What does "Restrictive" mean in Stanford's Restrictive Early Action?

I've been reading about Stanford's Early Action and noticed that it's "restrictive." Can someone explain what that means? Are there any limitations on the other schools I apply to? Thanks in advance!

Restrictive Early Action (REA) at Stanford is a non-binding admissions plan, which means that if you're accepted, you're not obligated to attend Stanford. However, there are some limitations on where else you can apply during the early admissions cycle. Under Stanford's REA, you cannot apply Early Decision (ED) to any other private colleges or universities, as those plans are binding, and you can't be committed to two schools simultaneously.

You are still permitted to apply Early Action (EA) to public colleges or universities, but it's important to check their policies to ensure they don't have restrictions in place that would conflict with Stanford's REA. Additionally, you can apply to foreign colleges during the early admissions cycle without restrictions, as long as they don't have binding agreements.

Keep in mind that if you apply REA to Stanford and are accepted, you'll have until May 1st to decide whether or not to attend. This allows you time to compare financial aid offers or weigh your options among other regular decision acceptances.

Overall, restrictive means that while applying to Stanford REA, there are some limitations on where else you can apply early, but you'll still have the freedom to apply to a wide range of schools during the regular decision cycle without any constraints.

For more on REA in general, check out this CollegeVine article: https://blog.collegevine.com/what-is-restrictive-early-action-when-applying-to-college