What defines regular admission?

Regular admissions are one of the most common application options, as you can apply to as many schools as you want under this option. Once the college has received all applications, they are reviewed and all applicants are notified at the same time, during the spring of senior year.

What does regular admission mean?

Apply Regular Decision means you are not applying in the early round, and you will receive your admission decision in the spring — usually around late-March into early-April.

What is the difference between early and regular admission?

Early action and early decision allow you to apply earlier than regular decision. Applicants receive admission decisions sooner, usually starting in mid-December. You can typically apply to multiple schools under an early action plan. Early decision, however, is a binding agreement between you and one college.

What is a regular decision admission plan?

Regular Decision is a non-binding admission plan. Under this admission plan, students are provided with an admission decision by early April. Regular decision applicants with incomplete applications after February 15 will not be able to receive an admission decision.

What is the difference between regular admissions and rolling admission?

Rolling admission and regular admission look a lot alike with one key difference. Colleges with rolling admissions evaluate applications as they are received versus waiting to evaluate all applications after a hard deadline.

How College Admissions Works - Early Action, Early Decision, Regular Admissions & all the rest

Is rolling admission better than regular?

Getting accepted to a college early typically means more flexibility for students, and schools with rolling admissions and open seats into spring of senior year can be great last-minute options or fall-back plans for students who missed other, more strict deadlines.

What does regular decision mean?

Definition. Regular Decision is the traditional college application route, typically with an application deadline in the late winter or early spring and a decision letter arriving in mid to late spring.

Is regular admission binding?

Regular Decision - maybe the most recognized decision plan - is a non-binding entrance plan, meaning that if you are admitted to a school through Regular Decision, you are not committed to attending.

Does regular decision lower your chances?

Admissions data posted by some of the most selective universities in the U.S. shows that Regular Decision admission rates are usually significantly lower than those of ED and EA. For example, Boston College admitted 28% of its early applicants for the class of 2026 but only 15% of applicants during the RD round.

Does regular decision mean you have to go there?

The most important thing to know about the regular decision application is that it is non-binding, meaning if you get into the school you apply to, you don't necessarily have to go there. Therefore, we at College Essay Guy suggest applying to about 8-10 schools if you go the RD route.

What are the benefits of regular decision?

Pros of Regular Decision

It's non-binding. You have more time to research schools and complete applications. You can take last-minute ACT or SAT scores and include them with your application.

Can you apply early and regular?

Early Decision (ED) is a binding process. You may only apply to one college Early Decision, although you can still apply later to other schools Regular Decision. If the Early Decision school accepts you, you must attend that school and withdraw all other applications– often before knowing the final financial aid offer.

Can you apply both early action and regular decision?

You can apply t o only ONE school restrictive early action o r early decision ( i . e . , you can apply t o 4 early action schools , 4 regular decision schools , and 1 REA school ) . You cannot d o both REA and E D .

How long does regular admissions take?

The Basics

The date by which you apply will vary by your application plan. If you apply under an earlier plan, you'll probably get your decision earlier, too. But in general, it usually takes admissions offices 1-2 months to return your admissions decision.

What is conditional regular admission?

It means that a student has been offered admission to a university, but that offer is contingent on meeting certain requirements or conditions. These conditions can vary from one institution to another and may be based on factors like GPA, standardized test scores, or the completion of specific coursework.

When should I apply for regular decision?

Regular decision deadlines

During this period, applications are due between early January and mid-February, depending on the school you're applying to. You'll typically receive your admission decisions between mid-March and early April and will accept or decline your offers by May 1.

What are the cons of regular decision?

- Cons: Acceptance rates can vary between EA and RD, with some schools admitting a larger proportion of students in the earlier round. Also, the waiting period for an RD decision is longer, which can be difficult.

Is regular decision worse than early decision?

Many colleges will note on their websites that students who apply early decision have about the same chance of acceptance as students who apply regular decision. However, some college admissions experts believe that applying early decision can increase your chances of being accepted.

Is being deferred to regular decision bad?

What is a Deferred College Admissions Decision? A deferral means the college wants to review your application again with the regular decision pool of applicants. While it might feel like a rejection, a deferral is not a denial, nor does it mean there was something wrong with your application.

Can you get out of early decision if you can't afford it?

Admitted students who can't afford the cost of attendance can often back out of their early decision contracts without penalty. Alternatively, you may be able to negotiate for more aid by contacting the school's financial aid office and informing them of your situation.

Does regular decision look at senior grades?

For students who are applying for Regular Decision (as opposed to early decision or on a rolling admissions basis), then colleges will surely request your grades from your first quarter of senior year.

Can a university reject you after acceptance?

Colleges can revoke an admitted student's acceptance at any time. The most common reasons include poor grades, disciplinary infractions, and honor code violations. Students at risk of not graduating high school can have their admission revoked. Colleges typically reach out before revoking an admission offer.

Why does regular decision take so long?

Sorting through thousands and thousands of applications, calculating, verifying, scoring, evaluating, ranking, discussing, and deciding takes time. Then there is the notification process, deadlines, responses, sending out additional acceptances, repeat until a class is assembled. The process invokes many partic...

What happens if you apply after regular decision?

Even if it's after the official Regular Decision deadline, some colleges will still accept your application. If you have a legitimate reason for missing an application deadline and still want to apply, here's some advice for you. First, call the admissions office and ask if they're still accepting applications.

Is rolling admission harder to get into?

Most rolling admissions schools have a limited number of student slots, and as they judge and accept applications, those slots get filled. If you apply too late, then there's a good chance all the slots may be filled, and you'll be out of luck.