Early decision (or early action) has benefits and drawbacks for all students. Showing interest in a school by applying early can help, but making a binding decision before you hear from other schools or receive financial aid and scholarship notifications can be risky. International students can benefit from the increased admission rates seen with early decision. Especially if your school calendar does not match with the university admission process in the US, applying early can give you an advantage and make it easier to send other applications later if needed. If you will not need financial assistance or scholarships, I’d encourage you to apply early to your top school. If money will be an issue, avoid binding early decision options as an international student.
No. It doesn’t matter if you are an international student or a domestic student. Early Decision often increases your chances of admissions, but you need to make sure that you are comfortable in in applying Early Decision as it is a binding agreement. You need to make sure that you are able to afford the school financially as well.
Short Answer:
Yes, early decision can be a good option even for international students. Statistically, ED applicants are accepted at a higher percentage than their regular decision counterparts. The trick for international students is to make sure they have completed their testing (i.e. SAT, ACT, TOEFL) well in advance of the ED deadline. If your testing schedule is not mapped out properly, you may run into a situation where you need to take a TOEFL exam too late, resulting in you not being able to meet the ED deadline. International students will also want to investigate the college’s financial aid policies regarding ED agreements and will want to have very open discussions within their family about affordability. While insufficient financial aid packages from colleges can be the only ‘opt out’ option for families, the problem with this is the timing. Families will typically receive their financial aid packages in the spring (March or April) and this does not leave any time for a student to pursue other schools if they need to, being that the May 1st deadline for deposit is right around the corner.
Early Decision Pros for International Applicants -You apply to one school and if you are accepted, you application process is over. -You will receive an admissions decision more quickly than that of a regular decision candidate -Financially, you will save a large amount of money on application costs since you will only be applying to one single school
No. It’s only important if you’re focused squarely on getting into one college above all others. Your international status does not actually matter in this case, despite what you may have heard.
Early Decision certainly makes it easier for students to make travel plans. Visas and other documents, inoculations, etc. can be obtained well in advance of deadlines when students know in December which college they will attend the following Fall.
Early application is important for most international students, whether or not one is applying early action/decision. If processing delays occur, applications submitted earlier than posted deadlines can usually be remedied much more easily.
Yes, since there’s no federal aid, and maybe none from the college, they need an edge in admissions.
Early decision is a binding contract between the student and the college. The international student must apply to a college in the fall of their last year of high school. If the college accepts the student, the student must then withdraw all other outstanding college applications. For International students Early Decision is a difficult contract to fulfill, because after the college issues an Immigration Form I-20, they must also gain approval for a Student Visa at the US consular office in their country. It’s not impossible to apply ED to US colleges, but difficult in that international students must be ready one year earlier.
Depending on a student’s profile and what colleges are on their list should determine if a student applies under the early decision option. Keep in mind that early decision is a contractual application process which means that if you are accepted you must attend. Whether you are an international student or domestic student be sure to do the research on application policies and deadlines.
Personally, I don’t like the idea of early decision. I feel like it makes this process more stressful for kids and parents than it needs to be. It is a practice most often used by admissions offices in competitive schools where it is considered an honor to be merely accepted into these schools. I think early decision is like the new stereo system in a brand new Ferrari. Without the new stereo system, the car is still a Ferrari. Without early decision, there is still regular decision.
International students can benefit from early decision as it gives them more time to secure visas and student paperwork.
I believe that early decision applicants in general have a greater chance for acceptance, as colleges like to know that a percentage of their incoming freshman class is in place. Applying early decision also indicates to a college that it is your first choice, and everyone likes to be #1.
is not necessary for international students and some schools will not allow them to apply early decision.
Early decision should only be used if a student is absolutely positive that a school is a student’s first choice and that the student will be able to afford the cost of attendance, regardless of financial aid. Applying early decision certainly enhances a student’s chances of admission, but it is not something to be taken lightly. Early decision commits the student to that particular institution, therefore, the student should be certain that the school is far and away his first choice. In order to determine a great fit, the student should have visited the school and compared it with his other choices. Do not apply early decision to a school based solely on hearsay and reputation. Make the decision based on personal experience.
For an international applicant, an Early Decision application can improve his or her chances of admission, but the applicant must be aware of certain stipulations. First, the applicant must keep in mind that an Early Decision is (in all likelihood) binding, meaning that the student must be prepared to attend that school next fall. If the school is not a clear first choice, then the student should not apply ED. Secondly, the applicant must have a good sense of cost in mind. Even “need-blind” schools are often need aware with international applicants, and financial aid can be much more challenging when a student cannot qualify for Pell Grants or Stafford Loans. If the international applicant is in a position to pay full tuition, then an ED plan can work well. If the applicant needs aid, then he or she must contact the financial aid office to see what works. Keep in mind that an applicant CAN be released from a binding Early Decision in the event of financial strain.
As long as a student is sure that is the school they want to attend. Often early decision means you must commit to a school and if you are unsure, then it is better to wait. However, early decision can be extremely helpful to give an international student the extra time to prepare and get all the necessary paper work done in order to go to another country.
