Day after day, Rachel Bowman watched as her senior-year high school classmates in Oklahoma anxiously refreshed their email inboxes, yearning for an answer that wasn’t coming.
They worried, left in the dark about the status of their college applications. Some weren’t able to make decisions until the week of graduation. Bowman, who had applied Early Decision (ED) to Trinity University, was already picking out a new bookstore and coffee spot near campus in San Antonio.
“I was very lucky to spend my last high school semester just getting excited and making plans for where I was going to be,” says Bowman, now in Trinity’s Class of 2030. “That gave me an opportunity to be hopeful for my future instead of stressed.”
Applying early is one of the best ways for prospective Trinity students to skip the anxiety and improve their chances for admission. This year, just 28% of Trinity University applicants were accepted into the Class of 2030. Those who applied through the Early Decision process saw their chances of getting in jump to 59%.
Whether through Early Decision I or II (which is binding) or Early Action (which is non-binding), applicants are part of a smaller pool. Early Decision I and Early Action applicants also receive their acceptance letter before their senior holiday break. This year’s ED admits posted an average 3.65 GPA, with even stronger SAT/ACT scores and top 10% class ranks compared to the prior year.
Applications for Early Decision I and Early Action are due November 1.
Bowman says Trinity’s close-knit atmosphere was the instant draw that convinced her to apply early. “I felt immediately at home at Trinity. This was so different from when I went to tour schools like Oklahoma University, a place so massive I literally felt myself slipping between the cracks.”
At Trinity, “every class feels like a community,” says Bowman, who hasn’t yet declared a major but is exploring the psychology department. After a close family member suffered a head injury, she’s been determined to become a clinical therapist.
While she has a strong purpose in mind for her academics, Trinity’s liberal arts approach gives her the flexibility to explore her passions. Bowman loves theater and performing arts (she took part in five high school productions and a Glee-style singing and dance group), and she’s thriving with choir ensembles here at Trinity in between classes.
In high school, Bowman enjoyed math and science, but excelled in English. At Trinity, she’s exploring the basics of psychology, but she’s getting to try her hand across disciplines.
Bowman says her strong start is the entire point of applying early.
“When you start looking ahead into your future, you want to start making plans in your head,” she says. "'Okay, where are my places around San Antonio that I can go to? What classes might I want to try? Who are the faculty I want?’ A lot of my high school peers were still unsure (about what college they were going to) until late into the spring,” she says. “I was ready to get started.”