Can I apply ED and EA at the same time?Answered
If I apply ED to a certain school, would I be allowed to EA to other schools and just withdraw their applications if I'm accepted to my ED school? I've tried looking for this online but I don't see a really clear answer.
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2 answers
I would like to respectfully disagree to the accepted answer. It is true that you may only apply to one ED school because it is binding. Applying to EA schools, however, is not binding. Therefore, you may apply to EA schools as well. As asked in your question, if accepted to your ED school, you will then have to withdraw all your other applications, but you are able to apply to both.
The point in the other answer regarding REA (restricted early action) schools is true: if you apply to one of these schools under this admissions plan, you cannot apply to any other schools ED or EA.
This is different from applying ED because the only restriction there is that you must attend that institution if accepted. Applying REA only allows you to apply to one school during an early admissions round.
Lastly, the most important point I want to make is that this information doesn't apply to every situation as some schools will have specific guidelines on this, regardless of your admissions plan. Always check each school's specific rules when applying to make sure you are in accordance.
I hope this clarifies a few things.
Short answer - This is a "negatory" absolutely not.
Long answer- Let me break down the "dos and don'ts" of ED, EA and SCREA.
ED - Means Early Decision. This explicitly means the same thing for all colleges offering ED. You can only Propose to this 1 singular college for your undergraduate marriage. If the college accepts your proposal, you must marry and attend this college. The only way to wiggle out of the marriage is if you can not afford the wedding costs because your financial aid package will not be enough. Then you can ask the college to free you from your obligation can continue to apply to Regular Decision colleges or ED2 colleges if you sort of the mess fast enough. So if the ED college is your 1st love, and true love, then apply ED. If you are not 100% sure you can afford to matriculate there because you need a full ride and aren't sure you will get a full ride, then don't apply ED because, you will not have the benefit of comparing your FINAID offer with other schools, since you are not allowed to apply anywhere else.
EA - Means Early Action. While EA doesn't prevent you from applying to other EA schools, you can not apply to an ED school because and ED school is a Binary Option and won't allow you do court/date anyone else during the admissions season. It's not a flexible option.
SCREA - Means Single Choice Restricted Early Action. Schools like Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Stanford are SCREA schools. This means you can only date 1 of these 4 schools at a time, and no other EA or ED school. Applicants can apply to other colleges through their non-binding regular admission programs or rolling admission programs. Also, applicants are typically allowed to apply to any public universities and non-U.S. institutions as long as admission decisions are non-binding. If you get into an SCREA school, you are welcome to attend but not obligated to attend. Only the strongest applicants in the self selecting pool get admitted in the SCREA rounds with most people applying getting deferred or rejected outright. While admit rates are higher in this round, you are not only competing with the cream of the crop, you are competing with ALDC applicants and various applicants from community service orgs. like Questbridge and Posse. So if you are White/or come from a over-represented minority like Chinese/Korean/East Indian American, unless you are the best of the best, the most likely outcome is a deferral during this round.
Hope this is clear and helpful not only for you but any other 9th, 10th and 11th grader.
Good luck.
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I think that makes sense, I'll be sure to look into each school's specific policies. Thanks for the response!