Applying to Other Schools After Early Decision II?

If I apply Early Decision II to a college, am I still able to apply to other schools through regular decision? I want to make sure I keep my options open, but I’m confused about the restrictions.

Absolutely, you can apply to other schools under Regular Decision even if you have submitted an Early Decision II application to a college. The main restriction of Early Decision, be it I or II, is that it's binding. This means if you get accepted, you're committed to attending that college and will need to withdraw all other applications.

However, you're allowed - and it's advisable - to apply to other colleges via Regular Decision at the same time as submitting your Early Decision II application. That way, you have a backup plan in case you're not admitted to your ED II school.

Here’s where the "binding" part comes into play: if you are accepted to your ED II school, then you must withdraw your applications from all other schools. You should also stop submitting new applications if you haven't done so already.

ED II decisions are typically released in February, giving you plenty of time to finalize any Regular Decision applications before most deadlines in March. Understandably, you might find this process quite complex, so make sure to meticulously plan out your college application strategy.