Can you apply to other colleges with early decision?

Hi all, I'm a high school junior who's a little confused about the early decision process. If I apply to one college through early decision, am I still allowed to apply to other colleges during the same application cycle? Are there any restrictions about applying to multiple schools that I should be aware of? Thanks for your help!

Hi there! Absolutely, you can still apply to other colleges while you've got an early decision application out there. Early Decision (ED) agreements are binding, which means if you're accepted, you are committed to attending that institution and must withdraw all other applications. Until you receive a decision from your ED school, you're free to apply to other schools through Regular Decision, Early Action, or Rolling Admissions. Just remember that if you get that acceptance letter from your ED choice, you'll need to be ready to say goodbye to those other applications and commit.

For example, if you apply ED to Columbia and are accepted, you'll be expected to enroll there and withdraw any other applications, even if you haven't heard back from those schools yet. Be sure your ED choice is a school you're really excited about, and it's a good fit for you academically and financially since you're making a big commitment. Good luck with your applications, and feel free to reach out if you have more questions!