Are you able to apply to Penn ED and other schools that have non-restrictive early action programs? For example, could I apply to Penn ED and also apply to UChicago through their early action program? Obviously, if I got into Penn I would attend and understand that it is binding, but would want to hedge my bets with Chicago if I don’t get in.
Yes, you can do that (and I think that’s quite common among ED applicants).
Some schools have restricted early applications, though, so check their websites. I know Georgetown does, for example.
You cannot apply to any other EA program if you apply to ED, except if it’s to a public university. But check the website or call the office as this been confusing. Also Georgetown is not restrictive, it’s flexible and open EA.
@PJBound2022 - I believe you can do this, but why would you want to?
UPenn and UChicago are quite different (still, even though they are closely ranked) AND Chicago has a new, wonky admissions system (EA/ED1/ED2/RD). While Chicago hasn’t released their admissions numbers yet, word on the street is your best bet by FAR is to apply their ED1, as EA and RD rates are super low.
If UPenn is your number 1, apply there ED. Of UChicago is your number 1, apply there ED1. If you really can’t decide which one is your number 1, but lean to upenn, apply there ED, and if it doesn’t work out, apply ED2 to Chicago.
The schools are different enough that I don’t understand EAing and EDing. If you love UPenn, you might be better of EAing somewhere else - Chicago and Penn are different.
If you loved Columbia or Swarthmore or maybe even johns Hopkins, I could see EDing and EAing. UPenn and Chicago are still quite different though.
Taken from Georgetown’s admission website. As for Penn’s policy, they changed it last year. You can apply to any non-binding Early Action program in addition to Penn’s ED.
I see your point. What I meant by Georgetown’s EA policy is that it’s not binding but since the other school’s ED programs are, you can’t apply to both. And it’s not SCEA either, so you could apply to Georgetown and MIT EA since both are non-binding. But you couldn’t apply to Stanford SCEA and Georgetown EA, because of Stanford’s policy. That’s why I said it wasn’t restrictive.
Penn is ED so if you get in you have to go, so it wouldn’t make any sense to apply to any binding ED or SCEA.
@PJBound2022 yes you can definitely apply to other EA programs and Penn ED. Penn only changed its policy to restrict this for a few months but then reverted back to its original policy, i.e. it allows ED applicants to apply EA to other schools.