Early decision is binding. This means if you are accepted you are REQUIRED to attend that school. Unless a student is 110% sure that they want to attend a particular school, they should NEVER apply early decision. This is particularly important for an international student who may not have had an opportunity to visit the college itself to see if it is truly “the one.” If there is still some uncertainty about which college you’d like to attend, try applying early action as this option is typically non-binding and you will still have the ability to weigh your options.
I feel early decision is not necessary for international students. It’s binding, and at times, international students have difficulty understanding the ramifications of the binding contract. Additionally, I think some students need more time to work on different parts of the application, and with early deadlines, they may not be able to put their “best face” forward
yes
The International student is racing against the clock! By applying Early Decision to the college of their choice, they will manage to optimize the time frame to complete application for student visas, residency options and provide themselves with details regarding financial assistance as early as possible.
Applying ED is trickier for international students, because most have not had the chance to visit the campus before applying, something that is important before committing fully to one school over all others. Otherwise, ED holds the same advantages and disadvantages for international students as for domestic students.
International students have the same option of applying to early decision and early action admissions procedures as U.S. students. Most colleges will tell you that applying early has little or no bearing on your admissions chances. However, it is definitely true that you will be competing for a fewer number of open spots during regular enrollment — so you do the math!
Early decision can work well for some students. Because it is binding, students need to understand that iif they receive an offer, they will be compelled to attend. You should also be a strong candidate (high GPA; High SAT scores and an interesting personal profile) to apply early descion. Another factor that is worth considering, is to look at the institution and see what percentage of students they admit early. At some schools, the percentage of students accepted early is very high. Early decision at Bard, for example, where they take 60% of their freshman applicants in the early round vs a school like MIT that only takes 13% early.
If it is a highly competetive college then yes – go ahead and apply ED or EA, but only if you are sure it’s your first choice. Chances are you’re applying to multiple countries so a regular decision application might fit in better with all the rest of your apps.
ED for any student usually increases their chance for admission but not always; it depends on the college to which they are applying.
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Early Decision is important for all students. That said, the student must be applying early to the college because he/she feels that college is the best match. Colleges that offer ED do so because it offers many benefits for them: they get students who want their college, they can be more selective in the regular round because they already know they have a certain percentage of their class (often 27%-39%), and it helps spread out their applications over a longer period of time. Most colleges will be a little more lenient during ED than they are in the larger regular pool, so it can help a student gain admission. Even if a student is not admitted early, the fact that the student applied early can help a bit when the college reviews the application again (though the student is no longer bound to the ED agreement). A student should NOT apply ED just to “get it over with.” Invetibaly, when a student applies ED for the wrong reasons, it ends up to be a poor match.
ED should never be primarily motivated by increasing statistical advantages. ED should be the choice of a student who has done her due diligence and had chosen, by forsaking all other colleges, to sign the ED contract as the ultimate statement of first choice college, regardless of domestic or international status. Having said that, it would be naive to overlook the often doubling of percentage of selectivity if a student chooses ED, so if an applicant, domestic or international, appears to be “on the bubble” college admissions vulgate for lower in the competitive student quotient of test scores (if required) or GPA, then ED can be a boost. Many liberal arts colleges devote half of the incoming class places to ED applicants: confirming that a bird in the hand is certainly worth two in the bush! (**If students demonstrate need and intend to apply for financial aid, ED is not be the best option as it does not allow a student to consider competing financial aid offers. As there is frequently no aid offered to international undergraduates, this issue is moot.)
Apply Early Decision only if you are sure you want to go to that school; if you are accepted, you are legally bound to go to that school. Read the fine print also; some schools will not send your application to regular decision if declined in early decision.
As with domestic students, early decision gives you an edge only if 1) money is no object and 2) you fall within the university’s mid-range profile or above. If you need any sort of merit aid to be able to attend certain universities that offer it to international student, you will do better to wait until the general round. And if you are only marginally qualified at a school, you do not really increase your chances by applying early: a marginal student will be marginal no matter when the application is submitted.
Many colleges accept a higher percentage of students through their Early Decision program, so you might have an advantage in applying early. But the drawback is that you limit your choices to just this one. This is difficult for many students, and might be especially hard for international students who may have not had the chance to visit many campuses, or might be waiting for a financial aid award.
Get all your questions answered early and make sure to have all necessary paperwork and documents in on time.
One of the main advantages international students have over domestic students is the fact they will likely pay the full sticker price for admission. In California, for example, where cash-strapped public universities are looking for ways to increase school revenue, a student paying full tuition will likely be seen as a boon to a campus, provided they meet the admission requirements of the school. Nevertheless, when it comes to extremely competitive schools, where your chance of admission may be slim, applying early decision (ED) as an international student may give you that extra edge. For colleges, ED applicants are committed to attending the school (if admitted), are usually stronger applicants than those who apply regular decision, and contribute to a 100% yield for the school because their enrollment is guaranteed. As an international student, research the likelihood of gaining admission to your choice school and consider ED if your chances are slim.
Early decision is a binding commitment which obligates you to decide, upon acceptance, to admission to the college to which you are applying. As an international student, you may need to make plans in order to accommodate travel abroad in order to matriculate at a particular institution. When this is the case, early decision may facilitate your ability to make the necessary plans to facilitate your plans to travel abroad to enroll in a postsecondary institution. Once you know where you have been accepted and which school has accepted you, you are better able to negotiate financial aid packages and opportunities for collegiate study, earlier, thereby facilitating your ability to make holistic plans for college financing, academic preparation, and social accommodations.
