Do Ivy League schools offer Early Decision 2?

I know Ivy League schools usually have Early Decision plans, but do any of them offer an ED2 option as well? How might this affect my application strategy?

None of the Ivy League schools offer an Early Decision 2 (ED2) option. The Ivy League schools - Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, and Yale - all offer an Early Decision (ED) or Single-Choice Early Action (SCEA) option, with application deadlines typically in November.

To clarify, ED is binding, which means if you're accepted, you are committed to attending that school, barring financial difficulties. So you can only apply to one school ED. SCEA, offered by some Ivies including Harvard and Yale, is non-binding, but it restricts you from applying early to any other private colleges or universities.

The absence of an ED2 round in Ivy League institutions might affect your application strategy in several ways:

1. You'll need to decide upfront if you want to apply early to an Ivy. Doing so might statistically increase your chances of admission but you're also 'locked in' if it's ED.

2. If you're not accepted during the early round, you can apply to other colleges Regular Decision, including other Ivy League schools. But remember, those decisions won't arrive until spring.

In contrast, some non-Ivy schools offer ED2 with a later deadline (usually in January). ED2 can be a good option if you have a clear second choice school or if you were deferred or rejected from your top choice ED school. However, like ED1, ED2 is also binding.

Remember that early decision should not be taken lightly because of its binding nature. Only apply ED if you are absolutely certain that's the school you want to attend and you have thought through the financial implications as you'll have less ability to compare financial aid offers.