Types of Admissions Options

In addition to the standard Regular Decision admissions option, it is important to be aware of a few application alternatives that may be available at various schools.

Early Decision (ED):  ED is a BINDING agreement between the student and the college.  You, your family, and your counselor will be required to sign a contract.  If the college makes an offer of admission through ED, you pay a deposit within a short period of time and sign an agreement to withdraw your applications to other schools.  The ED admission deadlines and requirements are different at each campus so be sure to check with the school well in advance of submitting an application to be sure you understand their criteria. Some colleges now offer a second opportunity to commit to their school through ED II.  You are not able to apply ED II if you have an outstanding ED agreement to another school.  ED II deadlines are generally the same as Regular Decision deadlines.

Early Action (EA):  Unlike ED, students may apply EA to more than one school, and an offer of admission does not mean they are committed to attend that particular school.  Students accepted through EA do not have to give the school an answer until May of their senior year.  In general, you may apply to as many EA schools as you want.

Restrictive Early Action (REA) – You are committing to applying to only one school Early Action (exceptions may include public universities, so please check individual schools’ policies).

Rolling Admissions:  These programs admit students on a rolling or continuous basis until spaces in the class fill up.  This doesn’t mean that you can delay applying until the last minute, because with fewer spaces remaining, admissions become more competitive the longer you wait.  The earlier you apply the more likely you are to be accepted.

Fee Waiver: If you qualify for free or reduced lunch the college office can provide you with application fee waivers. Click here for how to get waivers for different types of applications.

 

Types of Applications

Common Application.

The Common Application is used by over 1000 colleges and universities, and many colleges use ONLY the Common Application. You can register for an account and start filling out demographic information junior year. Most schools require a 650-word Personal Statement (i.e. your “main college essay). Many schools also require supplemental essays that will become available on August 1st. Topics and length vary. The Common App will not be accessible for a few weeks in July, as they prepare to roll over for the new admissions cycle on August 1st. Your personal information will be saved. You can submit individual applications as soon as you complete them. They do not all need to be submitted simultaneously. A helpful step by step guide can be found here. Please also view our tutorial video here, and our instructions on completing the “Grades and Courses” section for students required to self-report grades here.

Common Black College Application (CBCA).

Introduced in 2019, the CBCA is used by over 60 of the 107 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the U.S. The CBCA allows you apply to as many of the member institutions as you want for a fee of $20. There are no fee waivers for this application. Students have the option of uploading test scores in the Student Dashboard. Please check with your individual schools to confirm whether they will accept those self-reported scores as official. Please add your counselor to your Dashboard in order for them to upload your supporting materials (letters of recommendation, etc.). When you’ve completed your application, you will be asked to indicate your top-four member colleges. If you would like your application to be considered by any additional member colleges, you need to contact those schools directly.

CUNY Application.

The City University of New York is comprised of eighteen colleges and universities that, for New York City residents, cost a fraction of the price of many private colleges. In many cases, it may even be free to earn a degree through CUNY. The CUNY application allows you to apply to up to six schools for one $65 fee. Please make sure to have your social security number and OSIS number with you when applying. You must send your standardized test scores to CUNY via the testing agency’s website by entering code 2950 (CUNY UAPC) which will allow all the CUNY colleges to which you apply to access your test scores. Some CUNY schools do not require your Common Application essay, however we recommend submitting it regardless. CUNY schools have rolling deadlines, so for that reason we recommend that you apply no later than December 1st. Please also view our tutorial video here.

SUNY Application.

The State University of New York System is comprised of 64 member institutions, including two and four-year colleges and technical schools. New York City residents are eligible for in-state tuition rates. All SUNYs accept the Common Application, except for Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and community colleges. The College Office recommends students apply to SUNY via the Common App.

University of California Application.

The UC Application is the only way to apply schools under the University of California umbrella. The deadline is November 30th. The UC system requires that you send official score reports to any one UC school to which you applied. Your score report will then be made available to all the UC schools listed on your application. The UC application requires students to self-report all grades from 9th-11th grade courses. They will not receive ANY materials from the College Office, including letters of recommendation. Students will be required to list household income on their application. This number will determine fee waiver eligibility. If you are eligible, the waiver will be applied automatically to your application. The UC application requires answers to four our of eight short essay prompts.

University and College Admissions Services (UCAS) Application.

The UCAS Application is a centralized application for multiple colleges in the UK. Students apply to a specific degree program at a university, rather than applying to a general university. You can choose a maximum of five courses on your UCAS application, which means you can apply for five courses at only one university or college, or a different course at five different universities. Students are admitted via an application process that reviews students’ readiness for their chosen major. If a school accepts the UCAS application AND the Common Application, the College Office recommends completing the UCAS application for priority consideration.

Looking for further guidance on the UCAS application and applying to schools in the UK? Check out Across the Pond, a free service that helps guide you through the process!