13. Provide a single application deadline, eliminating early decision and early action.

Federal, state, and institutional policymakers should lift the barrier of early decisions and action programs by precluding their usage and adopting a single decision deadline so all admitted applicants can make decisions with a full understanding of their financial aid options and so that students with greater access to early college knowledge aren’t given priority.

Early decision programs allow students to apply to colleges or universities in the Fall and receive an admission decision by December of the year before they enter college (months before the regular deadline). However, by applying through early decision, students commit to attending the institution if accepted. Students who apply through regular decision make no such commitment and have greater opportunities to compare financial aid offers across higher education institutions. This practice of varied application deadlines and privilege for earlier decisions exacerbates inequities in the admissions process because it requires a commitment from applicants before they have full knowledge of their financial aid options.

Early admissions programs, particularly early decision, may give an unfair advantage to applicants from families with more access to college counseling and financial resources who do not need to consider financial aid awards in their decisions. Not only are early decision and early action primarily used by students with more wealth and resources, the decision to apply early is also influenced by social and cultural capital. In 2019, 48 percent of private high schools reported having at least one counselor dedicated solely to providing college counseling, compared to only 29 percent of public schools.^[i] This disparate access to counseling results in inequitable early college knowledge.

The accumulation of social and financial barriers experienced by historically underrepresented students may deter them from considering early decision. In the Fall of 2021, applicants from wealthier ZIP codes were twice as likely to apply through early decision compared to all other applicants, and the percentage of students enrolled via early decision has continued to increase in recent years.^[ii] Early decision applicants have an admissions advantage over those applying through regular decision — especially at highly selective institutions like Brown University and Duke University, where the likelihood of admission through early decision exceeded four times that of regular decision applicants.^[iii]

Through early action, applicants receive an admissions decision early and can consider the offer, but they do not have to commit upon receipt. They can continue to apply to other colleges through regular admissions. Although this practice does not present the same problem in comparing financial aid offers as in early decision, it still creates a benefit for students who have access to greater college counseling. In 2021, Harvard University received 26,560 more regular decision applications than early action applications. However, the institution admitted almost as many applicants from early action (938) as from regular decision (1,118).^[iv] In 2022, 608 colleges and universities offered early decisions and/or early action (although only 206 received applications through these alternative deadlines).^[v]

Who collects and reports data on early decision?
Disaggregated data are essential for identifying and addressing barriers that may be part of the admissions and enrollment process. Policymakers should gain a better understanding of how students are served by their institutions and ensure that underrepresented students are reflected in data collection and reporting. However, the U.S. Department of Education does not yet collect specific data on early decision admissions and will only begin to do so in December 2025. The available data on early decision admissions come from the Common Data Set Initiative, a collaboration of U.S. News & World Report, Peterson’s, and the College Board. While the Common Data Set serves as a valuable resource, it relies on a private collaboration that lacks the oversight to ensure universities accurately complete their surveys. This issue was highlighted by discrepancies from Columbia University, which was found to have misrepresented data to the Common Data Set.^[vii] In addition, several universities and colleges offering early decision, including New York University, University of Chicago, and Boston College have often refrained from reporting the number of applications and students admitted through early decision.

^[i] Clinedinst, Melissa. “2019 State of College Admission,” National Association for College Admission Counseling, June 17, 2024. https://nacacnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/soca2019_all.pdf?_ga=2.155230322.8504710.1709012693-179323615.1709012693&_gl=1*1hr10oy*_ga*MTc5MzIzNjE1LjE3MDkwMTI2OTM.*_ga_VBBSWPK81X*MTcwOTAxMjY5Mi4xLjEuMTcwOTAxMjc2Ni40Ny4wLjA.

^[ii]Murphy, James. “The Future of Fair Admissions: Issue Brief 1: Early Decision,” 2022,
https://edreformnow.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/The-Future-of-Fair-Admissions-Report-1-Early-Decision.pdf. (Source: Common Data Set, 2021).

^[iii]Ibid.

^[iv]Harvard University does not offer early decision, but they do offer early action, which is non-binding. https://occameducation.com/what-harvards-top-5-reveals-about-early-action-admissions.

^[v]Murphy, James. “Early Decision Update,” Education Reform Now, March 7, 2023. https://edreformnow.org/2023/12/07/early-decision-update/. (Source: Common Data Set, 2022).

^[vi]Murphy, James. “The Future of Fair Admissions: Issue Brief 1: Early Decision,” 2022. https://edreformnow.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/The-Future-of-Fair-Admissions-Report-1-Early-Decision.pdf. (Source: Common Data Set, 2021).

^[vii]Svrluga, Susan; & Nick Anderson. “Columbia Acknowledges Giving Incorrect Data for U.S. News Rankings,” The Washington Post, September 9, 2022.