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10 Colleges Where Early Applicants Have an Edge

By U.S. News & World Report

The U.S. News Short List, separate from our overall rankings, is a regular series that magnifies individual data points in hopes of providing students and parents a way to find which undergraduate or graduate programs excel or have room to grow in specific areas. Be sure to explore The Short List: College, The Short List: Grad School and The Short List: Online Programs to find data that matter to you in your college or graduate school search.

Early college applicants can sometimes enjoy improved odds of being accepted at their dream school.

In fact, the National Association for College Admission Counseling found in a 2017 report that schools offering early decision accepted an average of nearly 60 percent of ED applicants in fall 2016. Early decision is a college admissions option available at some schools where students usually apply in November. Accepted ED students, with a few exceptions, must enroll at the institution.

The NACAC study shows the average overall acceptance rate was almost 48 percent in fall 2016, nearly 12 percentage points lower than the early decision rate. The report also revealed that colleges with early action programs were less selective, with an EA average acceptance rate of 71 percent compared with 65 percent overall. Unlike with ED, students who apply early action do not have to commit to the school.

[Read: 10 Universities With the Biggest Endowments. ]

At more than 100 colleges and universities, the average percent of applicants admitted during early decision or early action was higher than the average acceptance rate in the regular admissions pool, according to the 210 ranked colleges that reported both their early and regular acceptance rates to U.S. News in an annual survey.

Some schools give early applicants a significant admissions advantage. For instance, at Bryan College in Tennessee, all of the school’s early applicants for fall 2017 were admitted early, compared with 75 percent of applicants in its regular admissions pool.

Among Ivy League institutions, Harvard University in Massachusetts had the greatest edge for early applicants for fall 2017. The average early acceptance rate was around 51 percent for the fall 2017 entering class, a whopping difference of around 48 percentage points compared with regular admissions at 3 percent.

[Read: How Applying Early for College Affects Financial Aid.]

At the 10 colleges where early applicants had the greatest advantage over regular applicants, the average early acceptance rate was nearly 83 percent compared with an average regular acceptance rate of nearly 20 percent. Tulane University had the greatest edge among all ranked schools that reported these data. Early applicants at the Louisiana institution enjoyed nearly a 93 percentage point advantage over those who applied during regular admissions.

Below are the 10 colleges whose early acceptance rates exceeded their regular acceptance rates by the biggest margin in fall 2017. Unranked schools, which did not meet certain criteria required by U.S. News to be numerically ranked, were not considered for this report.

School (state) Percent of early applicants admitted early* Percent of regular applicants admitted Difference in acceptance rates (percentage points) U.S. News rank and category
Tulane University (LA) 95.6% 3% 92.6 44 (tie), National Universities
Trinity University (TX) 86% 13% 73 2, Regional Universities (West)
Washington and Jefferson College (PA) 90% 18% 72 103 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges
Butler University (IN) 89.8% 23% 66.8 1 (tie), Regional Universities (Midwest)
Sewanee–University of the South (TN) 87.5% 25% 62.5 49 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges
Texas Christian University 79.7% 22% 57.7 80 (tie), National Universities
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (MA) 85.7% 28% 57.7 59 (tie), National Universities
Bates College (ME) 67% 18% 49 22 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges
University of Dayton (OH) 88.9% 40% 48.9 127 (tie), National Universities
Claremont McKenna College (CA) 56.3% 8% 48.3 9, National Liberal Arts Colleges

*Combines early decision and early action programs at colleges that have both. Some colleges defer some applicants to the regular admissions pool, where they have an additional chance of admittance, so the percentage of early applicants who are eventually accepted may be higher.

Don’t see your school in the top 10? Access the U.S. News College Compass to find acceptance rate data, complete rankings and much more. Sign up for the U.S. News Extra Help: College Admissions free email newsletter to receive expert advice twice a month.

U.S. News surveyed more than 1,800 colleges and universities for our 2018 survey of undergraduate programs. Schools self-reported myriad data regarding their academic programs and the makeup of their student body, among other areas, making U.S. News’ data the most accurate and detailed collection of college facts and figures of its kind. While U.S. News uses much of this survey data to rank schools for our annual Best Colleges rankings, the data can also be useful when examined on a smaller scale. U.S. News will now produce lists of data, separate from the overall rankings, meant to provide students and parents a means to find which schools excel, or have room to grow, in specific areas that are important to them. While the data come from the schools themselves, these lists are not related to, and have no influence over, U.S. News’ rankings of Best Colleges, Best Graduate Schools or Best Online Programs. The acceptance rate data above are correct as of Nov. 6, 2018.

More from U.S. News

10 Things to Know About College Early Admissions Programs

Top 10 National Universities With Rolling Admissions

10 Colleges With the Most Undergraduates

10 Colleges Where Early Applicants Have an Edge originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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