Parents across Orange County are already familiar with the standard advice to start early and stay organized. Yale, Harvard, Brown, Dartmouth, MIT, Caltech, Stanford, Penn, Cornell, and Georgetown have all reinstated testing requirements, and several public universities across Florida and Georgia have done the same. Early Decision Matters, But Not Everywhere EquallyMichigan introduced a binding Early Decision option this cycle, and other flagship public universities have begun exploring similar programs. At larger universities, Early Decision can meaningfully improve an applicant’s odds. The Bottom Line for Orange County FamiliesCollege admissions have shifted in ways that go beyond the usual advice to start early and stay organized.