January 1st is quickly approaching. Maybe you applied Early Decision 1 somewhere and you got deferred or denied. Maybe you are wondering if you should apply Early Decision 2 instead.
Here are 7 important things to consider:
1. You will find Early Decision 2 programs at a number of highly selective and selective colleges across the country. Not every college that has Early Decision 1 has an Early Decision 2 program, but if they do it can be a great option for students.
2. Early Decision 2 tends to be a smaller applicant pool. But don’t let that fool you. Vanderbilt University is known for having one of the most selective Early Decision 2 programs in the country. Why? Because a number of high-achieving students who got deferred or denied from another highly selective college in Early Decision or Early Action, may end up throwing in an application for ED 2 at Vanderbilt. This provides Vanderbilt with a shockingly competitive applicant pool in ED 2.
3. However, slightly less or less selective colleges with ED 2 programs generally have a higher admit rate in ED 2 than even ED 1.
"ED 2 tends to be a smaller applicant pool. But don’t let that fool you. #GetIntoCollege" TWEET THIS
4. If you are deferred from an Early Action or ED 1 program, keep in mind that if you get admitted to your Early Decision 2 program you are forfeiting the chance of admission at the school that deferred you. So you have to be sure that you are truly committed to that ED 2 program.
5. Almost every student that applies ED 2, applied to an ED 1 program. And, the colleges with the ED 2 programs know this. It’s just a fact. They swallow their pride and admit plenty of students in ED 2 despite knowing that another colleges was probably the student’s first choice initially. They do this because they need to.
BONUS: 10 Things You Need to Know About Early Admissions Decisions
6. ED 2 is an essential yield tool for colleges. They know that students admitted under this plan will enroll. They use this to their advantage in filling more of the freshman class.
7. If the ED 2 college is not your top choice, don’t do it. But remember that Regular Decision becomes much more competitive for every college.
