<p>How do the schools have all the power?</p>
<p>If you didn’t want to apply ED you didn’t have to. You chose to get the advantages of an ED application in exchange for giving up choice and allowing the school to share the list. </p>
<p>This is the agreement you and your parents signed when you applied ED.</p>
<p>To make a legally binding contract you have:
offer (special consideration as an ED condidate)
Acceptance (you and your parents signature)
Consideration (waiving the right to apply to other school).</p>
<p>The only argument against it being legally binding is your (possible) status as a minor. No they cannot force you to attend the school, but they could force you to pay for registation fees etc if they wanted to.</p>
<p>No school is going to go that far, what they have told you they will do is tell other schools you might apply to. This is what you agreed to. Plain and Simple.</p>
<p>If I agree to lend you money with your car as collateral, am I being punative for taking your car when you decide not to pay me back? NO - I am simply forcing you to live up to your end of the bargain.</p>
<p>Same thing here. You have a choice - enroll in the school or don’t. If you don’t the cost is that the school shares your info. This is the price you chose to pay.</p>