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College admissions can be a confusing and demanding process, requiring hours of work and preparation. The various avenues to get into college can also be perplexing.

大學申請可能是一個令人困惑和苛刻的過程，需要大量的時間學習和準備。同時，進入大學的各種途徑也非常復雜。

Beyond the regular admissions process, two increasingly popular options to consider are early action and early decision.

除了常規的錄取程序，有兩種越來越受歡迎的選擇是提前行動（Early action，EA）和提前決定（early decision，ED）。

Early action and early decision can be beneficial admissions strategies, but only if students know how to navigate these routes. The first step starts with understanding the differences.

EA和ED可以是有利的錄取策略，但前提是學生需要知道如何駕馭這兩種申請方式，第一步應該從理解它們的區別開始。

 

What Is Early Action?

什么是EA

According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling, early action means that "students apply early and receive a decision well in advance of the institution's regular response date."

根據美國大學入學咨詢協會(National Association for College Admission Counseling)的說法，EA指學生提前申請，并在學校的常規回復日期之前收到決定。”

Or as Walter Caffey, vice president for enrollment and dean of admission and student aid at Wheaton College in Massachusetts, puts it: "They've decided through early action to try to get a decision earlier in the process as compared to the regular admission process so that they can understand where they stand with some of these schools that are at the top of their list."

或者如馬薩諸塞州惠頓學院負責招生的副校長、招生和學生援助主任沃爾特·凱菲所說的那樣，學生對于已經決定的院校，通過EA申請能夠在與常規錄取程序相比的過程中更早地得到回復，以便了解自己在排名靠前的學校中自己的定位。”

Students should also know that some colleges use a restrictive early action process.

學生需要注意的是一些學校對于EA的申請過程是有一定的限制。

According to NACAC, that means students may be restricted from applying early action or early decision elsewhere.

根據NACAC的說法，選擇一所學校申請EA的學生可能會被限制在其他學校申請EA或ED。 

Restrictive early action is, in a way, saying, colleges are limiting you to using this process one time. It works the same way as early action except that like early decision, you only get one shot at it. 

從某種程度上說，學校限制學生只能使用一次EA或ED的申請方式。

 

What Is EarlyDecision?

什么是ED

NACAC describes early decision as a process in which "students make a commitment to a first-choice institution where, if admitted they definitely will enroll and withdraw all other applications."

NACAC將提前錄取描述為“學生對第一選擇的學校做出承諾，如果被錄取，他們一定會入讀該學校，并撤回所有其他申請。”

As the College Board website explains: "Early decision plans are binding — a student who is accepted as an ED applicant must attend the college. Early action plans are nonbinding — students receive an early response to their application but do not have to commit to the college until the normal reply date of May 1."

正如大學委員會網站上解釋的那樣:“ED計劃是有約束力的，通過ED申請的學生被錄取后必須選擇去這所大學就讀。相比ED，EA不具有約束力，學生們通常會收到申請的提前回復，但在5月1日的正常回復日期之前，不必向學校承諾。”

What Happens to Students Who Back Out of Early Decision Offers？

放棄ED錄取的學生會有什么后果?

Students accepted to college via early decision are able to nail down their postgraduation plans well ahead of their peers and enjoy the remainder of high school stress-free.

通過提前錄取被大學錄取的學生能夠比其他學生提前確定他們的畢業計劃，并享受無壓力的高中剩余時光。

But teens generally must attend a school if they get in via early decision. 

但一般來說，如果學生通過ED方式申請到學校，意味著他們必須入讀該校。

While students can't be forced to attend any school they are accepted to via early decision, the consequences they will face, if any, when backing out of these agreements will depend on the school and the student's situation.

雖然不能強迫學生進入任何通過ED錄取他們的學校，但如果他們違反了ED協議將面臨一些后果，關于是什么樣的后果將取決于學校和學生的情況。

Most colleges will release students from early decision offers without penalty if applicants receive a financial aid package that doesn't make it feasible economically for the student to attend.

例如，如果申請人獲得的助學金在經濟上無法讓學生入學，大多數大學都會免除學生的提前錄取，不會受到懲罰。

There may be other compelling reasons that would sway an admissions officer to release an accepted student from an early decision offer without consequence – a sick parent, for instance.

或者可能還有其他令人信服的原因，會使招生官員在沒有后果的情況下取消被錄取的學生的錄取，比如生病的父母。

if students back out of early decision agreements without a good reason, It would be a big ethical issue.

如果學生在沒有充分理由的情況下取消ED錄取協議，這將是一個很大的倫理問題。

The early decision agreement is not legally binding and the school wouldn't go after the student for tuition, but there could be other consequences.

ED協議不具有法律約束力，學校不會追究學生的學費，但可能會有其他后果。

If, for instance, they found out a student somehow had applied to two different places early decision, or even another early action and the student had broken the early decision agreement, Nesbitt says they'd call the other schools and the student would risk losing both acceptances.

