The biggest problem many students face when making the decision whether or not to apply early action or early decision comes from the issue that most individuals don’t even know the difference between the two. The major difference between early action and early decision: early decision binds the student whereas early action does not. Some schools, such as Stanford University, have restrictive early action, but students should not let this confuse them. Restrictive early action only means that they can’t apply to any other schools early. So, which option should students choose? Although different for every student, the answer lies in what each individual wants to achieve by applying early.

Oh early action, so often confused with early decision. Honestly, a much better alternative for most students. All the unsure students that simply want an early answer – choose early action. All the individuals that want a better chance of getting into the hardest school you’re applying to – choose early action. All the hopefuls that long to go to a school (you have never visited in your life) based off of what other people have told them – choose early action! Although early action may not be offered at all schools, don’t choose early decision as an alternative. Early action fills in well as an alternative to early decision but definitely not the other way around.

Moving on to early decision, the most commonly confused and therefore misused option. If a student knows for a fact they want to attend their university choice, early decision proves to be an excellent option. Many schools have much higher acceptance rates for early decision because it shows the universities that the students are dedicated to their school, which they find very appealing when looking for students to admit. However, I cannot stress this enough – if students are not 100 percent positive that they want to attend the school they are applying early decision to, they should not apply early decision. Early decision binds the student and therefore if they apply early decision and get accepted in December, they must attend that university. Let me just go ahead and clear up some common misconceptions about early decision too many people have. Let’s say I apply to Yale under the early decision plan. If by some miracle Yale accepts me in December, I must withdraw all other college applications. If I realize I cannot afford to go to Yale, I better start cranking down on those scholarships because I will still be attending Yale in the fall even if it requires me to take out student loans I’ll continue paying off until the day I die. If UT gives me a full ride and Yale gives me no money, I will still be attending Yale in the fall. If I go to visit Yale at the end of November and I realize I hate it, I will still be attending Yale in the fall. So if students decide to apply early decision, they better have no doubts.

Although early decision and early action are appealing to some students, not all students should use these options. Here’s the bottom line, students should apply to college whenever their application comes across in the strongest way possible. If they want to use the first semester of senior year in order to help give their GPA a final boost, it would probably be in their best interest to wait until regular decision to apply.

Ultimately, the decision to apply early action, early decision, or regular decision lies in the hands of each individual. Although college applications are very stressful for the majority of students, applications should not under any circumstances be rushed. The timing of the application definitely affects the strength of the application and can have a detrimental or enhancing effect, so choose very carefully. When it comes to applying to college, there are many aspects that students have no control over. However, students have complete control over they include in their application and when they send it in. Make sure the decision made helps the application and doesn’t hurt it.

Dating in high school does not commonly lead to death, but is known to kill GPAs. Choosing between gazing into your lover’s eyes for hours or squinting into a biology text book all night isn’t a hard decision. A relationship can be a major distraction from schoolwork. Whether you’re guilty of blowing off homework to spend time with the boo or not concentrating during class due to another fight, a relationship seriously hinders education.

Having a boyfriend or girlfriend not only affects school but can lead to the downfall of friendships. Prioritizing correctly doesn’t come easily in high school, and not just in the classroom. Spending too much time with a significant other while putting off spending time with friends will affect the neglected friends. Lack of a balance can stir up some serious drama and feuds. Even though unintentional, the abandoned friends feel hurt and even betrayed. Countless students let go of strong friendships after being too distracted with a love life.

Similar to choosing the “right” friends, it is equally important to choose the right boyfriend or girlfriend. Once in a relationship, former life-styles and sets of morals change to match the new significant other. When so infatuated with someone, it’s easy to let his or her ideas and personality transform old ways. Relationships can lead to regrettable decisions with life-long consequences.

Although not very many high school relationships make it past graduation, high school sweet hearts that eventually wed prove that dating in high school can be worth the risks. It is also true that dating can be beneficial, not just the downfall of grades, friends and life-styles. However, due to young age and under-development of the brain, students who date in high school are less successful.

