Early action is a type of early admission process offered by some colleges and universities in the United States. It allows students to apply and receive an early response to their application, but they do not have to commit to the college until the normal reply date of May 1. Early action is non-binding, meaning that students can apply to multiple schools and compare aid offers from different schools.

The key differences between early action and early decision are that early decision is binding, meaning that a student who is accepted as an ED applicant must attend the college, while early action is non-binding. Early decision is a good option for students who are absolutely sure that the college is their first choice, have found a college that is a strong match academically, socially, and geographically, and meet or exceed the admission profile for the college for SAT scores, GPA, and class rank.

Approximately 450 colleges offer early admission plans, and some have both early decision and early action plans. Some colleges offer a non-binding option called single-choice early action, under which applicants may not apply ED or EA to any other college.

Applying early can be beneficial for students who have thought through their college options carefully and have a clear preference for one institution. It can also be beneficial for students who have a definite first-choice college, as they will know the result of the application sooner. Additionally, some colleges offer additional scholarships to students admitted under early action or early decision.

In summary, early action is a non-binding early admission process that allows students to apply and receive an early response to their application, but they do not have to commit to the college until the normal reply date of May 1. Early decision, on the other hand, is binding, meaning that a student who is accepted as an ED applicant must attend the college. Applying early can be beneficial for students who have thought through their college options carefully and have a clear preference for one institution.