Hey guys! So I’m a high school sophomore who’s trying to wrap my head around college admissions. I recently read a few posts where apparently the poster applied to multiple ED Schools and then withdrew his/her application upon the first acceptance? How is this possible? I also could have misinterpreted the posts entirely which is my bad. Thanks!
It shouldn’t be done. If someone did manage to apply to multiple schools ED (without the schools having some sort of special exception) it would be extremely unethical and could result in an offer being rescinded. Early decision is you committing to going if admitted. While people do find ways to get out of ED (primarily financial problems) it’s something you should avoid.
You can apply EA to multiple schools (REA is a bit different as well, but sometimes you can apply to a state school along with a more elite one early with REA).
Oh okay. I’m familiar with which schools offer EA and SCEA but the schools the applications were withdrawn from were ED schools.
How do people get out of binding ED agreements through financial problems?
@Cleepople , when you sign the ED agreement, it says something about agreeing to go unless it’s not financially okay. Save yourself stress and run net price calculators ahead of time – they’re on every college website. Some schools will even give you FA estimates ahead of time before you sign the ED agreement. Franklin and Marshall did for my daughter, we just had to pay the application fee, which we were going to do anyway.
Something you CANNOT do (but some people think you can, going in) is get accepted ED and delay committing so you can compare RD packages from other schools. You can apply EA to other schools if you want to be able to compare packages when the ED school acceptance comes in.
I’d recommend against it. As noted above, it reflects very badly on you and in rare cases can result in rescinded admissions.
That would be very difficult to orchestrate. Not only do the applicant and a parent have to sign the ED letter, but the guidance counselor does as well. It is highly unlikely that any guidance counselor would sign off on multiple ED agreements for one student.
It is more likely that the student applied to one ED school and when accepted withdrew applications from schools he/she applied to under non-binding EA, RD, and rolling admission programs.
Your school GC would not file the paper work for multiple ED as he/she needs to sign on the ED agreement too.