Is it possible to apply early decision and regular decision simultaneously?

I'm considering applying early decision to one college while also sending in regular decision applications to others. Is it actually allowed to apply to both early decision and regular decision at the same time?

Yes, it's perfectly possible to apply to multiple colleges and universities using a mix of early decision (ED) for the school you most want to attend and regular decision for other schools. This is actually a very common strategy.

Early Decision is considered binding, meaning that if you are admitted, you have committed to attending that school, as long as the financial aid offered is sufficient. While waiting for a decision from your ED school, you can still submit regular decision applications to other colleges. However, if you are accepted to your ED school, you must withdraw your applications from all other colleges right away.

Keep in mind that you can only apply to one school under an Early Decision plan. But there's no limit to how many schools you can apply to under Regular Decision, Early Action, or Rolling Admission. Be aware of the commitment an ED application brings with it, and make sure to review your financial strategy as you could be committing to a school without having the opportunity to compare financial aid packages from multiple schools.