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All About Early Decision II

Published on: November 20, 2024

There are so many ways to apply to college:  Early Action,  Early Decision, Regular Decision, and the lesser-known Early Decision II. Allow us to explain the nuances! 

Early Decision II has many of the same characteristics as Early Decision. The biggest difference is that Early Decision II (ED2) happens later in your senior year than Early Decision (ED1). Students applying ED2 submit their applications around January 1st and usually receive their admissions decision by Valentine’s Day (it’s a quick turnaround…and hopefully a Happy Valentine!).

Just like Early Decision, ED2 is a binding agreement between you and the college you’re applying to. That means that if you are admitted, you’re committed to enroll at that institution. Upon learning of your ED2 admission, you must withdraw your applications from all of the other schools to which you applied. You will not have the chance to find out the decisions from those other schools or to compare financial aid packages. All of this means that you can apply to only one school under an Early Decision II plan.

When does it make sense to apply Early Decision II? 

Early Decision II is a good choice for students who have a clear #1 and #2 choice school. Let’s say you submit an application under ED1 to your top-choice school, but unfortunately, you are not admitted. At that point, your #2 school may become your new #1 school. If the school offers ED2, it’s a great way for you to show them how committed you are and that you really want to be a student on that campus– and you may get an admissions boost in the process. 

Important things to keep in mind with ED2:

While ED2 is a great way to show a school you are interested and committed to attending, it doesn’t always carry the same weight as Early Decision. So, if you’re really looking to increase your chances of being admitted, Early Decision typically offers more of a “boost” to students than ED2. Sometimes the ED2 pool of applicants is more competitive than other rounds of admission, so it may be a more selective round than ED1 or even Regular Decision in some instances. 

Thinking ED2 may be right for you? Here’s a partial list of colleges with Early Decision II:

American University

Babson College

Bates College

Boston College

Boston University

Bowdoin College

Brandeis University

Bucknell University

Carleton College

Case Western Reserve University

Colby College

Colgate University

Connecticut College

Davidson College

Denison University

Emory University

George Washington University

Grinnell College

Hamilton College

Harvey Mudd College

Haverford College

Johns Hopkins University

Lafayette College

Lehigh University

Macalester College

Middlebury College

Muhlenberg College

New York University

Northeastern University

Pitzer College

Pomona College

Rochester Institute of Technology

Rollins College

Santa Clara University

Sarah Lawrence College

Skidmore College

Southern Methodist University

Swarthmore College

Trinity College

Tufts University

Union College

University of Chicago

University of Miami

University of Richmond

University of Rochester

Vanderbilt University

Vassar College

Villanova University

Wake Forest University

Washington University in St. Louis

Wellesley College

Wesleyan College

Article by Expert Admissions / Application Process, College Process, Early Action, Early Decision, Early Decision II, High School Juniors, High School Seniors, Regular Decision Leave a Comment

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