What exactly is Restrictive Early Action?

[syracusejg99]

Hello CC,

I’m a bit confused as to what restrictive early action entails. Specifically, I plan to apply REA to Yale this fall, and I’m wondering what other programs that precludes me from applying to. Yale’s website says verbatim:

“You may apply to any college’s non-binding rolling admission program.
You may apply to any public institution at any time, provided that admission is non-binding.
You may apply to another college’s Early Decision II program, but only if the notification of admission occurs after January 1. If you are admitted through another college’s Early Decision II binding program, you must withdraw your application from Yale.
You may apply to another college’s Early Action II program.
You may apply to any institution outside of the United States at any time.”

Does this mean I cannot apply to other non binding EA programs? For example, can I apply to Yale’s REA by November first and then apply to Tulane’s EA by their November 15th date, or would that be breaking the agreement that one consents to by applying to Yale REA (no, I do not plan to attempt to dodge the rules)?

Thank you!

[ucbalumnus]

It means exactly what it says.

Since Tulane does not fall within the list of exceptions (rolling, public, EA II, outside the US), then (as far as Yale is concerned) you may not apply EA to both Yale and Tulane.

[skieurope]

@ucbalumnus is exactly correct. Where a college offers Restrictive Early Action or Single Choice Early Action, the restrictions may (and do) vary by college. But the operative word is restrictive, so something will not be allowed. So check the requirements.

[ProfessorPlum168]

Main difference with REA is that you can apply to other schools, as long as you are NOT applying for ED for any other school with a decision before Jan 1. Tulane has both EA and ED, so you can apply to Yale REA as long as you apply to Tulane EA. Which it sounds like what you are doing. If you applied ED for Tulane, then you can’t apply to Yale REA.

[evergreen5]

^No, a student cannot apply early to Yale (which is Single Choice Early Action) and EA to Tulane.

OP, I’m not sure if you missed this right on the same page:

Yale’s Early Action plan is unlike many other programs in that if you apply for Single-Choice Early Action at Yale, you may not simultaneously apply for Early Action or Early Decision to any other school with a few exceptions (*see “Applying to Other Colleges and Universities” below). If you apply early to Yale, you are indicating that the only Early Action/Early Decision application you intend to file is Yale’s, unless another early application is covered by one of the exceptions listed below.

https://admissions.yale.edu/single-choice-early-action Tulane’s EA program does not fall under any of the listed exceptions.

[skieurope]

You can apply to Yale REA as long as you apply to Tulane EA.

No you can’t. That’s the whole point of “Restrictive.”

In addition to the Yale source quoted earlier, here are some other examples which would bar applying EA to Tulane:

Harvard:

you are restricted from applying to other private universities’ Early Action and Early Decision programs.

https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/apply/application-timeline/restrictive-early-action

Stanford:

Applicants do not apply to any other private college/university under their Early Action, Restrictive Early Action, Early Decision or Early Notification program.

https://admission.stanford.edu/apply/decision_process/index.html

Princeton:

you may not apply to an early program at any other private college or university.

https://admission.princeton.edu/how-apply/application-dates-deadlines/single-choice-early-action

[syracusejg99]

Thank you all. In that case I should ask…does applying REA significantly raise chances of admissions in your opinion, keeping in mind the REA pool is usually pretty strong? I know another extremely qualified (more so than I) student from my school plans to apply REA to Yale, and it seems they have the tendency to not except more than one student from the same high school. Is this true?

[skieurope]

Thank you all. In that case I should ask…does applying REA significantly raise chances of admissions in your opinion, keeping in mind the REA pool is usually pretty strong?

It really depends upon the college. While others may parse the data seven ways to Sunday, the official Harvard line is that it does not raise chances significantly. Other colleges may be different.

it seems they have the tendency to not except more than one student from the same high school. Is this true?

No. No highly selective college has a min/max/quota.
http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/20157192/#Comment_20157192

That said, if an average of one student per year from your HS is accepted to Harvard, it’s unlikely that the number will spike to 5 in the next admissions cycle.