Happy1: Each year, scores of students don’t show up at universities. When my brother started at Harvard, there were about a dozen “no shows”. The joke was they all went to Stanford. Only Early Decision students are “obligated” to withdraw other offers, but that is not a contractual obligation but an ethical one.
Have you ever read the ED agreement excanuckguy? Oncve the student is accepted and receives their FA offr, they have agreed to withdraw all other applications. If they do not honor their agreement, it can have n a negative impact on their high school in future years if they and by association, their counselor, do not follow the agreement… http://admissions.duke.edu/images/uploads/process/ED_agreement.pdf
@jym626, In the legal sense of the word, @excanuck99 is right that the ED agreement is not a “contract.”
In that sense, it is only an ethical obligation. http://www.petersons.com/college-search/ask-experts-early-decision.aspx