Early decision can be a useful application for an international student to make as long as he/she has visited the college campus and is CERTAIN if admitted — beyond a shadow of a doubt — they will be thrilled to attend. If the student has purchased the school’s t-shirt along with their bumper sticker (i.e. they are in love with this school) and would be ready to move onto campus if permitted, then early decision can be a solid choice for a student. But, they need to be sure that this is THE school for them through their research and not regret their choice in April when their friends may have several college admission offers from which to choose. Gaining the advantage in the admissions process at a particular school by applying early decision is only the better choice if the rest of the pieces fit. Colleges will generally only admit up to a third of their students in the early round so there is plenty of time to apply under regular action programs.
Early decision should only be for your first choice school and ONLY if you are willing to make a binding commitment to a particiular school.
Yes, very much so. If you take the time to research schools and decide to apply Early Decision to one of them that can help you get in to your top choice school. If you’re also a full-pay student then you increase your odds of admissions significantly.
Short answer is yes. Assuming you are not in the market for financial aid applying Early Decision could positively effect your chances of getting in.
Applying early can be beneficial for international students. Often, international students have even more factors to consider than domestic students when applying for college. Thus, if an international student gets an early start, it can be helpful in determining from which colleges a student can choose as well as comparing cost at various schools. In addition, if a student applies early, s/he will have more time to visit those colleges to which acceptances were received.
The answer depends greatly on each individual student. Early decision is a binding contract with your school, therefore students must be aware that if they are accepted under early decision they must attend this college. Students should talk with their counselors and parents before making this decision.
I do not work with international students at this time. I would think that there are a number of spaces for international students and depending on the number of international applicants it would be important to apply early. As far as early decision goes, unless the school is known to give money to said students I would look into it further on a school by school basis.
Early decision is great option if the university that you apply to is your first choice. With Early Decision, you agree to attend that institution if admitted. Early Action, however, is not binding and may be a better alternative if you want to be admitted early.
If the student is the best he/she can be in terms of grades, test scores, awards, activities, and this is absolutely the first choice school, then applying ED can be important for international students. They must understand that this is a binding decision and they must be fairly certain their families can afford the school. In the best case situation, the student and family have already visited the school, and know all of their options. Second to that, they have an ongoing relationship with someone in the admissions office.
It is not necessary to apply as an early decision student based on international or homeschool status. Only apply for early decision when you are absolutely positive that you only want to go to that school and that you have met the entry requirements. Early decision is binding and will hinder you from applying to other colleges until that institution has made its offer. Thus your status as an international or homeschooled student is not really a key factor.
International students come in all shapes and sizes. Early decision is a way of applying that allows a student to state a clear preference for a college and in most cases will give the applicant a small advantage over students applying regular decision. Some international students have had enough exposure to US schools to know what their clear first choice is, others have not. Unless you are very knowledgeable about the college and willing to commit to that college, you should not apply early decision.
Early Decision makes sense if a student is ready to have that partnership with a school. If financial aid is not a factor, early decision can be a positive experience. Schools tend to make up 40% of their class through their process.
Applying early to schools is a must because the sooner you know that the school will accept you, you can then begin finacial aid, scholarships, housing and other items that need to be done. For International students the requirements are different than for other student thus the earlier you get the decision the easier it is to start planning.
More important than an early decision is early preparedness. Make sure that you have all needed documentation turned in to the schools you wish to attend, (especially if you are looking for financial aid)! Deadlines must be met and you must prepare early, so e.g., your essay will leave a good impression.
Yes, very important. Being an international student, you might be required to provide extra documentation to that college/university. So start planning ahead and contact that specific college or university. They may want to know about your citizenship, transcripts from your country, credits that might transfer over, etc… Again, very important to get the ball rolling since they will be asking for more information from an international student. Wish you well.
International students are normally going to have to pay full price for their education here in the United States so reason of not applying early decision for financial reasons is out of the question. For this reason I think it is important for international students to apply early decision because the percentages of getting accepted to a highly competitive school are greater in early decision and you are making that school aware that they are your first choice by applying early.
Yes
In the admission process, the competition among international students is ferocious because there is usually a limited number of spots available for international students and their academic performances usually rank in the top tier of the application pool. Absolutely, it is critical for international students like other students to apply early decision if they are certain abut their first college choice. It signals that your strong desire to attend the college and your commitment to achieve this goals through hard work and organization in completing your application early. Also, applying early decision allows the admission teams to read over your application more carefully and get a chance to learn more about you. Consequently, you can separate yourself from the pack through early decision and gain a slight advantage over regular admission applicants.
Two things for international students to consider in Early Decision are the binding nature of the application and potential ramifications on financial aid. Students who will not require financial aid to attend their ED school and have spent considerable time determining a first choice school should pursue the ED application option. Students who need to be fully evaluated for financial aid and able to compare packages between schools would benefit from the regular admission pool.
If you have done your research and are absolutely certain that one school is the best fit for you and that early decision is right for you, then yes, it is a wonderful option for all students. There are so many decisions and deadlines and pressures that come your way during the senior of high school, it seems that getting the largest decision behind you could relieve a lot of worry and stress early on. The pool of applicants will be greater… and fewer spots will be available if you wait until the regular admission decisions are made. However, no student should consider early decision if you or your parents are waffling. “Decision” indicates that the waffling period has passed!!!
