Before tackling the task of selecting a school, you should do some general reading on the topic of college admissions, specifically regarding schools that are of interest to you. Each college has its own policies and schedule of notification. Some of the common procedures are set forth below:

Traditional
Under this plan, you will be required to apply before a given date (i.e. February1st). On or about April 15th of the same year, you will be notified of your acceptance. A short time later, usually by May 1st, you will be required to confirm your desire to attend. Either the college catalog or your acceptance letter will specify the date.

Rolling Admission
According to this plan, you are to apply at any time prior to a stated deadline and will receive your acceptance within a given period, usually a month to six weeks thereafter.

Early Decision
This plan requires a commitment on the student's part to attend one particular school. Students may apply for early decision at only ONE college. The colleges which offer early decision take this matter very seriously. In most cases, in return for an early decision by the college, you will be expected to withdraw all applications from other institutions. That means you will not hear of decisions other schools may make in your favor. Early Decision is only recommended for students who truly do not want to attend any university other than the one they are applying Early Decision to.

Deferred Admission
This program, offered by a growing number of colleges, allows you to apply during your senior year. If accepted, you may postpone matriculating (attending) for one year after you have finished high school. We recommend this option be considered only under special circumstances. Statistics show that students who decide to 'work a year' before college find it much more difficult to begin after being in the workforce.