Hi everyone! I've noticed some colleges offer both Early Decision 1 and Early Decision 2 options. I was wondering if someone could help me understand the differences between ED1 and ED2, such as the deadlines, binding agreements, and other factors. Thanks in advance for the help!
Hello! I'm glad you asked about Early Decision 1 (ED1) and Early Decision 2 (ED2) as it's essential to understand the differences between them when applying to colleges.
Both ED1 and ED2 are binding application options, which means that if you're accepted to a school under either plan, you're committing to enroll at that institution and will withdraw all other college applications. The main difference between the two is the application deadlines and notification dates. ED1 generally has a deadline in early November, with a decision notification in mid-December, whereas ED2 has a later deadline, usually in early January, and decisions are released around mid-February.
ED2 gives students who may not have been ready to commit to their first-choice school during ED1 an opportunity to do so after further consideration. It can also be a beneficial option for students who applied to a school through ED1 and were not accepted. They can then apply to their next top-choice school via ED2.
Apart from the different deadlines and notification dates, the binding agreement stays the same between ED1 and ED2. One last thing to remember is that, generally speaking, admission rates for ED1 and ED2 are higher than those for Regular Decision, but the specific rates may vary between colleges.
I hope this clears things up for you! Best of luck with your college applications!
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