Yes, ED and EA are important for International Students.
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I know each school is a bit different and has their own policies, but I believe that early decision is not for international students. International students have their own admission process.
Barriers to College Success for Chinese Students: Education Marketing vs College Counseling There are multiple barriers for Chinese students to attend college in the US. First, Chinese students do not have freedom of choice in terms of college selections. Second, Chinese students are not counseled on college majors and careers. Third, Chinese students that hire placement agencies are bound by contracts for college admissions with the agencies. Since parents often make all the decisions. Chinese recruiting agencies target them with aggressive advertising guaranteeing admissions to a US college. What is lacking is a student-centric focus that matches college selection to the student’s individual profile. Instead, gaining admissions to college is the only gauge of success. This single focus ignores other important considerations such as selecting the right college major, the suitability of the campus environment, and whether the college selection supports the student’s future career goal. This can result in multiple barriers to graduation after gaining admissions to college. Chinese students attending a college that is too large often become isolated and discouraged. Students who gains admissions without forethought and counseling on selection of college majors can end up in majors that do not match career goals. Although the statistics are lacking with regard to graduation ratios of Chinese students from US colleges, anecdotal evidence suggests that many Chinese students struggle to graduate after being admitted. The aggressive marketing tactics in China by recruiting agencies have inappropriately focused attention on gaining admission to college instead of selecting the right college that is suitable matched to the student. , however, single goal that that When we talk about college access for Chinese students, knowledge is the key. Knowledge has all the powers to difference the students decision and the parents decision. We would expect students to learn everything they need to learn about a particular school. Through multiple channels, different perspectives, and sometimes including the experts in the US but in China, students are only getting information about particular schools or college through education marketings. And one of them highlight for education marketing is to promote college rankings therefore turned colleges into commodities. Students and parents normally know very little about the schools they apply to but they know every single ranking numbers for all the schools. They may not understand exactly but the ranking represent what is behind the philosophy that each ranking agency have to produce. But all the Chinese students share one thing in common that number ten is usually different from number eleven. It is not in dispute that education marketing has direct impact on college access for Chinese students especially the majority of education marketing are produced in china by the Chinese agencies. Those agencies share one thing in common which is to commoditize the college admission market. It is a billion dollar industry with great power and inference to create a barrier and limited access for Chinese students. Colleges may not know that Chinese students may not have access to social networks such as facebook, youtube, and twitter in china. Those social network mediums are highly conducted by colleges as tools for their education marketing purposes. Therefore it is extremely hard for Chinese students to gain perspectives about the difference between different type of colleges and be able to sort out what’s important to them. There are three major websites in china that are currently promoting college admissions and provide educational materials for Chinese students. A lot of those articles are in fact incorrect and misleading in general. If that’s the type of environment for the students to learn everything they need to learn about colleges, we should understand the challenges and the barriers are certainly at odds with the Chinese students. We all agree students and parents should make their decisions solely on their best interest but it’s hard for them to compare thousands of schools in the US and understand the differences. The simplest way to shop for colleges is to use ranking systems. One of the challenges of selecting schools based on ranking is the acceptance rank and the chance for the student to succeed in college. Educating the Chinese students is not an easy task for anyone because the Chinese students do not have access to counselors. The mass media in china normally promote best interest of the Chinese agencies because they pay for advertisements and then the most US colleges and universities does not offer a lot of education materials specifically for Chinese students. Although the fact that the Chinese students are number one in terms of enrollment, this year replaced India on the top of the list, we still have a long way to bring the knowledge to the Chinese students therefore help them to make an informed decision. Without informed decision, students are normally not prepared in terms of what to expect, what not to expect once they’re enrolled. That will ultimately impact the student’s experiences in college. Education marketing is very powerful, depends on who’s doing it. If the US colleges and universities are coming together to provide accurate information to the Chinese students, we believe that will ultimately impact a lot of decisions for the Chinese students in terms of college admissions. Other barriers which include the major selections are very obvious. Chinese students typically apply to business schools and engineering schools and they have no idea what the school has to offer for the ninety percent decrease that they never heard. It is also very interesting to see that some of the Chinese students actually made an assumption that business major is the solution for everyone and ultimately become entrepreneurs just like their parents. What they’re going to find out is the fact that the business school is not right for everyone especially the students does not possess leadership skills and organizational skills. Those students will learn all the basic curriculums as a business major student. Must they graduate, returning back to China, those classes they learned in college may have very little to do with daily activities and job responsibilities in china. The Barriers: Education Marketing vs College Access for Chinese Students There are multiple barriers for Chinese students when it comes to college access. First of all, Chinese students have a very little control in terms of college selections. Second of all, Chinese students never have the opportunity to receive counseling about major selections and career choice. The third barrier is that the fact that most Chinese students are bonded by contracts for college admissions with the Chinese agencies. When we talk about college access for Chinese students, knowledge is the key. Knowledge has all the powers to differentiate the student’s decision and the parents’ decision. We would expect students to learn everything they need to know about a particular school through multiple channels, different perspectives, and sometimes including the experts in the US. But in China, students are only getting information about particular schools or college through education marketing. One of the highlights for education marketing is to promote college rankings, therefore turning colleges into commodities. Students and parents normally