The stress of waiting months on end to find out where you will spend the next fours years have now ended for certain seniors. Those who applied for early action/early decision have found out where they have been accepted.

If you apply before the November deadline, you will most likely find out whether or not you are accepted around Christmas. This option is nice because it takes away the stress of applications.

“I applied for early decision for College of the Atlantic because I was positive that it was where I wanted to be next year,” said senior Kaitlyn Clark.

The difference between early decision and early action is that people who apply for early decision will automatically attend the school they apply to. On the other hand, when someone applies for early action, they are letting the school know it is one of their top choices without a final commitment. People who apply for either will hear back from the schools December through February.

“[I] applied for Humboldt State and Monterey Bay State just in case I didn’t get into College of the Atlantic. I withdrew those applications as soon as I received my notification of acceptance [from College of the Atlantic],” said Clark.

According to collegeboard.org, the students who should apply for early action or early decision are ones who:

• Have researched colleges extensively.
• Are absolutely sure that the college is the first choice.
• Have found a college that is a strong match academically, socially and geographically.
• Meet or exceed the admission profile for the college’s SAT® scores, GPA and class rank.
• Have an academic record that has been consistently solid over time.

They are both a huge stress reliever yet add a great deal of anticipation for just wanting to attend college. Thankfully, some colleges create Facebook pages so anyone can connect with other students who are planning on going to the same school.

The Facebook page is really great because one can meet people who live close by and even meet up with them if they have the chance. This way, you can have friends when you head to the brand new campus and won’t feel so lonely.

“There is a Facebook group for COA admitted students, so I have been communicating with my future classmates through that group. We each posted a short bio about us and have been sharing stories and ideas,” said Clark.

Some schools also have Preview Days early in the year so people can check out the campus before they fully commit. It is a great way to get to know people who are also interested while making sure the campus is the right fit.

Clark went to the Preview Day at COA earlier this year.

“I was able to participate in a Fall Fly-In with around 20 other students in October, and I am still in contact with two of the other students. One of them will definitely be at COA next year and the other one is still deciding. “

The only downside to early action and early decision is the early start of senioritis. Thankfully for Clark, it doesn’t seem to be that big of an issue.

“Senioritis has kind of kicked in. I have so much happening that it is hard to really give into it. But I do wish I could just be in college already. I am so excited for next year!”