It's a question we often receive as we talk with high school seniors in the fall: "Should I apply to PC Early Action or Regular Decision?"

The answer is different depending on the student we are talking to, and as you move forward with the application process, here are a few things to keep in mind about the deadlines...

1. There is no competitive advantage to applying Early Action. It is not easier to get in to PC EA (or Regular Decision, for that matter). We are very consistent in the way we review applications in the Office of Admission from the Early pool to the Regular pool. The only "advantage" to applying Early Action is that you will receive a decision letter sooner than if you apply Regular Decision.

2. We will NOT see your first semester senior year grades if you apply Early Action. This is very important to understand, and should be kept in mind as you decide when to apply. For example, if you are a student who struggled academically junior year, but you've bounced back and you're having a strong senior year so far, we encourage you to wait and apply Regular Decision so we have this new academic information available when we review your application. (Note that we WILL see your senior year course schedule regardless of when you apply!).

3. November 1 (the EA deadline) is approaching quickly. I can't believe it's October 9 already! Make sure you are truly ready to apply Early Action before clicking "Send" ... if it is Halloween night and you still haven't started your college essay or the last week of October and you haven't asked teachers for recommendations, you would be much better served by waiting and applying Regular Decision. You want to make sure that your application is the best representation of you (academically and personally) that it can be!

The Early Action application deadline at PC is November 1. The Regular Decision application deadline is January 15. (Applications need to be either submitted online via the Common App website by these dates or postmarked by the appropriate date if you are using postal mail).