By Elizabeth LaScala, PhD
If you’ve been accepted by a college through its Early Decision (ED) plan you may consider yourself fortunate. You’ve been admitted before most of your peers have submitted applications, so now you can enjoy your senior year without the stress of admissions hanging over your head!
And yet, some students who have been accepted through ED may later regret their commitment. At that point, they wonder if their ED agreement is binding and if they can disregard it without consequences.
Consider the Early Decision Agreement You’ve Signed
You, your guidance counselor, and your parents signed an ED agreement stipulating that you commit to attend the institution if admitted. So, yes, it’s binding but does not subject you to civil liability.
Most colleges with ED options do so under the Statement of Principles of Good Practice of the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC), which guides the institutional treatment of students. Your agreement is clear: while pursuing ED admission, students may apply to other institutions under an Early Action (EA) plan, but they may submit only one ED application. If an ED applicant is denied or deferred to the Regular Decision (RD) cycle, they’re immediately released from the agreement.
When a student backs out of ED agreement without cause, it raises questions that could impact decisions elsewhere. Some guidance counselors and colleges take steps to discourage reneging on ED agreements. For example:
- If an admissions office learns that a student applied to their institution and another via ED, they’ll contact the other school. The student risks being denied by both.
- Five Ivy League schools share a cooperative ED plan, where if an ED applicant is admitted to one of them, they must honor their agreement or be ineligible for admission to the others.
- Many guidance counselors delay sending admissions materials for ED applications until the decision is known to preserve a counselor’s credibility with admissions officials.
- A group of 30 liberal arts colleges shares lists of students admitted via ED to prevent others from unwittingly admitting them. They also share names of students who have been released from their ED commitments.
- Counselors will warn students against submitting multiple ED applications. If the student persists, counselors may contact the affected colleges, all of which could terminate considering the application.
Legitimate Reasons for Backing Out of an Early Decision
There are legitimate reasons why a college will release an applicant from an ED commitment without negative repercussions. Common examples include:
- Financial aid from the college is insufficient,
- A family member has died or fallen seriously ill,
- A family business or a parent’s career has suffered, and,
- The student has suffered a significant health issue.
An ED agreement is a serious undertaking, often among the first formal commitments you’ll make in your life. Make a good faith effort to stick to it. I can help you understand the commitment you’re making and, more importantly, develop a sound admissions strategy to ensure the success of your college admissions campaign.