例如，如果學校發現一個學生以某種方式申請了兩個不同的學校的ED，甚至另一個學校的EA，那么該學生就違反了ED協議，學校會打電話給其他學校，導致的后果就是該學生可能會失去所有的EA和ED的錄取。

It may not be that difficult for schools to determine if students are playing the system. 

對于學校來說，判斷學生是否違反申請的規則不是一件難事。

Katharine Fretwell, dean of admission and financial aid at Amherst College, another Massachusetts institution, says her school and about 30 other colleges share lists of students admitted through early decision. And Fretwell says she'd likely also share the names of students who were admitted via early decision, but who are not attending for financial aid and other reasons.

例如，馬薩諸塞州另一所大學阿默斯特學院的招生和助學金主任凱瑟琳·弗雷特韋爾表示，她的學校和其他約30所大學是共享通過ED錄取的學生名單。弗雷特韋爾說，她也會分享那些通過ED錄取但因為經濟援助和其他原因而沒有入學的學生的名字。

 

Ask Yourself These 4 Questions Before You Apply Early Decision

在申請ED前問自己這4個問題

Students who are considering applying ED to a school should weigh a number of questions very carefully before deciding on this path. While applying early decision can open doors that may otherwise have been difficult to enter, its binding nature also closes a number of other doors if you are admitted. Here are four important questions to ask yourself before applying to a college ED:

正在考慮申請ED的學生在決定這條道路之前應該非常仔細地權衡一些問題。雖然申請提前錄取可以打開原本很難進入的大門，但如果你被錄取，它的約束性也會關閉一些其他的門。在申請大學教育之前，你需要問自己以下四個重要的問題:

1. Is there a significant statistical advantage to applying ED?

1. ED是否有顯著的優勢?

At certain schools, there is a considerably higher rate of acceptance for students who apply early. However, this can vary widely by institution, with some colleges reporting exceptionally large differences, and others reporting differences of only several percentage points.

在某些學校，提前申請的學生的錄取率要高得多。然而，不同院校的差異可能很大，一些大學報告的常規申請與ED的差異非常大，而另一些大學報告的差異只有幾個百分點。

2. Would a midyear addition to your application such as a completed internship or first semester grades enhance your overall profile?

2. 如果多出半年的時間用于申請準備，例如有時間完成實習或半年的成績將會提升你整體的情況嗎?

If your answer to this question is yes, then it is perhaps best to avoid early decision applications. 

如果您對這個問題的回答是肯定的，那么可能最好避免ED申請。

The ideal time to apply early decision is when you are 100 percent certain that a particular school is your first choice college and when your admissions profile is polished and complete. If the second semester of your senior year will bring you a leadership position in an extracurricular, or a rare service learning opportunity, opt for regular admissions.

申請ED的理想時間是當你百分之百確定某所學校是你的第一選擇大學，并且你的錄取資料已經準備完善和完整的前提下。如果在最后一個學期能得到一個課外的領導職位，或者一個難得的服務學習機會，建議選擇常規錄取。

3. Have you thoroughly vetted the school, including sitting in on a class and staying on campus overnight?

3. 你是否有完全了解你所選擇ED申請的學校？包括在這所學校旁聽一節課，或者在那里停留過一晚？

If your answer to this question is no, set aside your early decision application for now. If you are able to do so, spend several days or a weekend on campus before you commit the next four years of your life to the school.

如果你對這個問題的回答是否定的，那么先把你的ED申請放在一邊。如果你有能力的話，在你把你未來四年的生活奉獻給這所學校之前，花幾天或一個周末在這所學校里感受一下。

4. Do you often second-guess your decisions or wish that you had taken more time to think through a matter?

4. 你是否經常事后反思自己的決定，或者希望自己能花更多的時間來考慮一件事?

If your answer to this question is yes, then you should almost certainly avoid early decision. It can be tempting to move past the stresses of the college search by rushing the process, but unless you are fully secure in your choice, you may change your mind in December, March or June with no easy solution.

如果你對這個問題的回答是肯定的，那么你應該避免過早做決定。通過匆忙的申請過程來擺脫大學申請的壓力是很有誘惑力的，但除非你對自己的選擇完全有把握，否則你可能會在12月、3月或6月改變主意。

 

Take a moment to consider your most recent important decision. How often did you change your mind? Was it an anxiety-provoking process, or did you move too quickly toward a solution?

 

花點時間考慮一下你最近最重要的決定。你多久改變一次主意?這是一個讓人焦慮的過程嗎?還是你太快地找到了解決方案?

 

 

 

Applying early decision to college is a double-edged sword. While it may make you happier in the short term, unless you have thoroughly researched your top choice and have no doubt that it is where you wish to enroll, you may regret your lack of choice come spring. If you know that further thought and further research will aid you, think twice before submitting an early decision application.

申請大學的ED是一把雙刃劍。雖然這可能會在短期內讓你更快樂，但除非你徹底研究了你的首選，并且毫無疑問這就是你想要就讀的學校，否則你可能會在春天后悔自己沒有選擇。如果你知道進一步的思考和進一步的研究將有助于你，那么在提交ED申請之前要三思。

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