Declining an early decision offer?

If I apply early decision to a college and then change my mind, what happens if I decline their offer? Can I just say no and then choose another school?

While Early Decision (ED) is a binding commitment to attend the school if accepted, there are a few specific scenarios in which a student can decline an ED offer without penalty:

1. Financial aid: If the financial aid package that the school offers you is insufficient and would cause financial hardship for your family, you may decline the ED offer. It's important to have a documented conversation with the financial aid office to discuss your situation. They may be willing to reconsider your aid package. If they still cannot meet your demonstrated need, you can then decline the offer. To avoid this issue, use the school's net price calculator before applying ED to get an estimate of your expected financial aid contribution.

2. Major or program change: If the college discontinues or significantly alters the major or program you applied for, and you no longer wish to attend for this reason, you may be released from the ED agreement.

In general, declining an ED offer because you simply changed your mind is not a recommended course of action. Doing so can lead to negative consequences, such as damaging your relationship with both the ED school and any other schools you may want to attend. Colleges may communicate with one another about ED acceptances, and breaching the ED agreement could jeopardize your acceptance at other institutions.

If you're unsure about your commitment to a particular school, consider applying Early Action (EA) instead, which is non-binding, or apply through the Regular Decision (RD) process. This way, you can keep your options open and make an informed decision based on multiple offers.