As if the college admissions process couldn’t get any more complex, the early admissions decisions have been reported for several colleges around the country. Overall, the number of early applicants increased at many campuses. For example, Boston University saw a 40% increase in Early Decision applicants over last year; Case Western saw a 34% increase in Early Action applicants, while Princeton saw an 11% increase in its Restricted Early Action applicants.

When you look at the table of Early Admission statistics, it’s interesting to note that several colleges have already admitted a sizeable percentage of the class. Now the big decision for many students who have yet to apply in Regular Decision is whether they should still apply. My response is a resounding “Yes” if they are indeed competitive. It’s hard to know at this point the profile of the Regular Decision applicant pool. And for those colleges that have Early Action or Restricted Early Action programs, students accepted in the early round may decide not to enroll. There are a number of factors still up in the air so prospective applicants should keep their options open by applying to those colleges that are a good fit for them. Just make sure that your eggs are spread and balanced!