Early Decision / Early Action
Contact the Office of Admission
If Bryant is high on your list of top schools, you may consider applying Early Decision, which entails a binding commitment to attend if admitted, or Early Action, which is nonbinding and allows you to find out earlier if you are admitted.
Early Decision
If Bryant is your number one school, and you picture yourself here above other choices, we recommend applying Early Decision.
Early Decision means you’re making a commitment to Bryant. We take that commitment very seriously. If the committee agrees that you’re an excellent fit, you will be admitted, without comparison to the larger applicant pool.
The Early Decision applicant pool is smaller and therefore has a slightly higher acceptance rate: About 65 percent of Early Decision applicants are admitted, compared to about 45 percent of Regular Decision applicants.
We aren’t looking to fill the freshman class with Early Decision students; rather we are looking for those students who love Bryant, want to be a part of our community and who are academically qualified.
Early Decision is binding. If admitted under the Early Decision program, you agree to withdraw all other applications to other schools and enroll at Bryant. Students admitted through Early Decision will receive their financial aid package, including any applicable merit scholarships, at the time of acceptance, as we recognize this is an important piece of the decision-making process.
If deferred or waitlisted, you are released from the binding nature of Early Decision but may have to send us more information.
Two Options for Early Decision
Choosing to apply Early Decision to any school is a big decision, so take your time, consider your options, and decide which timeline at Bryant is best for you.
- If you researched and visited several colleges over the summer and are certain by November that Bryant is where you belong, then Early Decision 1 may be the best option for you.
- Early Decision 2 gives you a little more time to complete your search and think about your options. Sometimes, students aren't ready to apply Early Decision in November, but realize in December that they are. Early Decision 2 at Bryant allows you to do that.
Early Action
Early Action is a non-binding application option in which you will receive your admission decision earlier than regular applicants, typically by mid-January. You’ll then have time to decide where to attend. The admission criteria are the same for Early Action and Regular Decision, so the likelihood of being admitted in either case is the same.
Along with your decision letter in January, you may also receive scholarship notification (if applicable). Your need-based financial aid package will arrive in mid-March as long as you have submitted the FAFSA. If you didn’t receive a merit scholarship with your decision letter, you may still receive one during our second review process in March.
Deferred Admission – Next Steps
If your application was deferred to the Regular Decision pool, the admission committee would like to give you the opportunity to share additional information that you believe will strengthen your application. This information can include mid-year grades, additional letters of recommendation, and an optional on-campus interview with your admission counselor.
A deferred decision does not mean you will be denied admission to Bryant University; it does mean that we hope to review additional information to help us determine whether Bryant is a right fit for you.
We look forward to working with you in the upcoming months and we encourage you to contact our office with any questions, concerns or additional material for review. You can email us at admission@bryant.edu or call us at 1-800-622-7001.