By Elaine Cannell, Editor
Seniors float around in peaceful hakuna matata bubbles starting their very first day—until, mere hours into the new school year, the “apply early for college” anvil is dropped onto all of the seniors’ heads. Wait—colleges want applications by WHAT date?
Before there is time for a single breath of senioritis, the rat race of early applications has begun. But what is the lowdown on applying early? Why should it be done? Do college admissions run on a first-come, first-serve basis?
NIU admissions counselor Tim Carter said that he recommends students apply sooner rather than later for a variety of reasons.
“The longer you wait to apply, the harder it is to get in,” Carter said.
He also said that schools with rolling admission, like NIU, make their application decisions as the applications come in. After a certain point, there are few spots left, so it is more difficult for a student, even one meeting all of the admission requirements, to get accepted than if they’d applied earlier.
“We’ll probably get a total of around 16,000 applications,” Carter said, “We’ll admit about 9,000.”
Senior John Kintz said that his main reason for applying early is based on receiving more scholarships.
“The earlier you send [your applications] in, the more apt you are to get scholarships. Colleges start handing out scholarships immediately; they don’t wait until the deadline to compare all of [the applications],” Kintz said.
DePaul University admissions counselor Nora Loftus said that applying early definitely assists students who are seeking scholarships for anything from academics to community service.
“It puts [applicants] at an advantage for priority consideration for scholarships,” Loftus said.
Unlike the rolling admission schools like NIU, DePaul University has one early action deadline in November and the regular admission deadline on Feb. 1. Beyond scholarships, students who apply early are also more prone to get the housing they want.
“Housing at DePaul is not required, so it’s not guaranteed. Students who apply by the early action date will receive [their] decision guaranteed by Jan. 15. Once you are admitted, you can apply for housing,” Loftus said.
Senior Kari Pitstick said that she is applying early to ISU because it was recommended to her during her visit there. Pitstick is taking many steps to give herself an edge in her application, in addition to applying early.
“I’m working on [raising] my grade point average, and I’m taking classes that will help with my major. [Hopefully] colleges [will notice] and know that I know what I want to do and that I will be dedicated and committed to doing well,” Pitstick said.
Carter said that the application comparisons go even deeper than just whoever managed to send theirs in first.
“[Admissions counselors] want to know that [potential students] are going to be good students and also active in the school,” he said. “Schools look for somebody who is well rounded.”