What does it mean when a school offers Early Decision 2?

I was looking at a college's application options and saw that they offer both Early Decision 1 and Early Decision 2. I'm not really familiar with what that means and was hoping someone could provide some clarity. How does Early Decision 2 differ from Early Decision 1, and what situations would make applying for ED2 a better choice than ED1?

Hi there! It's great that you're looking into the different application options. Early Decision (ED) is a binding agreement between the student and the college, meaning that if you're accepted under ED, you commit to attending that college and withdrawing all other active applications. Now, the main difference between Early Decision 1 (ED1) and Early Decision 2 (ED2) is the timeline.

ED1 has an earlier deadline, usually in November, with decisions coming out in December. ED2, on the other hand, has a slightly later deadline, typically in January, with decisions being released in mid-February. This gives students some extra time to finalize their college choices, improve their applications, or retake standardized tests. Another key difference is that ED2 is offered by a smaller pool of colleges compared to ED1.

As for when to choose ED2 over ED1, there are a few scenarios. For example, if you realize after the ED1 deadline that you have a strong preference for a particular college or perhaps you performed exceptionally well in the first semester of your senior year, ED2 might be a better fit for you.