Can someone help me understand the difference between EA and ED please?
Ive read 10s of blogs explaining it but still cant seem to figure it out
My S will be applying for Fall 2017 admissions
Thanks
EA: You apply early and get your decision early. That’s it. You can apply EA to multiple colleges.
ED: You apply early, and if you are accepted you’re obligated to enroll at that college, unless you can prove that their financial aid isn’t good enough. You can only apply ED to one school. If you’re rejected ED, you can apply to other schools regular decision.
ED: If you get in, you must go to that school. You can only apply to one school under ED.
EA: non-binding. Generally not restricted to one school (they’ll state it specifically, if so).
ED is binding. Students with lower stats MAY have an edge on getting accepted.
EA is not binding. Some students apply EA because it is their dream school but they do not want to be stuck with an unfavorable financial aid package. Other students apply EA because it is their safety and they can relax knowing that they have at least one acceptance.
A few of the top schools have a nuance on EA – SCEA (single choice EA). You can read the details on the website. You essentially get the same deal as EA described above, but there are some limits on where else you can put in early applications (but note that state schools aren’t included in those restrictions, so those make good early additions to an SCEA application).
Note that you should run the net price calculators on each school website prior to applying. It isn’t a good excuse to say that the FA didn’t work for you as an ED applicant if you didn’t check that ahead of time. And counting on a big merit scholarship in the ED pool is a mistake, too (most colleges use a lot of their merit to tempt RD students to attend – so they don’t give much to ED students because those students are already committing to attend by applying ED). If you need to compare finances across colleges (need based or merit aid), don’t apply RD. But EA is great – can get an acceptance early, which takes pressure off.
Most schools have only EA or ED (some have neither). A few have both (Dickinson, for example).
Students who apply EA or ED should keep working on their applications after that initial submission. They often have a dip in motivation if they don’t get into those schools. So having the other apps packaged and ready to go is a good idea. And don’t accept an ED offer without seeing the FA package – sometimes there is a lag there.
SCEA rules vary. Read each school’s rules carefully.
Also note that applying ED doesn’t preclude you from submitting RD applications to other schools while you wait to hear from the ED school. And some schools have early deadlines for merit aid that come before you will hear from an ED school. Some schools waive the application fee if you get it in early. There’s nothing wrong with submitting RD apps while you wait to hear from your ED school as long as you realize that, if accepted by the ED school, you must withdraw your other applications (unless you get out of the ED commitment on the grounds that the FA is insufficient to make the school affordable).
ED schools typically do not care if you apply EA anywhere else. But some EA schools (including, but not limited to, those which are known as SCEA or REA) want EA applicant not to apply ED anywhere else.
Examples of EA schools with various restrictions:
Harvard: https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/apply/application-timeline/restrictive-early-action . REA applicant is not supposed to apply ED anywhere or EA to domestic private schools before a non-admit decision is received from Harvard REA.
Tulane: http://admission.tulane.edu/apply/instructions/ . Offers both EA and SCEA. SCEA applicants should not apply ED or EA to other schools other than home state public flagship schools with early deadlines for scholarships or special programs. SCEA expresses a higher level of interest than EA. EA applicants are not restricted in other applications.
Georgetown: https://uadmissions.georgetown.edu/firstyear/early-action . EA applicants should not apply ED anywhere else.