Admissions opportunities are being expanded for in-state students who have Florida State University on the top of their list to attend next year.
FSU will offer a new admissions plan to prospective undergraduate students applying to the university for the summer 2027 and fall 2027 terms: a binding Early Decision option for first-year applicants who are Florida residents, which makes FSU the first in the State University System of Florida to make the opportunity available.
The Early Decision initiative is being introduced by FSU’s Office of Admissions and is meant to expand opportunities for students who have identified FSU as their “unequivocal first choice,” according to the university. Applications open Aug. 1.
“Each year, more students tell us that FSU is their top-choice university, and they want to know how to indicate that on their admissions application,” FSU Assistant Vice President for Undergraduate Admissions Hege Ferguson said in a prepared statement. “Early Decision is a clear, transparent way to allow students to express that preference while giving them the benefit of an earlier admission decision and a streamlined application process.”
Hege Ferguson, FSU’s assistant vice president for undergraduate admissions.
While Early Action is an initiative that’s already been established to allow students to apply for college by an earlier deadline in order to receive an admission decision sooner, Early Decision gives students the chance to make it clear what their top choice is.
Early Decision comes after the university had a record year of nearly 100,000 applications and a 48% increase in first-year applications over the past five years. When it comes to early applications, approximately 33,700 students applied to the university early last year – a record number, according to FSU’s Office of Admissions – and 12,900 of them were accepted for summer and fall 2026.
More: FSU, FAMU early admissions come after rise in fall 2026 applications
The new Early Decision option doesn’t make admission into FSU any easier, though. All applications – whether submitted in Early Action, Early Decision or Regular Decision – are reviewed using the university’s same evaluation process.
In addition, students admitted through Early Decision must withdraw all other college applications and submit their enrollment deposit to FSU by Jan. 15, 2027, according to the university.
“The value of Early Decision is clarity and timing,” Ferguson said in a statement to the Tallahassee Democrat May 5. “It provides the student with an opportunity to receive an early admission decision and signals in a clear and transparent way that FSU is their first-choice institution.”
Early Decision option places FSU within a national trend
While FSU is the first public university in Florida to introduce Early Decision, a growing number of universities across the country have added the option in recent years – including the University of Michigan, the University of Connecticut, the University of Vermont and the University of Virginia.
The benefits to FSU will become clearer over time, Ferguson said, as it will depend on how many students choose to apply through Early Decision for the upcoming school year and the strength of those applications. At the same time, the university expects to see greater enrollment clarity earlier in the admissions cycle since a portion of the incoming class will be committed well ahead of the traditional May 1 deadline.
The Early Decision option will help the university better identify highly qualified students who have clearly indicated FSU as their first-choice college. Ferguson says that’s an “important factor, as research shows students who enroll at their first‑choice institution tend to be more engaged, persist at higher rates and experience greater overall success.”
Through the binding plan, applicants are unable to apply Early Decision to other institutions, and FSU will require a written agreement signed by the student, a parent or guardian, and the student’s high school counselor during the application process. Students applying early will remain eligible for need-based financial aid and scholarships.
While the option is open to Florida residents, Early Decision will not be available to individuals applying to FSU through talent-based programs – such as athletics, dance, film, music and select programs within the College of Fine Arts – or the Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement (CARE) Summer Bridge Program.
Early Decision is unavailable to individuals applying to the programs − including athletics, which is not an academic program but is still talent-based − because they all use separate, specialized review processes with varying timelines that do not align with a binding admissions plan.
“I am grateful for all that our faculty, staff and students have done to make FSU such a special place and one of the most sought-after universities in the country,” FSU’s Vice President for Student Academic Success Joe O’Shea said in a university release. “Early Decision builds on that momentum by giving students who already know FSU is right for them another admissions option.”
Joe O’Shea is FSU’s first vice president for Student Academic Success.
The Early Decision option will run during the same time as FSU’s existing and non-binding Early Action option, which remains available exclusively to Florida residents. Both Early Decision and Early Action have an Oct. 15 application deadline, with decisions slated to be released on Dec. 17.
For more information
Additional details about the Early Decision option such as eligibility guidelines, timelines and frequently asked questions can be found on the university’s First-Year Decisions webpage.
Tarah Jean is the higher education reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat, a member of the USA TODAY Network – Florida. She can be reached at tjean@tallahassee.com. Follow her on X: @tarahjean_.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU offers ‘Early Decision’ option to prospective students