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And yet, some students who have been accepted through an ED plan want to renege on their agreement later because events have transpired that cause them to regret their commitment. At that point they want to know 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 agreement that stipulates that you understand that you're committing to attend the institution if admitted. So, yes, it's binding. but not one that can subject you to civil liability.
Consider the agreement that you're asked to sign. A majority of the colleges that offer ED options do so under the?"Statement of Principles of Good Practice" of the National Association for College Admissions Counseling, which guides the institutional treatment of students. When you submit an ED application, what you're agreeing to do is clear. While pursuing admission under an ED plan, students may apply to other institutions under an Early Action plan, but they may submit only one ED application. If an ED applicant is not admitted, but deferred to the Regular Decisions cycle, they're immediately released from the ED agreement and are free to accept any other colleges' offer of admission.
There are changes in a student's circumstances that will induce a college to release him or her from their ED commitment. Before we review these circumstances, you should know that when a student backs out of ED agreement without cause, it raises questions about the student's ethics that could impact decisions elsewhere. Some guidance counselors and colleges take steps to discourage reneging on ED agreements. For example:
If an admissions office finds out that a student has applied to their institution and another via ED, they'll contact the other school. The student risks being denied consideration by both schools.
A cooperative ED plan is operated by five Ivy League schools: Brown, Penn, Columbia, Cornell, and Dartmouth. If an ED applicant is admitted to one of them, they must honor?their agreement or be ineligible for admission to any of the others. Harvard, Yale, and Princeton share a similar plan.
Many guidance counselors place a hold on sending transcripts, letters of recommendation, and other admissions materials on behalf of students who have applied via ED until the decision is known. This step is taken because a guidance counselor's credibility with admissions officials is at stake.
A group of 30 liberal arts colleges share lists of students admitted to each of them via ED so that the others don't unwittingly admit them. They also share the names of students who were admitted via ED but were released from their commitments.
Admissions officials sometimes discover from a guidance counselor that a student has submitted two or more ED applications. Counselors will warn students ahead of time of the impropriety of submitting multiple ED applications and, if the student persists, will contact the affected colleges, both of which will terminate consideration of the applicant.
Legitimate Reasons for Backing Out of an Early Decision
As noted above, there are a number of legitimate reasons why a college will release an applicant from an ED commitment without any negative repercussions. Below are a few common examples:
Necessary financial aid from the college didn't develop as originally planned.
A parent or other family member has died or fallen ill and enrollment at a college is no longer feasible or desirable.
A family business or a parent's career has suffered a setback.
The student has suffered a serious health issue.
An ED agreement is a serious undertaking, often among the first formal commitments you'll make in your lifetime. You should make a good faith effort to stick to it. I can help you understand the commitment you're making. More importantly, your decision will be part of a sound admissions strategy that we co-develop with you to help ensure the success of your college admissions campaign.
Reach the reporter at:
Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA