On the UPenn website, they say that one can apply EA to other schools as long as it’s not single choice or restrictive. MIT has an EA option like that. So, if I were to apply ED to Penn and EA to MIT, and got into both, could I withdraw my application from Penn?
No. However, if MIT released decisions first and you were accepted to MIT, you could withdraw your Penn application prior to being notified by Penn whether you were accepted or not. I wouldn’t do this though. First off, at least when I was applying to schools, Penn released decisions before MIT. More importantly, don’t apply anywhere ED unless it’s your top choice and somewhere you know you want to go.
On the MIT website it says you cannot apply to MIT EA if you are applying to another restrictive, single choice ED school (like Penn)
From MIT website:
" if you apply to another school during Early Action that does have a restriction, MIT requires that you respect those rules. So for example, if you apply to another school that is “single choice” - meaning that you can only apply there during the early period - you may not simultaneously apply to MIT. But that’s just good manners. "
You risk losing out on Penn and MIT… Once you apply ED to Penn you are committing to attend Penn if accepted. Its binding. If you are accepted, Penn will then tell you to immediately withdraw any other applications.
If MIT finds out you applied ED to Penn and backed out, they will rescind any acceptance.
My friend applied to both ED Penn and EA MIT. She was accepted both Penn and MIT, but obviously declined her MIT acceptance since ED is binding. You CAN apply to both, but just be aware that if you are accepted to Penn, you must go, regardless of if you get into MIT or not.
(However, if you were applying SCEA Princeton/Yale/Harvard/Stanford, you would NOT be able to apply to MIT because those are restrictive single choice EA. Penn ED doesn’t fall into that category).
@runswimyoga The MIT clause you quote is referring to Harvard, Princeton and Yale, which use SCEA. You can apply to a school ED and also MIT EA (as I did and @shadyconcepts said her friend did), so your first sentence saying that you can’t apply to MIT EA is inaccurate, but you are right in that you must attend Penn if you are accepted and would have to withdraw your MIT application.
How does financial aid factor into this? What if the FA package offered by Penn is insufficient compared to MIT?
@adizzyone That’s the one exception. ED is binding except if you can show that the financial aid package is not enough. That said, a school like Penn would just up your financial aid offer most likely and then you’d still come to Penn.