Can anyone help me generate a list of selective (admission rate of, say, less than 20% or so) colleges that have non-binding EA programs with no rules for concurrent ED applications? Thanks very much!
Georgetown
MIT and Caltech
Georgetown requires that you not apply to another school ED1 when applying EA.
Uchicago
UofM
Colorado College
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. But if this year is the same as last year, you will be deferred unless you are a legacy. Not because your application is not good enough, but rather because they have so many applications that they cannot process them all by the stated EA decision date.
But if you are a deferred EA applicant you’ll still be likely to get your decision well in advance of the RD decision date. They trickle in. Oh, and 20% admit rate is only for out of state.
I can think of several universities that could be referred to in this way. There are a lot of states with names that begin with M.
UVa and UNC-Chapel Hill both have unrestricted EA programs, and are very selective for out-of-state students. Also Georgia Tech and Rose-Hulman if that’s how you roll (but maybe they’re not selective enough for you).
I believe Tulane offers both an EA and an ED option. Or it used to. This seems to be pretty popular in the South. There are others like Furman, Elon, Rhodes, Trinity (TX) – but these are all nowhere near 20% selective.
Notre Dame and Boston College have EA, but like Georgetown require that you not apply ED anywhere concurrently.
But if your question really is, “My kid is a stellar candidate who plans to apply ED to [Columbia/Penn/Brown]. Where else that’s similar can he or she apply EA concurrently so there’s a better chance that Christmas won’t be horrible?,” the answer is basically MIT, Chicago, Caltech, Michigan, Virginia, Carolina.
Tulane offers both EA and SCEA. The latter expresses a higher level of interest.
A number of State flagships have rolling admissions programs. For example, as of 4 years ago, my son was accepted to U. Pitt’s Honors Program in September. It was a standard application. Penn State also has rolling admissions that provides an acceptance to some students around October or November, and they have an excellent Honors College (I believe the Honors decisions come out in December or January?). The marginal students may have to wait additional months for a decision.
Note - UVa’s early application does not provide any preference in admissions, unlike many binding ED programs of other colleges. A number of UVa early applicants are deferred to the regular admissions cycle for a decision, particularly if the admissions staff wants to see December grades.
Of course, UofM always refers to the University of Micronesia.
Case and GTech as well. Full list here: http://collegelists.pbworks.com/w/page/55685614/US%20Schools%20with%20Early%20Action%20Decision%20Plans
Ideally EA would be used when you’ve found a school you like and want to get the paperwork done early (at least tentatively). It sounds like there’s an ED school in play … so start looking at a backup list that has more reasoning behind it than EA/selective.
Sometimes there are secret EA programs, for example my oldest got an invitation from RPI to apply and they would let him know if he was accepted 3 weeks after receiving his grades from first quarter senior year. I imagine it was being a National Merit Semifinalist (at that point) that triggered the invitation.
For UMich Ross pre-admit, it is below 20% even include in state students.
Harvard has REA. Nonbinding and you can apply to as many publics as you want EA, but no other privates.
Not super selective, but Villanova University outside of Philadelphia has completely unrestricted EA.
The OP specifically asked for those that don’t have an issue with concurrent ED apps.