The College Admission Process

By: K.W. Abbott

Students must apply to be accepted at a college. That is pretty obvious, right?? You would be surprised what is overlooked during the college admission process! There are several ways in which a student can be informed early of their admission status:

Early Action - The student can apply to a college by an early deadline (set by a particular college) to guarantee admission without obligating the student to attend that college. The student then usually files for financial at the college under the same deadlines as a regular student applicant.

Early Decision - The student can apply to a college by an early deadline to guarantee admission, but is obligated to attend that college under a binding contract. Early decision applicants file for financial aid early and are offered a financial aid award at an early date. Some colleges make "early decision" binding only if the financial aid offer is mutually agreeable.

Early Notification - The college notifies the student of their admission status as the admission office makes its admission decision. The student applies for financial aid in the same manner as would a regular financial aid applicant.

Early Read - The college computes the student's Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) early and estimates the student's financial aid award. Since this computation usually takes place early in the fall of the year, the student must submit estimated financial information to the college.

                                                                                       National Institute of Certified College Planners