College Applications

A D M I S S I O N S

Colleges allow for varying types of decisions in the admissions process; applicants should keep each of these in mind when completing applications.

What are the types of college

admissions?

Regular Admission
Regular admissions are reviewed together after applications are closed. No decisions are made until all of these applications are reviewed.
Rolling Admission
Rolling admissions are much more flexible to applicants, giving a larger window to apply and are reviewed at a “first-come, first-serve” basis - this gives applicants the incentive to apply early to hear back from admissions as soon as possible.
Open Admission
Open admissions are typical in community and online colleges; in which applicants that have met their respective college's prerequisites are generally accepted.

What are early

admissions?

Some colleges allow for early admissions, which allows prospective students to apply before an earlier deadline and receive results ahead of regular admissions.
Early Decision
For confident and prospective students, early decision allows for early committment to a college; though this is very restictive in that applicants, if accepted, must attend this college.
Violating Early Decision Agreements will get applicants into trouble!
Early Action
Similar to Early Decision, though students are not fully committed to the college when applied and can continue to apply for other colleges and/or safety schools.
Some schools only allow for Restrictive Early Action, in which applicants may not apply for other colleges under their own early-binding and/or early action program.
Early Evaluation
Unlike the other early choices, Early Evaluation does not admit the applicant but rather gives applicants an evaluation of how likely he or she is in getting into that college.
However, this does NOT guarantee admission to that college during the regular admissions season.

What types of

applications are there?

Different colleges use different types of applications. Make sure you research what type of application your desired college uses before applying.
Common Application
The Common App has over 900 participating colleges . Like other applications, they are holistic and require different components. With its essays being flexible enough for reuse in school-specific applications, and many top universities embracing it, the Common App is a great, flexible option!
Coalition Application
With over 140 participating colleges, the Coalition Application is unique compared to the other types of college apps. For once, the Coalition Application serves as a platform that allows students to build a portfolio of their works of all their 4 years of high school. That means essays can be substituted with a body of other works and projects!
Universal Application
Although the Universal Application only has about 44 participating colleges, it’s still worth taking a look at as it’s newer and has improved features from the Common App. Some IVY league schools accept the Universal Application, so it’s worth considering!
Shared Applications for a System of Colleges
Some schools use applications that can be used by all colleges in the same school system. For example, UC (University of California) schools use UC Applications, while the State University of New York (SUNY) system of universities use the SUNY Application. It is important to note that some school systems also include other forms of application such as the Common App, while others do not.

Which one should I choose?

The best choice is entirely relative to your own pathway and your dream college, as all of these listed applications - and more - will give you the tools you need to get admitted into the college of your choice!
Despite this, a good takeaway from this list is to choose the method that allows you to most effectively communicate yourself to your college; your character, your aspirations, your achievements are all important in standing out in the large pool of applicants - so choose the method that allows you to truly showcase yourself!