by Nicole Valencia, staff reporter

Early Decision: As the name suggests, it is the first deadline that appears for college admissions. While the application will be reviewed first; beware of the clauses attached. Early decision is binding. Which means that upon acceptance, enrollment is mandatory; regardless of other acceptances or more important yet, the financial aid received.

“Early decision does not give you enough of an edge to make it worth your while,” Guidance Counselor Mr. Lumetta said.

Tip #1: Only do Early Decisions for schools for which financial aid is not a worry and there is zero doubt as to if this is a dream school.

Early Action: Depending on the college, the deadline for Early Action may coincide or be around the same time of Early Decision. Early Action works similar to Early decision. The difference is that it is not binding. Upon receiving an acceptance letter, enrollment is not mandatory.

Tip #2: Research the university or college, to find out their specific deadlines. Keep a list of deadlines. While some may be similar to others, it’s better safe than sorry.

Tip #3: Keep in mind that if a school has early action, preference will be given to those who apply early action as opposed to regular decision. Spots will fill up quickly.

“The advantage about Early Action is that you know about your admission, around early January, once we have all your information and necessary documents,” Roberto Tomala from the Pace Undergraduate Admissions office said.

Regular Decision:  The typical route students take when Early Action is not available for their college, and Early Decision is out of the question.

Rolling Admission: What this entails is that the college will review the application in the order that they receive it. As opposed to simply waiting until after the deadline.

Tip #4: Pay careful attention to know if a college has this as their admission policy. Because this means that spots, and more often than not, scholarships and money will be on a first come, first serve basis.