I thought you could apply ED to only one whereas you can apply multiple unrestricted EAs, but it seems like (as according to some threads on this forum) some people apply multiple EDs…? Is that allowed/how does it work? Do you just withdraw other ED applications if one decision day is before another?
NO NO NO NO NO.
One ED school. To apply to EAs, make sure your ED school allows to apply to unrestricted EA schools. Also, make sure the unrestricted EA schools allow you to apply to an ED school.
EDIT: There’s also what @gardenstategal said too. I should have said “One ED school at a time, for ED I and ED II rounds”
If you are not accepted at your ONE ED1 school, you can apply ED2 to another one. That is the only legitimate way to apply to more than one school ED.
what @gardenstategal said. So, the way it works is, ED1 deadline is usually Nov 1 or Nov 15, with the school releasing its decision on the ED1 application in Dec. If a student is rejected or deferred from that ED1 school, they are then able to apply in the ED2 round with a Jan deadline to another school, with a February notification of the decision. Not all schools offer ED2. Mixing ED and EA gets tricky. Even mixing single choice EA and other schools gets tricky.
As part of the ED (1 or 2) application, the student and parents sign a contract/acknowledgement that they understand that, if the student is accepted ED, the student will withdraw all other applications and accept the offer of admission at the ED school. The high school guidance counselor also has to sign a form that they understand the consequences of ED application. Under the terms of the ED agreement, the only basis for declining the offer of ED admission is if a family has applied for financial aid and the financial aid package is inadequate. With the Net Price Calculator available on each school’s website, a student and their family should understand in advance of the ED application what the likely financial aid package will look like from that school. If the actual financial aid package is very close to what the NPC projected, then it is expected that the student will accept the offer of ED admission, though there are no hard and fast rules about what is “close enough” in terms of financial aid. For instance, if there was a difference of $50 between expected and actual financial aid, most people would say that is an insignificant difference and the student should accept the ED offer. If the difference is $5000, then that is a big difference, and certainly reason to decline the offer. The grey area is in between, and whether the actual offer varies so much as to be unworkable can depend on a family’s particular circumstances.
Bottom line, no, a student cannot have two simultaneous ED applications pending to different schools.
In addition some schools have EA plans that do not allow for multiple EA applications. You must look online and research/understand the details/restrictions of the plans of any colleges you apply to. If you have any questions contact the admissions office to clarify.
There are two separate phases of ED:
- ED1. Typically you apply in November, and get a decision in December.
- ED2. Typically you apply in January (after ED1 decisions) and get a decision in February.
You can pick two ED schools, one for each phase. Note, however, that some schools (especially the most competitive ones) only have ED1, so you can’t apply to them by ED2.
Suppose you apply to School A by ED1 in November. You get rejected in December. In that case, you can still apply to School B by ED2 in January. This is perfectly OK.
On the other hand, if you get accepted by School A in December via ED1, then you are done. In that case, you cannot apply to School B by ED2, and you have to withdraw any RD applications to other schools as well.
Closing thread. The definitive answer has been given.