I have a relatively simple question, but after searching the internet for half an hour I can’t seem to find a straightforward answer :
If I apply ED to a school (In particular, I’m considering Rice), can I go ahead and submit other EA applications as well? Or do I have to wait for the decision from Rice before I submit any other application?
I know that some schools (i.e Stanford) have REA, and for that I wouldn’t be able to apply EA. But if the school I apply ED to doesn’t explicitly tell me that I can’t apply EA anywhere else, can I just do it? Or is the assumption in the agreement that I’m not supposed to apply EA anywhere else?
Yes, you can ED and EA at the same time. The only stipulation is that none of your schools have Single Choice Or Restricted EA that specifically says that you should not apply to other schools EA or ED if you are applying to that school through EA.
Yes, for Rice you can apply EA to other institutions provided they don’t have their own restrictions. My daughter applied ED to Rice and EA to UIUC, Wisconsin and Northeastern. She heard from UIUC several hours before Rice but had to withdraw her applications to Wisconsin and Northeastern when she was accepted ED at Rice.
Rice specifically states “Students admitted via ED agree to cancel their applications elsewhere and confirm their enrollment at Rice.” on their website: https://admission.rice.edu/apply/freshman
There is more detail on their ED agreement form which actually quotes from the National Association for College Admission Counseling Statement of Principles and Good Practices:
“While pursuing admission under an Early Decision plan, students may apply to other institutions, but may have only one Early Decision application pending at any time." https://riceadmission.rice.edu/documents/2020_Early_Decision_Agreement.pdf