I applied to Stanford REA and was accepted. But I also applied to other schools RD.
Stanford is my dream school, but I put a lot of work into my RD applications and I would like to see if my profile is good enough to get me into my RD schools.
Am I able to accept my Stanford admission and attend their admit receptions, while awaiting my RD decisions?
I asked this on Reddit yesterday, but answers were all over the place, from “yes” to “no” to “why”.
No, you do not need to withdraw your RD applications. REA is not binding. You are allowed to apply elsewhere RD and you have until May 1 to respond to Stanford’s offer. https://admission.stanford.edu/apply/decision_process/index.html
I think there is a restriction on private universities read the full doc posted on the webpage
“No” is an incorrect answer. The correct answer is “Yes” although we will also accept “Yes you can, but why?” as a valid answer. 
Really, you don’t need to accept until May; there is nothing to be gained by accepting now. If you need time to assess option, then just take the time. Congrats.
I thought once you accept a college then you’re supposed to withdraw other apps. If they’ve accepted you and you haven’t committed that’s a different story.
@KitalaKO - You shouldn’t have to withdraw your RD applications until Stanford’s deadline. However, it would probably be the decent thing to do if you’re sure you’re going to accept. Believe me, I completely understand you wanting to know where else you were accepted. I also understand the time you put into those applications.
If you were accepted to Stanford, you must be an outstanding applicant and will likely receive other acceptances. Those acceptances will prevent other applicants from possibly being accepted to their dream school if you do not withdraw from consideration.
You’re free to leave your other applications in and collect your trophies (or not), but I’d ask yourself a few questions (taking you at your word that Stanford is your “dream school”, and assuming that you’re full-pay or Stanford offered you enough aid that it’s affordable for you):
Which of your RD schools might you conceivably choose over Stanford?
How likely is it that you’ll do that?
Are there schools you’ve applied to RD that you are confident you’d never turn down Stanford for?
How would you feel if one of those schools were your best friend’s first choice, you got in and they didn’t, possibly because Stanford didn’t want to admit one more from your school?
Would you care if your friend found out?
How would you feel if it were the other way around?
Personally, unless you’re genuinely torn between two schools and so long as money isn’t an issue (neither of which seems to be the case here, so far as I can tell), if I were in your shoes I’d withdraw every RD app (and especially those for schools you’d never turn down Stanford for). It’s the nice thing to do, for the schools, your friends and your college counselor (who may be in the unfortunate position of having to explain to a bunch of top-tier schools that they’ve wasted an acceptance on a trophy hunter, and who will thereby lose credibility with those schools for future applicants).
If this is your main concern then I’d say no worries. You should be able to attend the events regardless of your status. In fact, the receptions by local Stanford alum chapters are meant to convince you to commit to Stanford, with the expectation that you have not accepted the offer yet.
Why is it the decent thing to do? Colleges aren’t going to offer an additional acceptance to someone if OP turns them down now. They expect a certain number of accepted students to reject their offer.
My kid was in the same situation two years ago. One day after he got into Stanford REA, he asked me whether he should submit RD applications to several top schools. I asked him if there was another school he rather attend than Stanford, and he said no. I told him that was his answer.
If you got into Stanford, you have a chance to get into any school, but that doesn’t mean you will get in. I say stop wasting your time and celebrate that your college application process is over early, and enjoy your senior year.
Stanford gives you to May 1. But it’s “decent” to turn others down sooner, rather than later, so the other colleges can know their rough RD openings. Yes, that can affect others in your area.
And ths isn’t ED, @milgymfam. It’s REA.
@lookingforward I meant any type of decision plan though. Once you’ve accepted a spot in a college, it seems deceitful to apply elsewhere. You’ve already agreed to attend somewhere. Even if it’s allowed, it seems wrong. Why would you accept a spot now if you have until May and you’re not 100% sure you’re attending. I guess I am missing something.
Forgo the ego boost - you got into your dream school, you know you’re going there.
@milgymfam Stanford even says, so you can compare other fin aid offers. (They know their lure. They dont require an answer before May 1.)
@KitalaKO You asked about accepting Stanford’s offer but keeping your other options open. Given that you applied SCEA and you called Stanford your “dream school,” I imagine that doubts on your end would be minimal. But people can change between December and May, so if other options remain attractive (other than possible bragging rights), then I think it’s alright to keep some of those options in play, if you have any serious interest in them. Ask yourself honestly if there are schools you wouldn’t accept over Stanford and withdraw those.
I believe it’s poor form to ACCEPT your offer of admission and keep other applications in consideration. You have until May 1 to accept at Stanford; the offer will not disappear if you wait to accept before hearing from other schools.
If you accept to a school it is protocol to let your other schools know. Why not let someone else have a chance at your spot? Makes sense, right?
There is nothing wrong with accepting the offer on May 1st, even though she is 99% sure now. Teenagers change their mind about their favorite school all the time and five month is a long time; sometimes, it could be a little things like a conversation at an alum event that triggers a change of heart. I have seen enough of these to understand that OP’s hesitation is not without reason.
I think the OP is worried that if she didn’t accept the offer till May she would not be able to enjoy the benefits of admitted students like attending admit receptions and weekends. That should not be a concern IMO.
@lookingforward of course you can compare offers before deciding- that’s the beauty of non-binding. I think once you accept an offer, though, the picture changes. There is no reason to accept an offer and then still move forward with other schools when you can sit on the original offer without accepting it until May. Why not just wait to accept the spot at Stanford if there is still comparing to do?