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Fuse your passion with purpose for your future. Apply early at GCU!
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GCE Editorial Team
Fuse your passion with purpose for your future. Apply early at GCU!
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Approved and verified accurate by the Registrar and Associate Vice President of the Office of Academic Records on Jan. 12, 2026.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University. Any sources cited were accurate as of the publish date.
The main difference between early action vs. early decision is that early action is a non-binding college admissions decision, whereas early decision is binding. Students are required to attend the school they are accepted to via early decision.
Early action and early decision are both timeframes for submitting a college admissions application and receiving a decision, and in both cases, students will submit their application and receive a decision earlier than students adhering to the regular deadlines. The primary difference between early action vs. early decision is that early action is non-binding, whereas early decision is binding.(See disclaimer 1) When is the best time to apply for college? The application deadline you should choose depends on factors unique to you, including your college goals.
Early action allows college applicants to apply to college earlier and receive a decision earlier than regular decision applicants. When deciding whether to apply via early action, consider the following:
Not all schools offer early action and/or early decision. In fact, some schools do not even offer regular decision deadlines. These schools, such as GCU, offer rolling admissions.
The rolling admissions process is the simplest, most streamlined one for students to follow, as it’s possible to submit an application as soon as it’s ready. Students can apply quite early if they wish to take advantage of the benefits of doing so. Yet, if students are still finalizing their college plans, it’s also possible to submit an application later.
GCU’s admissions team accepts applications from students 16 years of age and older. Here’s what you can expect from the process:
Early action allows for earlier admissions decisions, but it offers nonbinding decisions. That means that you are not obligated to attend a college that you were accepted to via an early action application.
Additionally, it’s usually possible to apply early action to multiple schools. Some highly competitive colleges, such as the Ivy Leagues, offer restrictive early action. This means you can only apply via early action to that single school, but you may apply via early decision elsewhere.(See disclaimer 2)
When is early acceptance for college? It varies from one school to the next. Typically, early action applications are due by the beginning or middle of November. Early action admissions decisions are usually sent out between December and February.
Note that even if you submit an application via early action, you will still have until the National College Decision Day on May 1 to accept one admissions offer and decline the rest of them.(See disclaimer 2)
Consider the pros and cons of applying via early action before you do so. Some of the potential disadvantages may include:
On the other hand, there are numerous potential benefits of applying via early action, such as:
At Grand Canyon University, we do not use early action, early decision or regular decision deadlines. Rather, we review applications on a rolling admissions basis. However, we strongly encourage students to apply to GCU as early as possible.
Applying early to GCU allows you to enjoy extra time for orientation and transition into college life. You can also begin to explore scholarship availability and your other financial aid offers sooner. At GCU, early applicants can register for housing and classes early on. Plus, our supportive admissions team is here to assist you through the process.
It’s easy to get started. Simply request info and connect with a university counselor.
Grand Canyon University simplifies the admissions process. Rather than using early decision, early action and regular application deadlines, we use a rolling admissions process. This means our admissions team reviews applications as they are submitted, enabling us to provide you with an admissions decision much earlier. You won’t have to wait months to plan your future at GCU.
You can apply today for undergraduate admissions, either as an on-campus or online student. Fill out the form on this page to connect with a university counselor, who can help you navigate the process and choose from a vast assortment of bachelor’s degrees.
Generally speaking, it’s ideal to apply as early as possible. This is particularly true if you’re applying to a rolling admissions school like GCU, as applications are reviewed as they are submitted.
If you are also applying to schools that offer early action and/or early decision, consider the following:
Why would some students choose to apply to their chosen colleges before the regular deadlines? Does applying early to college help?
It’s commonly thought that early applications yield higher acceptance rates because the pool of applications is smaller at this early stage. That is, the earlier you apply, the better your chances may be of getting accepted. This isn’t necessarily universally true, however, and in fact, higher acceptance rates among early applicants could be due to the stronger academic competitiveness of students who apply early, according to CollegeBoard.(See disclaimer 1)
That said, applying earlier than the regular deadline may offer some advantages, such as less uncertainty about your future.
Early decision is similar to early action, but not quite the same. There are some key differences to be aware of.
Like early action, early decision allows you to submit an application and receive an admissions decision earlier than regular decision applicants. Unlike early action, applying via early decision is binding. That means if you get accepted to that school, you are already committed to attending it, and you must withdraw your applications submitted to other schools.(See disclaimer 2
No matter which schools you apply to, you can only choose one school to submit an application via early decision.(See disclaimer 2) If you don’t gain admittance to that school, you are free to accept enrollment elsewhere.
When is early acceptance for college via early decision? Early decision applicants are typically due in November. Admissions decisions are typically sent out in December.
Some of the potential disadvantages of applying via early decision could include:
While the disadvantages should be carefully considered, you’ll also want to weigh the potential advantages of applying via early decision:
