It's almost time!

I'm blogging today because it is a mere 12 hours until August 1st! The Common Application is finally available for you to begin applying for admission for Fall of 2011! Our future Miami Class of 2015 can go to www.muohio.edu/apply or directly to www.commonapp.org and create your Common App profile. This application is accepted at 416 colleges, including Miami University! It's great because you fill it out one time online, and you can select the schools to send your application to. Most college applications ask you for the exact same demographic, personal, and family information, which is why the Common Application is so nice: you fill out that information just once!

One aspect of the application that can be confusing, though is the list of deadlines on the Common Application. Because colleges use different terminology, there is a list of many different "Decision Deadlines" that you can select. At Miami, we have three deadlines to choose from:

Early Decision (November 1st)- This deadline is different from the others because you actually fill out a contract to go with it. You sign a document saying that if you are admitted during this deadline, you will attend this college. It's also referred to as a "binding" deadline because you are doing just that: binding yourself to attend that school if you are admitted. You are notified of your decision on December 15th, and if you are not admitted, you are released from that contract, but your application is automatically reviewed again in Regular Decision.

Early Action (December 1st)- This is Miami's most popular deadline. You are not making a binding commitment, so you still have the freedom to choose which college you would like to attend after you receive your admission decisions. But, you get notified of your decision on February 1st, so you have the peace of mind of knowing your decision earlier! If you're not admitted, your application is reviewed again in Regular Decision.

Regular Decision (February 1st)- Generally speaking, if you are planning on applying to selective colleges or universities, you should have your application in by February 1st, as this is the latest deadline for most selective colleges. We let you know on March 15th of your admission decision.

So, set your clocks, and begin working on your Common Application on August 1st! We are SO looking forward to reading them, and welcoming you to Miami's Class of 2015! As always, if you have any questions, contact your admission counselor at www.muohio.edu/askacounselor.