Help. I plainly don't understand what SCEA really means.

[DavidPuddy]

@Princeton Admissions Page

• Princeton University’s single-choice early action program is a nonbinding process.
• If admitted, you have until May 1 to notify us about your decision to matriculate.
• If you apply single-choice early action, also known as restrictive early action, on Nov. 1, you may not apply to an early program at any other private college or university.
• You MAY apply early to any public institution or service academy, as long as the decision is nonbinding.
• You MAY apply to any college or university after Dec. 15, in its regular decision admission process
• You may apply early to any international institution, as long as the decision is nonbinding.

All the above is clear to me. Specifically, the 4 or 5 publics that my S18 will apply to are all perfectly allowable. However:

@Princeton Admissions Page

• You may apply early to any college or university with a nonbinding rolling admission process.

So, to my interpretation, the 2-3 other PRIVATES my son intends to apply to are also allowable, because none of them will be binding applications, and they provide rolling responses based upon when applications are received. Clearly this is not what SCEA intends, is it? It’s not even a paper tiger.

Specifically … UChicago, and Tulane will provide admissions answers to early applicants. None are binding, and the responses roll.

Please clarify for me. I will not be suprised that no, my liberal interpretation of “any college or university with a nonbinding rolling admission process” is not correct, and that Princeton intends to not allow ay EA applications at other private universities.

I hope the above makes sense.

[BKSquared]

I don’t believe UChicago EA is true rolling admissions (not familiar with Tulane). There is an admissions date on which all EA applicants are notified. True rolling admissions means the school makes decisions as applications come in and there is not a separate admissions track which is the case at UChicago, which has 4 (EA, ED1, EDII and RD). I am sure the AO at Princeton can give you a definitive answer. This is not something I would chance getting wrong and getting an authoritative answer is easy.

[InigoMontoya]

Tulane has different dates for sending out acceptances based on whether you apply ED, EA, or RD. That is not rolling - that is fixed response dates based on when applications are received. Rolling means applications are reviewed and acceptances sent out constantly - a rolling admissions school will usually tell you you will receive a decision is 2-4 weeks after submission or something like that, rather than a fixed date.