For the first time, the University of Florida has added early decision as an admissions option.
Early decision is a binding option that allows students who are confident in UF as their top choice to apply earlier and receive an admissions decision by Dec. 11. If accepted through early decision, students must withdraw all applications to other schools and enroll as future Gators.
Unlike early action and regular decision, early decision requires students to make a binding commitment to UF. The application deadline for UF’s first early decision cycle was Oct. 15.
Chase Faller, a New York high school senior, is one of thousands of students who applied via early decision to Florida.
“I visited Florida two years ago and ever since I walked on the campus, I fell in love with it,” Faller said. “When I found out UF added early decision, I knew I wanted to go there.”
For students interested in attending a large public university like Florida, early decision can change the approach to the college application process.
“Early decision is a huge component of kids strategizing their application lists,” said Patty Ziplow, a college adviser and co-founder of A2Z Admissions. “Kids know that their best chance of getting into a school is early decision.”
Faller said he can be indecisive when making decisions and was unsure how he would choose which university to attend. But UF’s introduction of early decision gave him clarity on how to begin the application process.
“I’ve done research on other schools but spent most of my time researching Florida,” Faller said.
Early decision can be an enticing choice for students applying to Florida, particularly for out-of-state students. According to UF’s website as of fall 2025, about 75% of UF students were Florida residents, meaning the number of out-of-state students at UF was significantly lower.
Ziplow, who works out of New York, believes early decision could benefit out-of-state applicants in UF’s admissions process.
“For out-of-state people, they should have a better shot of competing against those in-state students, so anybody that’s really interested in Florida is going to apply early,” Ziplow said. “The chances of getting in are better because they know you’re gonna come. It’s them or nothing.”
While Ziplow sees a potential admissions advantage for out of state students in applying early, the binding commitment can make the decision difficult for applicants.
“It’s crazy that as soon as I get that letter and I’m accepted, I can’t back out,” Faller said. “It’s also stressful because I can look at other colleges but if I get into this one, I’m going.”
This marks the second consecutive year UF has introduced a new application option. Florida added early action to last year’s admissions cycle, which differs from early decision in that it allows students to receive an earlier decision without making a binding commitment.
Jennifer McKenzie, the founder of Milestone College Prep, helps students navigate the college application process. The introduction of early decision at UF has affected how she advises Florida high school students applying to the university.
McKenzie said she has spent more time helping her students understand how early decision affects their application strategies. Because this is the first year Florida is offering early decision as an admission option, it’s unclear how many applicants will receive acceptance letters through early decision.
“Many of my students applying to UF are applying early decision, and UF has not given any indication of what percentage of the freshman class they plan to accept in early decision,” McKenzie said. “We may see a lot of deferrals because they can’t accept the entire freshman class through early decision.”
Consulting college advisers such as Ziplow and McKenzie can be beneficial for students when it’s time to submit applications. For early decision applicants, it’s especially important to consider all aspects of a university before committing to enroll if accepted.
“You should love it, you should feel the school is a very good fit for you in all respects and you should be willing to forgo seeing all of your other offers because there’s an opportunity cost associated with early decision,” McKenzie said. “If you can say yes to all of those questions, then I would encourage a student to apply early.”
Faller’s confidence came from his experience visiting and researching the University of Florida, along with its sports atmosphere and warm weather. Despite the commitment and uncertainty that come with applying early decision, Faller remains eager about the opportunity to attend the school he fell in love with at first visit.
With UF early decision letters expected to be sent out Dec. 11, Faller awaits an admissions decision that could determine where he will spend the next four years.
“Knowing early on that I’m into college and my dream school would be a great feeling,” Faller said. “It would give me so much relief and I would be ecstatic when it’s time to go.”