The beginning of senior year focuses on one thing: college. Deciding where you want to go to college and where you want to spend the next four years of your life is a big decision. Most students apply regular decision and make their decision in early March, or April. However some students apply early decision and have to make their decision in early November. So how do you decide, Early Decision or Regular Decision?

If you decide to apply early decision, you must be confident in your decision. Early decision is binding, which means if you apply and get in, you must go to that school. Students who apply early are students who are not hesitant on their choice of school, and are not reliant on financial aid. Early Decision is about fit. You go early decision if you are absolutely positive this college is the right fit for you.

There are some advantages and disadvantages to going early decision. The advantages are that it reduces stress, saves time, if you are not accepted early, you could be deferred and still have a chance to be accepted in the regular admission decisions. According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling, 70 percent of students who applied early decision were accepted versus the 55 percent for regular decision. Students are not the only ones who benefit from early decision, colleges benefit too. “The more students they can admit in the fall, the greater the chances that the school can hit its enrollment numbers”, says cbs.com.

The disadvantages to going early decision are it reduces financial aid opportunities, creates a time crunch, and adds to senioritis. If you get in early decision, it has a tendency to add to the already present senioritis. You have already been accepted so you feel there is no reason to keep working your butt off. However, if the school sees that you are slipping they can rescind your acceptance. Going early decision also adds stress to the college decision. Senior Taylor Lavery explains “A lot can happen between when you choose your school and when the deposit is due, your situation may change.”

Choosing to apply regular decision means you can apply to as many colleges as you want. The limit does not exist. Similar to early decision, regular decision has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are that you get a few extra months to work on your application; you can see all your options, including which school gives you the most financial aid, and it is less stressful and a better option for those who are indecisive.

The disadvantages to regular decision are that there are fewer spaces left; you end up in a pool with 99 percent of all the other applicants. Unlike early decision, you cannot get deferred if you apply regular admission; you are either accepted or denied.

In 2006, Harvard, Princeton, and UVA had decided to remove their early admission programs. However, no other ivy leagues followed their example, and now all three are reinstating their early application programs. Originally Harvard, Princeton and Yale had seen early applications as a disadvantage to the lower income and minority applicants, who rely on financial aid. They believed early admission was an advantage to the wealthy, because those who apply early cannot rely on financial aid, they have to take what they are given. Harvard, Princeton, and UVA’s experiment of removing early application did not have the outcome they were hoping for, and are now all retracting their decisions.

So, are you willing to take the risk of going early decision, or will you go the safer route and apply regular admission?