This admission strategy allows for the consideration of individual applications provided all required materials have been provided as opposed to waiting for a specific deadline. Just as rolling admission may take the pressure off of students as applicants, it also reduces the burden on admission officers. Instead of evaluating thousands of candidates at once, they can space out the process and review applications as they arrive. This policy can be particularly helpful for schools with a fewer staff of admission officers to review applications.
Applying to schools with rolling admission offers both advantages and disadvantages.
The advantages include:
· Better chances of getting accepted: While students still need great scores, a strong GPA, and stellar college essays, applying early during the rolling admission cycle, when the majority of open slots are still available, can increase their chances of getting accepted.
· Ability to organize the application process: Prospective students can utilize the sizeable application window that appears with rolling admission to avoid the stress of applying to a significant number of schools all at once. They can organize the application process by deciding on which colleges they want to apply to first.
· Less stressful senior year: As schools with rolling admissions review applications as they come in, students will likely get an admission decision sooner than if they’d apply to schools without rolling admissions. Applying in the fall allows students to find out whether they’ve been accepted far earlier in their senior year, saving them from anticipation and unnecessary anxiety in the spring.
The disadvantages include:
· Spots can quickly fill up: Since applications are evaluated as they arrive, students who wait until late in the process may face severe competition for the remaining spots. A qualified student who waits until the eleventh hour to apply may be more likely to get a denial.
· Schools may have priority deadlines: Some schools with rolling admission set priority deadlines and offer greater consideration to individuals who submit their applications before a specific date. These priority deadlines are sometimes close to standard college application deadlines, meaning students won’t get any additional time to apply.
Students should consider some factors to reap the advantages of rolling admissions. Most importantly, it’s a wise decision to submit applications to schools with rolling admissions early on when there’re more spots left to be filled. They can modify the rest of their admission strategy based on the results received from these schools.
