Early action is a relatively new policy developing at many colleges and universities nationwide. A school with an early action option is essentially the same as an
early decision option, save for one important difference: An acceptance
NOT a
legally binding contract, and one may
apply to as many schools early action as one pleases. Early action resembles
rolling admissions, but came into effect as a response to the increase in early decision
enrollment.
Early action allows one to "
hedge your bets" and is being picked up on by many larger universities that wish to compete with
Ivy League schools.