Applying early to a college isn’t a simple decision. Whether your first-choice school offers early action or early decision, you may not want to hear the verdict on your application as early as December. Being denied admission to any school that early in your senior year can be demoralizing.

It’s true that applying early can give you a slight edge on the competition. Schools want to ensure that a certain number of admitted students will be filling their freshman class (and meeting or exceeding their admissions standards). If your first-choice school is well within your reach, it may impress the admissions committee that you are devoted enough to attend when higher-ranking institutions might accept you.

Consider applying early decision if:

1. You have a top-choice school.

2. You have thoroughly researched – and visited! – your top choice to determine whether it is right for you.

3. Financial aid isn’t a factor in whether you would attend.

4. Having any kind of answer early in your senior year would relieve some of the strain on your application process.

5. You would not benefit from having the college see your senior fall grades. (If you were rapidly improving in school, it might help you to wait.)

6. Your SAT scores are within the college’s acceptance range, and you do not plan on retaking the SAT.

If you can honestly answer “yes” to all of these, then applying early decision may be right for you.

Top Test Prep offers admissions counseling to help you manage your application process.

Contact Top Test Prep for help with your college admissions applications, (800) 501-PREP or go to our contact form.

This article is on tips for applying early decision.

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There are two ways to approach writing a college admissions essay: finding a unique subject, or finding a unique angle on a familiar subject. In addition to displaying your writing abilities, a college admissions essay helps round out your character to an admissions committee. It reveals – or is intended to reveal – who you are. Try not to be intimidated when a college gives you the freedom to choose any topic. Once you have a list of possible topics, trust that a unique angle – in other words, your honest perspective – can make almost any subject interesting, even if it’s something the college has heard about many times before.

First, ask yourself if you’ve had any outstanding experiences – a moment in time, a vacation spent volunteering, sports camp, or a semester abroad. “Outstanding” doesn’t have to mean exotic. It can be an experience that meant something to you – whether it made you sad, made you grateful, or challenged you in a particular area. Maybe it was the three months you spent on crutches sporting a giant plastic boot. Or maybe it was the week you helped your parents make all the traditional Thanksgiving foods from scratch.

If your outstanding experience took place over a significant span of time, consider narrowing in on a particular moment that is especially representative. A single moment or anecdote can jump-start your essay, leading into a broader admissions essay theme.

Stories are fascinating. I will always recommend working a narrative element into your college admissions essay, whether it’s starting out with a story, working some background and some analysis into the middle, and finishing the essay with how the story ended.

Ensure that your admissions essay appears polished by 1) giving it a title and 2) making absolutely sure that there are no grammatical errors or misspellings. Enlist an editor you trust to read it over before you submit it.

Top Test Prep offers college admissions counseling, including help with your college admissions essays.

Contact Top Test Prep to get help with your college admissions essays and college admissions counseling by calling (800) 501-7737 or fill out our contact form.

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