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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.

大学申请可能是一个令人困惑和苛刻的过程，需要大量的时间学习和准备。同时，进入大学的各种途径也非常复杂。

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

除了常规的录取程序，有两种越来越受欢迎的选择是提前行动（Early action，EA）和提前决定（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可以是有利的录取策略，但前提是学生需要知道如何驾驭这两种申请方式，第一步应该从理解它们的区别开始。

 

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."

根据美国大学入学咨询协会(National Association for College Admission Counseling)的说法，EA指学生提前申请，并在学校的常规回复日期之前收到决定。”

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."

或者如马萨诸塞州惠顿学院负责招生的副校长、招生和学生援助主任沃尔特·凯菲所说的那样，学生对于已经决定的院校，通过EA申请能够在与常规录取程序相比的过程中更早地得到回复，以便了解自己在排名靠前的学校中自己的定位。”

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

学生需要注意的是一些学校对于EA的申请过程是有一定的限制。

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

根据NACAC的说法，选择一所学校申请EA的学生可能会被限制在其他学校申请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. 

从某种程度上说，学校限制学生只能使用一次EA或ED的申请方式。

 

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将提前录取描述为“学生对第一选择的学校做出承诺，如果被录取，他们一定会入读该学校，并撤回所有其他申请。”

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."

正如大学委员会网站上解释的那样:“ED计划是有约束力的，通过ED申请的学生被录取后必须选择去这所大学就读。相比ED，EA不具有约束力，学生们通常会收到申请的提前回复，但在5月1日的正常回复日期之前，不必向学校承诺。”

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

放弃ED录取的学生会有什么后果?

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.

通过提前录取被大学录取的学生能够比其他学生提前确定他们的毕业计划，并享受无压力的高中剩余时光。

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

但一般来说，如果学生通过ED方式申请到学校，意味着他们必须入读该校。

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.

虽然不能强迫学生进入任何通过ED录取他们的学校，但如果他们违反了ED协议将面临一些后果，关于是什么样的后果将取决于学校和学生的情况。

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，如果申请人获得的助学金在经济上无法让学生入学，大多数大学都会免除学生的提前录取，不会受到惩罚。

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.

或者可能还有其他令人信服的原因，会使招生官员在没有后果的情况下取消被录取的学生的录取，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.

如果学生在没有充分理由的情况下取消ED录取协议，这将是一个很大的伦理问题。

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协议不具有法律约束力，学校不会追究学生的学费，但可能会有其他后果。

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，如果学校发现一个学生以某种方式申请了两个不同的学校的ED，甚至另一个学校的EA，那么该学生就违反了ED协议，学校会打电话给其他学校，导致的后果就是该学生可能会失去所有的EA和ED的录取。

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

对于学校来说，判断学生是否违反申请的规则不是一件难事。

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，马萨诸塞州另一所大学阿默斯特学院的招生和助学金主任凯瑟琳·弗雷特韦尔表示，她的学校和其他约30所大学是共享通过ED录取的学生名单。弗雷特韦尔说，她也会分享那些通过ED录取但因为经济援助和其他原因而没有入学的学生的名字。

 

Ask Yourself These 4 Questions Before You Apply Early Decision

在申请ED前问自己这4个问题

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:

正在考虑申请ED的学生在决定这条道路之前应该非常仔细地权衡一些问题。虽然申请提前录取可以打开原本很难进入的大门，但如果你被录取，它的约束性也会关闭一些其他的门。在申请大学教育之前，你需要问自己以下四个重要的问题:

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

1. ED是否有显著的优势?

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.

在某些学校，提前申请的学生的录取率要高得多。然而，不同院校的差异可能很大，一些大学报告的常规申请与ED的差异非常大，而另一些大学报告的差异只有几个百分点。

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

2. 如果多出半年的时间用于申请准备，例如有时间完成实习或半年的成绩将会提升你整体的情况吗?

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

如果您对这个问题的回答是肯定的，那么可能最好避免ED申请。

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.

申请ED的理想时间是当你百分之百确定某所学校是你的第一选择大学，并且你的录取资料已经准备完善和完整的前提下。如果在最后一个学期能得到一个课外的领导职位，或者一个难得的服务学习机会，建议选择常规录取。

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选择ED申请的学校？包括在这所学校旁听一节课，或者在那里停留过一晚？

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.

如果你对这个问题的回答是否定的，那么先把你的ED申请放在一边。如果你有能力的话，在你把你未来四年的生活奉献给这所学校之前，花几天或一个周末在这所学校里感受一下。

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

4. 你是否经常事后反思自己的决定，或者希望自己能花更多的时间来考虑一件事?

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.

如果你对这个问题的回答是肯定的，那么你应该避免过早做决定。通过匆忙的申请过程来摆脱大学申请的压力是很有诱惑力的，但除非你对自己的选择完全有把握，否则你可能会在12月、3月或6月改变主意。

 

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?

 

花点时间考虑一下你最近最重要的决定。你多久改变一次主意?这是一个让人焦虑的过程吗?还是你太快地找到了解决方案?

 

 

 

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.

申请大学的ED是一把双刃剑。虽然这可能会在短期内让你更快乐，但除非你彻底研究了你的首选，并且毫无疑问这就是你想要就读的学校，否则你可能会在春天后悔自己没有选择。如果你知道进一步的思考和进一步的研究将有助于你，那么在提交ED申请之前要三思。

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