<p>SCEA is single choice early action
EA is early action
REA is restrictive early action
ED is early decision.</p>
<p>But, I don't know what they mean. Can someone please clarify?</p>
<p>Basically, ED is binding–if you get into a school and applied ED, you must withdraw all other applications and attend that school.
Under SCEA, you can only apply to 1 school early (unless the others are in-state I think but I’m not 100% sure). It’s non-binding. I believe REA is the same but I’m not positive…
EA is just early action, no restrictions.</p>
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<p>There is a clause that you can get out of the ED agreement if you do not receive an affordable FA package. However, ED prevents you from comparing FA offers from other schools.</p>
<p>I recommend that you go to the websites of schools you’re interested in and read their policies. Even within SCEA/REA schools there are subtle differences in where else you can/cannot apply.</p>
<p>Early Decision (ED): apply early and get early decision; if accepted you agree to attend that college and withdraw all other applications. Can usually get out of ED if financial aid offered is considered inadequate, particularly by your parents.</p>
<p>Early Action (EA): apply early and get early decision but it is not binding and you can wait to hear from other colleges before making decision. Some colleges, particularly some public universities, call their EA programs a “priority” application program.</p>
<p>Single Choice Early Action (SCEA): Harvard, Princeton, Yale and Stanford have SCEA. It is EA but if you apply EA to one of them you are prohibited from applying EA or ED to other colleges (with usual exception of being able to apply to your own state public colleges for EA). It also does not prohibit applying regular admission to colleges that have “rolling admission” (see next).</p>
<p>Rolling admission: a form of regular admission but the college reviews and sends out decisions as applications are received, e.g., apply anytime in fall and get decision four weeks after applying. </p>
<p>Restrictive Early Action (REA): often used to refer to SCEA but also used to refer to other EA programs that some colleges have which allow you to apply EA elsewhere but not ED.</p>
<p>Early Decision 2: most early programs have you apply by early November and get decision by mid-December. Some colleges have an ED2 program that allows you to apply ED in December or even into January and get decision usually by end of January; at most colleges that have ED2, it is designed to give those rejected ED or EA elsewhere a second chance at an ED program.</p>
<p>From Stanford University website:</p>
<p>"Restrictive Early Action</p>
<p>Restrictive Early Action is a non-binding early application option for students who have completed a thorough college search and are confident Stanford is their first choice. Admission decisions are released by December 15, and admitted students have until May 1 to respond to their admission offer, which allows them to compare financial aid awards across institutions. To students who apply for financial aid, Stanford provides an estimated award at the time of admission. The application deadline for Restrictive Early Action is November 1.
3 Possible Restrictive Early Action Admission Decisions</p>
<pre><code>Applicant is admitted and has until May 1 to respond to the admission offer.
Applicant is denied and may not reapply for Regular Decision admission in the same year.
Applicant is deferred to Regular Decision and will receive a final decision by April 1.
</code></pre>
<p>Stanford’s philosophy is to make final decisions whenever possible. As a result, only a small percentage of Restrictive Early Action applicants are deferred.
Restrictive Early Action Policy</p>
<pre><code>Applicants agree not to apply to any other private college/university under an Early Action, Restrictive Early Action, Early Decision or Early Notification program.
Applicants may apply to other colleges and universities under their Regular Decision option.
</code></pre>
<p>Exceptions</p>
<pre><code>The student may apply to any college/university with early deadlines for scholarships or special academic programs as long as the decision is non-binding.
The student may apply to any public college/university with a non-binding early application option.
The student may apply to any college/university with a non-binding rolling admission process.
The student may apply to any foreign college/university on any application schedule. "
</code></pre>
<p>REA and SCEA are essentially two terms for the same concept, which is that when applying REA or SCEA to that school, you agree not to apply EA or ED to a large set of other schools. The exceptions do vary, so read each school’s list of exceptions carefully.</p>
<p>Note that ED and SCEA are sometimes used as indicators of “level of applicant’s interest” at schools which consider that in admissions. The commitment indicated by applying ED obviously means a high “level of applicant’s interest”. Tulane offers both EA and SCEA, where SCEA is considered as indicating a higher “level of applicant’s interest” than EA.</p>