know very little about the schools they apply to but they know every single ranking number for all the schools. They may not understand exactly but the ranking represents what is behind the philosophy that each ranking agency has to produce. But all the Chinese students share one thing in common that they know is that the number ten is usually different from the number eleven. It is not in dispute that education marketing has direct impact on college access for Chinese students especially the majority of education marketing is produced in China by the Chinese agencies. Those agencies share one thing in common which is to commoditize the college admission market. It is a billion dollar industry with great power and inference to create a barrier and limited access for Chinese students. Colleges may not know that Chinese students may not have access to social networks such as Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter in china. Those social network mediums are highly conducted by colleges as tools for their education marketing purposes. Therefore it is extremely hard for Chinese students to gain perspectives about the difference between different types of colleges and be able to sort out what’s important to them. There are three major websites in China that are currently promoting college admissions and providing educational materials for Chinese students. A lot of those articles are in fact incorrect and misleading in general. If that’s the environment the students use to learn everything they need to learn about colleges, we should understand the challenges and the barriers are certainly at odds with the Chinese students. We all agree students and parents should make their decisions solely on their best interest but it’s hard for them to compare thousands of schools in the US and understand the differences. The simplest way to shop for colleges is to use ranking systems. One of the challenges of selecting schools based on ranking is the acceptance rank and the chance for the student to succeed in college. Educating the Chinese students is not an easy task for anyone because the Chinese students do not have access to counselors. The mass media in China normally promote in the best interest of the Chinese agencies because they pay for advertisements and most US colleges and universities do not offer a lot of education materials specifically for Chinese students. Although the fact that the Chinese students are number one in terms of enrollment, this year replacing India on the top of the list, we still have a long way to bring the knowledge to the Chinese students to help them to make an informed decision. Without informed decision, students are normally not prepared in terms of what to expect and what not to expect once they’re enrolled. That will ultimately impact the student’s experiences in college. Education marketing is very powerful depending on who’s doing it. If the US colleges and universities are coming together to provide accurate information to the Chinese students, we believe that will ultimately impact a lot of decisions for the Chinese students in terms of college admissions. Other barriers which include the major selections are very obvious. Chinese students typically apply to business schools and engineering schools and they have no idea what the school has to offer for the ninety percent decrease that they never heard. It is also very interesting to see that some of the Chinese students actually make an assumption that business major is the solution for everyone and ultimately become entrepreneurs just like their parents. What they’re going to find out is the fact that the business school is not right for everyone especially the students who do not possess leadership and organizational skills. Those students will learn all the basic curriculums as a business major student. Once they graduate and perhaps return back to China, those classes they learned in college may have very little to do with daily activities and job responsibilities there.
Last year at Columbia, I gave a talk called “Early Isn’t Evil,” where I discussed the idea that even if a school was just one (and not the ‘one and only’) of your top choices, you should indeed consider early decision because it can often double or even triple your chances.
There are multiple barriers for Chinese students to attend college in the US. First, Chinese students do not have freedom of choice in terms of college selections. Second, Chinese students are not counseled on college majors and careers. Third, Chinese students that hire placement agencies are bound by contracts for college admissions with the agencies. Since parents often make all the decisions. Chinese recruiting agencies target them with aggressive advertising guaranteeing admissions to a US college. What is lacking is a student-centric focus that matches college selection to the student’s individual profile. Instead, gaining admissions to college is the only gauge of success. This single focus ignores other important considerations such as selecting the right college major, the suitability of the campus environment, and whether the college selection supports the student’s future career goal. This can result in multiple barriers to graduation after gaining admissions to college. Chinese students attending a college that is too large often become isolated and discouraged. Students who gains admissions without forethought and counseling on selection of college majors can end up in majors that do not match career goals. Although the statistics are lacking with regard to graduation ratios of Chinese students from US colleges, anecdotal evidence suggests that many Chinese students struggle to graduate after being admitted. The aggressive marketing tactics in China by recruiting agencies have inappropriately focused attention on gaining admission to college instead of selecting the right college that is suitable matched to the student. , however, single goal that that When we talk about college access for Chinese students, knowledge is the key. Knowledge has all the powers to difference the students decision and the parents decision. We would expect students to learn everything they need to learn about a particular school. Through multiple channels, different perspectives, and sometimes including the experts in the US but in China, students are only getting information about particular schools or college through education marketings. And one of them highlight for education marketing is to promote college rankings therefore turned colleges into commodities. Students and parents normally know very little about the schools they apply to but they know every single ranking numbers for all the schools. They may not understand exactly but the ranking represent what is behind the philosophy that each ranking agency have to produce. But all the Chinese students share one thing in common that number ten is usually different from number eleven. It is not in dispute that education marketing has direct impact on college access for Chinese students especially the majority of education marketing are produced in china by the Chinese agencies. Those agencies share one thing in common which is to commoditize the college admission market. It is a billion dollar industry with great power and inference to create a barrier and limited access for Chinese students. Colleges may not know that Chinese students may not have access to social networks such as facebook, youtube, and twitter in china. Those social network mediums are highly conducted by colleges as tools for their education marketing purposes. Therefore it is extremely hard for Chinese students to gain perspectives about the difference between different type of colleges and be able to sort out what’s important to them. There are three