HS Seniors: Get in on the Early Action
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High school seniors are benefiting from a new trend in early acceptance that is offered by some colleges.

According to Randy Mills, college counselor at Sayre School, more of his students are applying to colleges through early action, allowing them to be accepted into programs early, but not be bound to the school.

Early action application allows students to apply by early November and be accepted before Christmas.

But unlike early decision application, students are free to apply to other colleges and change their minds.

“Colleges like early action because most are eager to get applicants into the pool earlier in the process,” Mills said.

“And the first acceptance students get usually remains high on their list.”

Mills is in his 12th year at Sayre after working as a college admissions officer at

Transylvania University for four years and at the University of Kentucky for 11.

He advises Sayre students to take advantage of early action.

“It encourages students to get started early in the fall semester and not procrastinate,” he said.

Although 10-15% of Sayre 12th graders apply for early decision, nearly half of Sayre’s 60 seniors choose early action.

In the past five years, more colleges have offered early action, Mills said.

Sayre seniors have taken advantage of that program this year and gained early action admission to such schools as Centre College, Transylvania University,
Georgetown University, the University of Georgia, Boston College, Southern Methodist and the University of Notre Dame.

Both the student and the college benefit from early action, Mills said.

“Colleges feel (early action) is an advantage because it bolsters their applicant pool,” Mills said.

“Students get to see where they stand, and they have a college acceptance in hand.”