<p>I am a little bit confused as to how EA and ED works and I just need a quick question cleared up. If I were to apply restrictive ED to UPenn, could I also apply non restrictive ED to a different college in order to recieve my letters faster, or is that a no no? I have been filling out the common app and some colleges, like NYU, have two early descision options but they do not say restrictive. Is this against the rules? Any clarification would be helpful, thanks a lot!</p>
<p>.Look at the terms on the Penn website. If it’s restrictive like I think it is, then you can’t apply anywhere else. Sometimes people call this single choice early action/decision. Though sometimes they’ll let you apply to your state public university. Depends on the university</p>
<p>CollegeAims -</p>
<p>There is no such thing as nonrestrictive ED. What your thinking of is nonrestrictive EA. </p>
<p>ED is always restrictive but with ED you can always apply Nonrestrictive EA to any other school. If you apply restrictive EA (like Yale or Princeton), you cannot apply EA or ED to any other school. And finally, if you apply nonrestrictive EA, you can apply to as many other colleges using nonrestrictive EA as you want.</p>
<p>Penn is nonrestrictive EA.</p>
<p>Thanks guys, I will for sure check out the website. ptontiger16, you mean that I cannot apply to any other school ea or ed correct? and Lehigh, Penn is restrictive, I know that for sure. I was just wondering if I can apply restrictive ED and also non restricitive EA. Thanks for clearing it up a bit for me. If all ED is restrictive, then why does the common app only say restrictive by some ED choices? Any more help would be much appreciated!</p>
<p>@CollegeAims - No, it depends on the school. I’m too lazy to dig through the UPenn website but usually Early Decision means that you have to commit if you’re admitted (unless you show that you can’t pay given your financial aid award, etc). That’s different from Early Action, which means you will get a decision in December and you don’t have to respond until May.</p>
<p>Here, I just did quick web search and here was the first sentence from the site: “For those applicants who have already decided that the University of Pennsylvania is their first college choice and who agree to matriculate if accepted…” By the language of that sentence, I’m assuming that you have to matriculate if they accept you, meaning that you can’t apply elsewhere even in the RD round. Contact them to make sure. The language could be a bit ambiguous at times.</p>
<p>Thank you very much for taking the time to help me ptontiger16, it helped me a lot. Funny thing I decided that ED was to risky as Penn is my second choice. Since my first choice is Berkeley and I am a long shot I don’t want to take the risk of getting accepted to both, yet having to attend Penn. You have been so helpful, thank you once again!</p>
<p>I was trying to look up information about ED and if it was restrictive like single choice EA. I looked at UPenn and here is what they say on the web site:</p>
<p>"IMPORTANT NOTE: As noted above, a student may apply Early Decision to only one institution. Accordingly, if an applicant for Early Decision to the University of Pennsylvania also applies for Early Decision to another school, the Early Decision application to the University of Pennsylvania will be withdrawn. Further, if any Regular Decision applicant to the University of Pennsylvania is accepted Early Decision under a College Board approved Early Decision plan by any other school, the application to the University of Pennsylvania will be withdrawn. "</p>
<p>That sure seems restrictive. One of the colleges I was looking at was Dickinson and here is what they say:</p>
<p>“Early Decision is a binding commitment. If admitted, you agree to withdraw all other applications and submit your enrollment deposit within three weeks of notification”</p>
<p>To me that is not as restrictive. That sounds like I can apply to other places but must withdraw them only if I am accepted.</p>
<p>So does this mean that I can apply to multiple ED (non restrictive) at the same time and if I get accepted at a couple I can pick the one with the best FA and withdraw from the rest?</p>
<p>"So does this mean that I can apply to multiple ED (non restrictive) at the same time and if I get accepted at a couple I can pick the one with the best FA and withdraw from the rest? "</p>
<p>No. You can not apply to multiple ED schools. (and if your guidance counselor allows this, he/she should be fired).</p>
<p>If accepted via ED, it’s binding. Therefore if you are accepted by 2 schools, how can you ethically turn one down if both are affordable. That’s exactly why ED schools have their binding language. And if you do so, you’ll screw your HS as they’ll be blacklisted (and deservedly so) for years to come.</p>
<p>You can apply to ONE school via ED and along with it, other non-restrictive EA and RD schools. If the ED accepts you, you’re compelled to withdraw all other applications. If the ED school defers to the RD round or rejects you, you can obviously entertain whatever other offers you receive.</p>
<p>Penn’s ED program is just like Dickinson’s – just they spell out the meaning more clearly. NO WAY you can apply ED to Dickinson and another ED school. The rules that Penn states are exactly the same for Dickinson.</p>
<p>You’re looking to gain the most advantage. I understand that. But don’t look to game beyond the rules. The EA/ED schools offer the option because it serves both them and their acceptees. Don’t look for it as a way to possible game the system.</p>
<p>Good luck to you.</p>
<p>Yeah, Dickinson was just stating that you can apply to other colleges (NOT early decision), so you have safeties in case you don’t get into their school. But, when you are accepted, you have to withdraw those applications.</p>
<p>All ED applications are restrictive and binding, unless you have financial issues later on.</p>
<p>Sorry to the OP, I put the wrong information in my first post. UPenn is NOT nonrestrictive EA, in fact they don’t offer any EA, just ED. I just noticed I said that, so I apologize!!</p>
<ul>
<li>Mike</li>
</ul>
<p>OK. I thought you could only apply to one ED plus one non-restrictive EA and any RD schools but then I just wasn’t sure when I started to some differences in how the info was worded. Thanks for the clarification.</p>
<p>Summary: you can apply to one ED school, any number of non-restrictive EA schools and RD schools.</p>
<p>Okay, you can apply to one ED school and as many non-restrictive EA schools. I’ve not familiar with non-restrictive schools? Are some of the top 25 schools non-restrictive?</p>
<p>Most of the top 10 I know of are restrictive. They call it single choice early action.</p>
<p>gtbguy: “non-restrictive” usually means most “Early Action” programs. Restrictive ones have only recently come into being. These include Yale, Stanford. Recently Harvard & Princeton became restrictive. I believe GTown is restrictive too. </p>
<p>Restrictive programs are the exception and not the rule.</p>
<p>I think it’s less confusing to break schools into categories such as SCEA, EA, RD, ED. Restricting and non-restricting are just too confusing.
Here are the top schools breakdown that I’m aware of.
HYPS - SCEA
MIT, Georgetown, Caltech, UVA, U of Michigan, U of Chicago - EA
Cornell, Penn, Columbia, Brown, Dartmouth - ED</p>