major websites in china that are currently promoting college admissions and provide educational materials for Chinese students. A lot of those articles are in fact incorrect and misleading in general. If that’s the type of environment for the students to learn everything they need to learn about colleges, we should understand the challenges and the barriers are certainly at odds with the Chinese students. We all agree students and parents should make their decisions solely on their best interest but it’s hard for them to compare thousands of schools in the US and understand the differences. The simplest way to shop for colleges is to use ranking systems. One of the challenges of selecting schools based on ranking is the acceptance rank and the chance for the student to succeed in college. Educating the Chinese students is not an easy task for anyone because the Chinese students do not have access to counselors. The mass media in china normally promote best interest of the Chinese agencies because they pay for advertisements and then the most US colleges and universities does not offer a lot of education materials specifically for Chinese students. Although the fact that the Chinese students are number one in terms of enrollment, this year replaced India on the top of the list, we still have a long way to bring the knowledge to the Chinese students therefore help them to make an informed decision. Without informed decision, students are normally not prepared in terms of what to expect, what not to expect once they’re enrolled. That will ultimately impact the student’s experiences in college. Education marketing is very powerful, depends on who’s doing it. If the US colleges and universities are coming together to provide accurate information to the Chinese students, we believe that will ultimately impact a lot of decisions for the Chinese students in terms of college admissions. Other barriers which include the major selections are very obvious. Chinese students typically apply to business schools and engineering schools and they have no idea what the school has to offer for the ninety percent decrease that they never heard. It is also very interesting to see that some of the Chinese students actually made an assumption that business major is the solution for everyone and ultimately become entrepreneurs just like their parents. What they’re going to find out is the fact that the business school is not right for everyone especially the students does not possess leadership skills and organizational skills. Those students will learn all the basic curriculums as a business major student. Must they graduate, returning back to China, those classes they learned in college may have very little to do with daily activities and job responsibilities in china.
Because the largest interest in international students is coming from public universities,[ e.g. University of California which uses no ED or EA programs], the decision to use early decision is problematic. {The reason UC’s drastically raised their acceptances for out of California students is because UC’s collect three times more tuition than they collect from in state students].As in all early applications, we see increased percentages of acceptances, but to commit to an ED school is such a serious step for an international student, that I would advise caution and seeking out excellent colleges that only offer early action or regular decision.
Early decision for any student is a serious consideration. It indicates, not implies, that you really want to get into this school, that this is your top choice. So, if you are going to apply early decision, you are stating that if accepted, you will go to this school and no other. There is no difference if you are international or domestic–only apply ED if you are certain that this is the school for you!
Each college and university will have unique policies regarding international students. The process becomes even more important when certain financial aid programs require applications to be submitted by a certain admission deadline (either early or regular). It is extremely important to check with the individual schools that you intend to apply to.
This is one of the most popular questions that I get from students and parents. Honestly, it comes down to two factors: interest and feasibility. The application process can be very stressful. It is best for both students and parents to know their options when it comes to successfully completing this process. I recommend that students apply to seven to nine institutions. There should also be a diverse pool of applicants based on institution selectivity. This is where the two factors come in. First, let’s address interest. In higher education, colleges and universities are in the market of prestige. It is very easy to get caught up in the name game, but that does not mean that these institutions are the best institutions for you. There are a great number of institutions that provide great learning environments, both inside and outside of the classroom. Next, there’s feasibility. We are currently in a recession. Many families are struggling financially, and the application process can become quite expensive. To ameliorate these circumstances, it is best to utilize as many resources as possible. Consider using the Common Application; application discount options from your counselor; and encouraging students to practice money management skills when preparing their applications (i.e. remind students of their applications when they consider buying video games, clothing, or concert tickets). Though many people are experiencing a financial crunch, it does not mean that a student’s application experience should suffer.
If you are an international student it is very important that you make your decision at the beginning of your senior year. However, I would encourage you to spend the summer prior to your senior year in researching those college and universities that you are interested in applying to. This way you have a much better idea of all the requirements that need to be met in order to attend the college or university of your choice.
There may be visa issues and additional documentation needed from their home country
International students can apply for early decision even if they are planning to apply for financial aid. If an international student applies early decision and is admitted to a school they must withdrawl all other applications in January. It might be helpful for an international student to do this if they want to solidify plans for studying in the United States.
Here’s my stab at a thorough answer, one informed by multiple perspectives…
Yes, there is a statistical edge for students who apply early decision. Since the majority of international students will not receive any financial aid, colleges are looking to admit international students.
There are usually limits on slots for international students. Early decision would ensure the student has their first choice of institution.
Early decision is a great option for international students. This helps a student to determine early exactly when and where they will be matriculating into college. It also allows more time for students to plan for funding their college expenses and preparing for housing. Generally, international students have to go through more red tape than students that are inside the country, which may require a longer processing time, Therefore, it’s best to complete all necessary paperwork in advance just in case a problem may arise.
I don’t believe so. Early decision is an agreement and a commitment to go to that particular school if accepted. If the international student is solely focused on one particular US university or college, then they can certainly go ahead with application for early decision.
