<p>I went to my counselor today and asked to early decision Cornell and early action University of Notre Dame and University of Chicago (both non-binding and not single-choice only like stanford and yale) but she won't let me! It says on Cornell's website that I can't early decision anywhere else, but it's doesn't say anywhere that I can't early action anywhere else. Colleges don't even see where else I'm applying unless they ask. Don't I have the right to do this?</p>
<p>Maybe your counselor doesn't understand the rules specific to each school related to ED and EA. </p>
<p>Print out the rules from each college website, and go back and have a reasoned response about why you think you have the right to pursue this.</p>
<p>Is your ED school your true top choice?</p>
<p>I agree with littlegreenmom. If she still has a problem with it, you could contact the Cornell admissions department to make sure it's OK. I've heard of some ED schools that don't want you appying EA elsewhere, but most don't care as long as you promise to withdraw those applications (or turn down any acceptances) if you get into the ED school.</p>
<p>She says before submitting my app the both of us have to sign that it is my only "early" plan. I asked her if that meant only early decision, but for some reason she said I couldn't. She said early decision/action meant they are your top priorities, but they definitely are. My early decision is my early decision for a reason and the other two are on the top of my list as well. I'll call up the school and print out rules as suggested. Thanks. I'd love to hear feedback from anyone doing both early decision and action.</p>
<p>so if you had two early actions, would that have been an issue for her?</p>
<p>I don't think that would've been a problem.</p>
<p>Well, for what it is worth-I think she is wrong. ED is binding but EA is not. It is not that complicated.</p>
<p>It wouldn't be the first time that a guidance counselor advised their student to do something that wasn't exactly accurate... </p>
<p>They can't keep track of every school's requirement, and there is still confusion about what is acceptable at each school. If your counselor has 300 or 400 students, do you think they have time to check each school's admissions requirements? They can only do so much.</p>
<p>So enlighten her. Bring her the rules from Cornell. Bring the description from NACAC (google it) about what the rules are with regards to EA and ED.</p>
<p>
[quote]
he said early decision/action meant they are your top priorities
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I think she just doesn't have a good grasp on EA. Obviosuly, ED should be your #1 choice, but plenty of people use EA for safties or matches as well as reaches, just to get an admissions letter or two under their belt before RD.</p>
<p>I just checked College Board.</p>
<p>College Board says as a rule you cannot apply to any EA schools if you have a ED application pending, but that you can apply Rolling decision, and would release any applications if you receive acceptance to ED school. </p>
<p>I have seen it interpreted differently with different counselors in different schools. </p>
<p>I just checked Cornell's website and saw exactly what you mean. You may be fighting a losing battle with this counselor. </p>
<p>Are you sure you want to apply ED to Cornell? Can you handle the financial responsibility with an ED application? Maybe you would be better doing EA with the other two schools and rolling with Cornell?</p>
<p>littlegreenmom -- I'm confused by your post. Does College Board govern the contracts of Cornell, Notre Dame and Chicago? If so, I understand your post. If not, what business is it of College Board how the three schools write their early action/decision contracts?</p>
<p>^^concur with dunnin. </p>
<p>Two Catholic colleges (BC and Georgetown) specifically state that students cannot apply to their colleges if they ED somewhere else. It is logical to conclude that Notre Dame must not care if someone ED's somewhere else because ND is silent on this issue.</p>
<p>Sorry about not responding earlier.</p>
<p>My point was that if she is a guidance counselor who is looking at the College Board website (like many of them do for their information), she might see this blurb and assume you can't apply ED and someplace else EA at the same time. Counselors often use the College Board website as a clearinghouse of information, especially since they use it for AP tests, SAT I and SAT II and all of it's nifty features.</p>
<p>Has our OP called Cornell, yet?</p>
<p>If none of the colleges specifically says that there can be no other early apps out there, then it is probably a gray area more than anything. Can you do it? I have seen it. I have also seen counselors forbid the practice and not sign off on other early admission applications.</p>
<p>Last year, I heard of a student who wanted to apply to four early action schools, with no rules forbidding other EA apps, and her counselor wouldn't prepare the school report for that many schools. She did allow two EA apps. Is it fair? Is it rational? I guess it is up to the counselor to know the student and what their chances are, as well as the pressure of getting everything done so early in the application season.</p>
<p>^I think the counselor should not be able to limit a student because he/she thinks the student does not have a chance.</p>
<p>I called Cornell and they said I'm capable of doing that as long as I inform my EA schools that I'm doing ED at Cornell. I told my counselor and she told me to call the other EA schools.</p>