Can You Apply Early Decision II to Multiple Schools?

I'm sorting out my college apps and am curious: is it possible to apply to more than one school through Early Decision II, or does that violate the binding commitment rule? Just trying to make sure I understand the ED policies properly!

Early Decision, whether it's ED I or ED II, is a binding agreement, meaning if you're accepted to a school through ED, you're committed to attend that school, and you must withdraw all other applications. Applying to multiple schools under Early Decision II would indeed violate this policy.

For context, the primary benefit of Early Decision is that it can increase your chances of acceptance because it demonstrates strong interest in the school. However, you can only apply to one school Early Decision.

That said, it's entirely possible to apply to one school Early Decision II, and several other schools under Regular Decision or Rolling Admissions. The key is to ensure that you haven't violated the binding agreement with the school you've chosen for ED II. When you apply to other schools Regular Decision or Rolling Admissions at the same time, you can choose to attend one of these schools only if you do not get accepted to your ED II school.

Remember, committing to a college also means committing to its financial aid package because colleges require you to withdraw all other applications if admitted as an ED applicant. Thus, it's important to discuss the choice to apply ED with your parents or guardians to ensure your family can afford it.

I hope that makes things clearer! Applying to colleges can be a complex process, so don't hesitate to ask if you have more questions.