Very much so… They will need to get prepared for travelling, immunization, and college class selection. In addition, housing, and preparation for living in a foreign country with a host family or the university dorms become critical pieces of the puzzle.
Early decision may not be the best way for international students to apply to schools. Students applying Early Decision to schools have to sign an agreement that says they are committed to attending that school whatever the Financial Aid package you may or may not receive. Early decision should only be used by students if they are sure that it is their first choice school and they know they have the money to attend if they are accepted.
Early decision is a wonderful for option for any student who knows that this school is the right fit for him or her. That is the reason to go early decision. Unfortunately, these days, going early decision does give you an advantage at some schools, especially if you do not have to worry about finances. In this sense, going ED can help tip the balance in your favor in some instances. But the most important part about going ED – international or domestic – is that the school is the right fit for you.
Early decision is often an effective way to pursue your top college. Although the competition is greater, admissions might spend a bit more time intentionally looking at the individual student and assessing the “whole student” and the unique international/cultural perspective you might bring to the their institution.
When you choose to apply early to a university, you get a jump start on the large number of spring applicants. Usually, early decisions are made in November and December. This helps you in the financial aid process and gets your name in the pot for university scholarships.
Early decision/early action is highly beneficial in gaining early acceptance and potential scholarship money. This can be very helpful to international students allowing for additional time to plan for the transition to the United States. Given international students have additional requirements and considerations for acceptance early decision may help their chances for admissions. As colleges look for diversity in their student body they are more apt to consider international students in early decision to have a variety of students commit to attend their school. Most international students will have additional forms to complete, so starting the process early is essential. Of course, students should only consider early decision if they know for certain that is a college they would attend if given the opportunity as they will be bound by to attend, withdrawing other applications.
If you have made a decision about what university you want to attend and are serious about getting into a particular college, your choice to apply “early decision” can help your chances considerably.
International students need to start planning and preparing to attend college at least 2 years in advance. If they go ahead and apply to the college that they have decided is the best fit for them, then getting an early decision may be helpful for all of the extra stuff they have to do, such as making sure all documents and forms are correct, getting the correct information for financial aid, and taking the SAT’s or ACT’s. This early decision process can help them in their journey to attend college, and sometimes the earlier you know the less stressful everything else can be.
I work with a large number of international students. Many of them want to apply to schools ED, but I do not think that they fully understand the rationale behind the early decision process. Applying early decision will only give students an advantage if they are toward the top of the applicant pool of a particular school.
The decision to apply Early Decision (the binding option) is encapsulated with discussion, statistical analysis and breadth of the applicant. In our global world, students have extended their applications beyond their traditional geographic boundaries. When working with international students, the Early Decision option should and is discussed in great depth. College admission professionals review applicants in context to the development of the applicant’s class. As an applicant, a student must understand the scope of the school, the goal and mission of incorporating international students into their community and measure the objective and subjective likelihood of admission based on a variety of measures.
Early decision is important for all students international or not. If any student applies early decision and is admitted into the college or university of their choice, they must withdraw all applications submitted to other colleges or universities.
The admission rates for Early Decision are always higher than regular decision so it’s to your advantage to apply ED if you can. If you will be seeking financial aid, you should apply regular decision so you will have a change to compare aid packages from those few US colleges offering aid to international students. You also must be ethical when applying ED. While the fine print doesn’t always spell it out, ED means that the college is your first choice for all colleges worldwide.
If you knew that you had gotten in to all of your top schools, would you choose the school you are considering for early decision without hesitation? That is the level of confidence required to apply early decision. If you have that level of confidence and are comfortable with the financial commitment, applying early can give you closure and a head start on planning.
Not always – if your program of study highly recommends it – go for it. If it is an option, weigh the benefits to the detriments and make an informed decision. An international student must factor in preparation time and testing schedule for the TOEFL and SAT – will you be ready as a junior in high school? All those factors needed to present your story to the Admissions Officer who reads your application – will it provide a better story if you wait for regular decision and have more time to prepare for the required/recommended admission program tests – you decide with a good handle on the information avialable for you – not what is right for me – what is right for you.
Some colleges restrict this option for international students. This could be for a variety of reasons. International students, like American students, must fully understand the process and understand that it is binding. This decison has to be made before financial aid awards are given and because of this it may not be a good option for many students.
It is always better to be in the smallest applicant pool possible, and the early decision pool is just that. For international students with strong academic records and test scores, ED could be the way to go. Since most international students do not qualify for traditional financial aid, they don’t hav much to lose by applying ED, and will have the benefit of extra time, once admitted, to complete visa, travel, and housing details.
I really run into this question in my consulting job. As we all know, some schools they have the ED programe and this program is really helpful for certain students .But for the international students , it is better to apply the regular admission. Because in some cases, much more excellent students will apply the early decision and the accepted rate is lower that the regular one ,which may lower the probability of admission. while in the regular round , you will meet a lot peers with similar backgrounds, which may be better for you to be admitted to the school.
Early Decision is usually a binding agreement between the applicant and the university. Unless the student is extremely committed and prepared to pay the cost of attendance outright, then they should possibly apply regular decision. The student should make sure they have also completed all required testing (TOEFL/SAT/ACT) and have results way ahead of the deadline, If they decide to apply ED. There are many factors that could influence this decision and each individual’s situation should be reviewed carefully before rendering a final choice.
