Senior Areeba Atique is applying early decision to her dream school.

“I decided to apply ED because Virginia Tech is my first choice and I’ve been wanting to go since last year. [ED] relieves stress since you find out whether you got in or not by winter break.”

Increasingly, students like Areeba are making the choice to apply early to schools instead of waiting for the winter deadline. But with so many different deadline options and restrictions, applying early can be confusing. Early application options serve a purpose, both for the student and the school. Some options are more restrictive than others.

Schools decide how fickle they want to be. Typically, they will have something other than a regular decision deadline both to determine who in their application pool really wants admission, as well as to take some of the load off of admissions employees.

Some schools have rolling admission, which means you can apply any time before a hard deadline, and they will get back to you when they can– usually within a couple of weeks. Rolling is the most relaxed option, and if you apply early and get in, you can hope to have a (relatively) stress free senior year. There are no restrictions, so rolling admission is an option with no risk to the applicant.

Next up is early action. Early action is also kind on the college’s part– no restrictions on where else you can apply, and non-binding. Early action is an early deadline, usually in November. Students can send applications in either on that date, or they can wait for the regular decision deadline. Early action is a great option for those who can organize their life prior to November 1st enough to slap together an application.

Restrictive early action, however, does require more commitment on the part of the applicant. Restrictive early action is non-binding like early action, but the catch is that the applicant is prohibited from applying early to any other schools. In all cases, they cannot apply early decision, and in some they also cannot apply early action. Also like early action, restrictive is non-binding, meaning if you get in you are not required to attend. Early decision is the only binding application deadline option.

An early decision applicant can apply anywhere else early action or regular decision, but if they get into their early decision choice they are required to rescind all other applications. There is sometimes more leeway with students requesting financial aid, but early decision remains the most unforgiving option. It is also the most rewarding for students who are certain of their top school.

Applying early to a school shows them your commitment. When you visit a school, or sign in at their booth at a college fair, or sign up for their emailing list, they make a note of it. Colleges care about student satisfaction. They want their student retention rate to go up, and giving students an early application option helps determine which students will be more likely to attend the school for longer. For most schools, early admission rates are higher than admission rates for students who apply at the regular deadline.

It is important that students research their college options extensively. If a school has a rolling or early action option, students should aim for that. If it’s their dream school, early decision’s restrictions should become a non issue.

When considering applying early decision, you should consider a number of things. Does the school have the programs and opportunities you want? It it your ideal size and environment? Is the price possible for your family?

And to some, perhaps the most important deciding factor– the vibe. The concept of a school’s vibe is tough to explain, and it’s something you only get if you pay a visit and walk around. It’s in the students you see walking around, it’s in the layout of the campus and the look of the facilities. It’s in the location and the feel of the place. When visiting a school, the question that students inevitably ask themselves crops up: Can I see myself here?

Just like the student sending in the application, schools are more than words on a page. Try to visit, or if you can’t, then look for virtual tours/Youtube videos online. Acquaint yourself with your options, find reach schools, match schools, and safety schools. And then decide what application deadline option works for you.