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So, fall is here and it is THAT time—time to apply to colleges! What could be more fun, right? Well, the good thing is there are several application decision plans to choose from, depending on how far along in your college search you are. You are probably wondering which decision plan is the best way for you to apply to Furman. We want to give you the flexibility of applying one of 3 ways: Early Decision, Early Action, or Regular Decision. A few tips as you navigate this process:
Don’t stress about it. Honestly, there is no true advantage of one decision plan over the other; you should really decide based on the timeline that best aligns with where you are in your college search and how early you want to make your decision.
Only apply Early Decision if Furman is your clear FIRST choice! If you know without a doubt that you will attend Furman if admitted, then ED is a good option for you. It allows you to apply early (by November 1st) and receive acceptance notification early (by December 1st.) You can only apply ED to one school. Also, keep in mind that it is a binding decision, meaning that you are committing to attend if admitted. I would not encourage you to apply Early Decision if:
- Financial aid and scholarships are a big part of your decision. Although you will be considered for merit-based and need-based scholarships in ED, you are committing to attend without knowing this information.
- You want to compare admission and financial aid offers from several colleges.
If you want to be notified early and have the most amount of time with your admission decision in hand, Early Action is for you! EA is a great choice for students who are ready to submit application materials early (by November 15th), who want the flexibility of applying to multiple colleges, who want to be notified early (by February 1st), but still have plenty of time to visit/explore/investigate before the May 1st deadline.
If you want the most time to prepare your application, apply Regular Decision. Because the RD deadline is not until January 15th, you have the most time to work on your admission essays, gather your application materials, etc. But, you will only have your admission decision in-hand one month before having to make your final decision. Within this plan, you will be notified of your admission decision by April 1st and your Statement of Intent will be due by May 1st.
Pay attention to deadlines! Deadlines have a way of sneaking up on you, right? Pay close attention to deadlines for each decision plan and make sure all of your application is submitted by the deadline. Even better, make sure things are turned in BEFORE the deadline.
Talk to your high school guidance counselor so they are aware of which way you’ve applied. This ensures the parts of your application that THEY are submitting arrive in time as well! Official transcripts, School Report, Letters of Recommendation are sent directly from your high school.
No matter which way you apply, come try us on for size! Visit campus and then visit again. Each time you visit, you deepen your knowledge of Furman. You connect with different people, places, and opportunities each time you step foot on campus. Talk to students, faculty, and staff… and come see if Furman is the right fit for you!