should consider how much you really want to go to that college before making the big leap.

SOME QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF:

• Does the school match the criteria I have set for myself? Does it offer the major I want?
• Is it in a place I can envision myself living for four years?
• Is financial aid going to play a big role in where I go to college? (If so, please discuss this decision thoroughly with your college counselor )
• What do my parents think?
• Have I taken all the standardized tests required for admission? (Many schools require the SATII subject tests; make sure you take those by the November test date and rush the scores )
• Are my grades and standardized-test scores compatible with those of students usually accepted at the school? (If you are a postgraduate, you should talk to your college counselor before applying anywhere early.)
• Have I looked around enough to know what else is out there?
• Am I making an informed decision, considering all my options? 

For certain students, the option of sending some kind of early application is advisable; however, you should know what the differences are before getting started.

Early Decision (E.D.) is a binding agreement between you and the college, by which you agree that you will attend the college should you be accepted. At many schools, E.D. applications are due by November 1st or 15th, but the dates and E.D. plans do vary, so read the applications closely. Normally, decisions are mailed before the Christmas holiday. If accepted under an Early Decision plan, you must withdraw your applications at all other colleges. 

Early Action (E.A) roughly follows the same timetable as Early Decision, but it is not a binding agreement. If accepted to a college under an Early Action policy, you may still attend another college if you choose to. You have until May 1st to make your decision.  

Rolling Admission is a process used mainly by large state universities, although not exclusively. Under a Rolling Admissions policy, applications are read on a continuing basis rather than all at once after a certain deadline. If you apply to a school with a rolling admission policy, we recommend getting that application in as early in the fall as you can.

While ISEE and SSAT serve very similar purpose with similar test structure and content, there are still some major difference between these two test. Should you take ISEE or SSAT? That's a big question? First, we compare ISEE and SSAT for you in detail.

The major differences between ISEE and SSAT lie in scoring, content, guessing strategy, and test dates, as you can see from the above comparison table.
You might want to consider the followings when deciding which test to go.

• Which test(s) is accepted by the school(s) you are applying to?
• What's your strength? If you are good at math, ISEE might give you some advantages by showing both math sections individually. 
• How often you'd like to take the test?
• Are the test seat available? Would the test date match your application deadline?

However, as the decision of which schools to apply to, to take either ISEE or SSAT is very personal and depends on a number of factors. Also keep in mind that neither ISEE nor SSAT is the only factor for your school admission assessment. After reading our ISEE intro, SSAT intro, ISEE FAQ, and SSAT FAQ, we recommend to take the practice tests first to better understand the test format.
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At TrinityScholar, we offer ISEE/ SSAT prep in different ways:

• Self-Paced: Online test prep materials for you to access at all time. A self-paced and self-organized way of learning that best fits your schedule
• Self-Paced Package: Online test materials +  tutoring + extra practice tests
• 1-on-1 Tutoring: materials and hours at your choice, completely customized (time, location, focus) tutor program with veteran instructors
• Customized Groups: completely customized tutoring for 3 or more students.

Feel free to come to talk to our consultants by live chat, call: 886-2-2771-6002, Line: @mqz4477g, or email to [email protected]

​Students and parents (and unfortunately many school counselors) are often unfamiliar with the Early Round (Early Action or Early Decision) option at many of America’s elite schools. We have crunched the data on the Early Round vs. Regular Decision admission rates, which should show you that whenever possible, you should apply to EA/ED.
 
While most Ivy League Schools offered Early Decision options, Princeton, Harvard, and Yale offer Restricted Early Action option to students. If student choose to apply to one of them, they cannot apply to any other private schools in the early stage, and public schools that offer ED options.

​If you look at the admission rates for Early Round, they are significantly higher at all 8 schools. (We have developed a ratio, which we term ER/RD, which measures how great of an advantage ER applicants have.) The ER/RD ratio ranges from 2.1 (Cornell) to 3.0 (Harvard). In simpler terms, it means you are 2.8x more likely to be admitted to Brown applying in ER than in RD.
 
Though Stanford has decided to not release their early round admission data, we can assume the situation is similar since all elite schools are still competing with each other for elite students.
 
Based on the above data, we can easily find out that, because of the timing of application, students with similar/ same background & academic performance will have diversely application outcome. Therefore, we highly recommend you to organize your timeline and work on your college application scheme at the earliest possible, including ahead preparation for related tests. This way, you can apply to your ideal colleges at the most advantageous timing and hence gain the admissions successfully. 

Freshman or transfer? International students vs. California residents (in-state), vs. non-California residents (out-state)