If a student is applying Early Decision they should have already explored other options with regard to colleges, have visited that school and can say that there is not another college they would prefer over the Early Decision school. With regard to International Students I do not think it is important for the student to apply early decision but in the end it is up to that student and their family. If an International Student does apply ED they should be knowledgeable about the commitment they are making to the college and whether that commitment may affect the financial aid package they could receive.
It certainly is because if they are not accepted in Early Decision at an American college, they can still apply to colleges in their own country before the application deadline.
As with many aspects of the college application process, the answer depends on a student’s particular circumstances. Many students are not able to visit colleges prior to submitting their applications. In this scenario, I would advocate early action rather than early decision as if at all possible the student should visit before making a final decision. However, some students are able to visit a college more than once prior to applying. In that case, assuming their grades and scores put them academically within a particular school’s range and they are certain a particular college is their first choice, I would support an ED application. There is a misconception that ED increases an student’s odds. I say misconception because generally the criteria for ED are not lower than RD and in some cases the admission rates are similar.
Applying early decision demonstrates your commitment and interest in that school and this is an important message for any applicant (international or American) to send to the admissions office. The decision to apply early should only be made if you are certain that this college is your first choice. This is a major decision on your part–are you ready? Is financial aid a necessity for you to be able to attend? You won’t have the opportunity to compare and contrast FA packages. If you are committed to the school, then go ahead and apply.
Probably not a good idea as it is a commitment and you need to keep all options open.
No
If the school is the primary choice for the student and boasts as highly selective admission rate then yes, more and more students are securing their spot for Fall’s Freshman class this way. It also helps to eliminate less travel for international students when they have already made their choice.
ED is a good option if: 1. You absolutely have a favorite school 2. Financial Aid is not a huge factor 3. You are realistically in academic range of the school
Early Decision can be important for any student who is on the bubble. If you are a student whose stats are slightly below what a college is looking for then Early Decision could be advantageous to you. Early Decision applicants are telling their college that they are number one on their list and that statement can sometimes be the difference between admission and denial. But as far as it being more important for international students, I don’t think so.
Applying to a US institution as an international student requires a nuanced review of credentials. Because of unique admission considerations, deadlines for international students are often earlier than for domestic students. If a school does not have a separate deadline for international applicants, it behooves students in this situation to apply in advance of published deadlines. Visa eligibility, review of foreign credentials, and verification of finances will prolong the process for international students. The binding aspect of Early Decision programs should not impact international students differently than domestic students. At some institutions, early decision presents a slightly better likelihood of earning admission. However, students should carefully consider this contractually binding choice: it is only the right fit for some.
Just as for all students, Early Decision can be important if a student is absolutely certain that the Early Decision choice is his/her first choice. If not, students should plan to apply Regular Decision. There is no real difference in this regard between International and Domestic applicants
Each school will have their own guidelines for international students who wish to apply for early decision. Some schools do not permit students to apply for early decision. Other schools only permit students who do not wish to apply for financial aid to apply for early decision. When a student is applying for early decision they need to be sure that the school they are selecting is a good fit for them. All early decision acceptances are binding. Students need to be aware of this admissions policy. The best way for a student and school to know if they are a good match is by visiting the campus. When students visit campus they show a demonstrated interest in the school and are able to attest to their knowledge that that school is both their top choice and a good fit.
It should not matter whether you are an international student or domestic, you should only apply ED if you are certain the school is your first choice and you will be happy attending for the four/five years of your undergraduate education. Have you visited? Felt the vibe of the campus and area surrounding the school? Done your homework regarding majors/quality of life? Most international students are required to fill out the Declaration of Finances so the financial aid issue, as with some domestic students, is not as pertinent.
I advise students to apply for ED if they have a dream school, are strong within the applicant pool, are positive that this is the school they will attend no matter what and for whom need based aid is not a consideration. Since most international students do not qualify for U.S. government based aid based on financial aid this makes it less of a consideration regarding ED. Therefore if international students fit the other criteria, it may be to their advantage to apply ED. Certain schools select a large number of their applicants ED. Francine Schwartz Pathfinder Counseling LLC
I checked the latest information from many top schools related to early decision for international students. Apparently, some colleges had restricted this in the past because of concerns about understanding the legality of the binding process. This is no longer the case. International students requiring aid should be cautious about applying early. Like U.S. students, they will not have a basis for comparing packages if they only use the early decision (versus early action) option. Also, international students required to submit tests such as TOEFL have to be careful to adhere to all deadlines and have all documentation in on time. That said, international students should only apply early if the college is really their first choice. If they do not require aid, statistics may bear out the early application.
most counselors would recommend early decision for international students. early decision can help international students to apply the right schools with better acceptence rate. however, not all schools offer early decision to international students. it is not widely used becuase the majority of Chinese students are not invloved with the admissions process and it is common knowledge that the Chinese agencies are not educators or counselors.
The importance of applying Early Decision as an international student is the same as it is for domestic students. The most important factor to consider when trying to decide whether or not to apply Early Decision is whether or not the school you are applying to is your top choice, since Early Decision is binding at most schools. However, one thing to remember is that most schools offering Early Decision as an option admit a higher percentage of their applicants at this stage than during the Regular Decision period.
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