No dating until after graduating college. Parents across America discourage dating in high school. And for once, our parents may actually be right.

This canny nickname would appropriately come into play if less endowed schools were falling apart by the seams and begging for spending money on the corner of the street with a peg leg and an eye patch. These statements would also entail that big bad wealthy education districts kick back and enjoy the high life while peasant school systems scrounge to escape their debt. However, this is no fairytale, and the state of Texas is not swooping into Sherwood Forest to save the day, but ironically stealing money from the formerly wealthier schools that presently need every penny they can get.

Playing the role of the scorned member of society properly applies under the rulings of Prince John, but when these Robin Hood Act charity cases spend millions on high school developments, donators such as PISD begin to question why they are the ones cutting costs.  Recently this school year, Prosper ISD spent a jaw-dropping $113.5 million to open their “modern American high school.” This town of a quaint 7,000 used Robin Hood funds to finance Prosper High School where 850 students attend a school built for closer to 2,000. Additional schools in this region also profit from this legislation. Allen High School houses a gymnasium fit for the NBA and McKinney Boyd High School resembles an undersized castle; both, in fact, schools funded by the Robin Hood Act.

Not only do these embellished campuses seem unreasonable, but more alarming are the facilities available for students attending these schools. Prosper High School’s 590,000-square-foot monstrosity includes a medical tech lab, a restaurant-worthy kitchen, a greenhouse, a broadcast studio and, of course, an indoor football practice facility. Students attending PISD schools learn in classrooms with pullout walls, photocopied textbooks and outside portables crowding the parking lots. This does not insinuate that an effective learning environment is impossible under these circumstances, but it seems absurd that the district hoards away their school funding to sponsor “poor” school districts that appear to be competing with the modernization of NASA.

This act affects parents and teachers as well as students in crammed hallways and classrooms. For Texas homeowners, this legislation means local property tax increases, which maintain the primary basis of funds for the 1,036 Texas school districts subsidized by the act. These payments continue to increase without offering the children of these concerned guardians any of the benefits. Local members of the community continue to pay taxes that do not contribute to the quality of education for their own children, but instead feed into the growing pot of gold distributed amongst these Robin Hood “victims.”

Although supporters of this legislation argue that relying on property taxes for school funding gives wealthier districts an unfair advantage in educating their student population, the act also creates deficits for schools that now struggle to keep their heads above water. Some districts forced to donate towards the Robin Hood Plan such as Wimberley ISD, employ some of the lowest-paid teachers in the area in a building that needs massive repairs. The two scenarios should not coexist, and legislators should search for a way to balance the donated funds in relation to the district’s actual financial ability to contribute to the cause. Despite these reoccurring problems, political forces in Texas continue to make the death of the Robin Hood act not very feasible, at least in the short-term.

Students now are less artificial than depicted in the movies. Nobody plays their role, continuing the average outline. Having a certain label no longer condemns one’s character. Modern views changed the rules, and high school students can decide on what they want to be.

The imaginary boundaries have been lifted from the classroom. Drawing an allusion to the popular 80’s film The Breakfast Club, students of different backgrounds have come together and share experiences. Granted, it’s not as dramatic and scripted, but students are making friends and breaking that social barrier that impedes high school life.

A specific example would be the classic case of the jock, the athlete with the stereotypical letterman’s jacket, tossing a football in the air while on his way to class. But these sportsmen have become more associated with the term student athlete. Not only do they strive for greatness in their selected sport but also seize the educational opportunities offered in the classroom.

So with all that said and done, Hollywood will continue the entertaining stories and characters, but let’s try keep the idea on the big screen. Life isn’t like the movies, and students everywhere are making choices based on their own opinions. So let the football player read Faulkner and the rich and popular take a seat with the loners during lunch.