Confused junior here. Can someone explain if it's possible to apply to one school early action while still applying to others regular decision? I'm thinking about EA for one of my top choices but don't want to limit my other options.
Absolutely, you can definitely apply to a school early action (EA) while also sending out regular decision (RD) applications to other schools. In fact, this kind of strategy is quite common among students.
Early Action is non-binding, meaning you are not obligated to attend if you are accepted. Therefore, you can certainly apply to one school via EA and then to as many others as you like via RD, and you're free to choose from any of the acceptances you receive.
However, do pay attention to the specific rules of the types of early action. The regular EA allows you to apply early, get a decision early, but doesn't restrict you from applying elsewhere during the early or regular rounds of admission. You can even apply to other schools EA.
On the other hand, some schools offer what is known as Restrictive Early Action (REA) or Single-Choice Early Action (SCEA) which prohibits you from applying early (either Early Action or Early Decision) to any other private colleges. Under these policies, you can only apply to most other institutions during the regular round. Therefore, make sure you fully understand and follow each school's specific EA policy before submitting your applications.
Keep in mind that Early Decision (ED) is different since it's binding and you are expected to attend if accepted, so you can apply to only one school ED, but can still apply to other schools EA or RD. So, for example, you could apply to three schools EA, and one ED, obviously so long as you'd be comfortable choosing the ED school over any of the EA ones (or any others you'd potentially apply to RD).
Finally, don't forget that applying early action indicates a higher level of interest in a school and might give you a slight edge at some colleges that factor demonstrated interest into their decisions. But remember to balance this with the quality of your application - only apply early if you can have your strongest application ready by the earlier deadline.
Good luck with your applications!
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