Is Early Decision REALLY Binding?

It’s December, and that means Early Decision acceptances are starting to come in. And today we’re going to answer the question: Is Early Decision really binding? When you apply to colleges you’ll see a variety of deadlines including early deadlines that have things like Early Action, where you can apply to many colleges, or Early Decision, where you can only apply to one. And the reason is Early Decision is not just a request, “May I please be accepted to your college?” Early Decision is a binding commitment that if you are accepted, you will go there.
That’s why you, a parent, and your guidance counselor have to sign that if accepted, you will go.

But then the acceptance letter comes and you start thinking: “Well, is it really binding? Because I’m not in the same head space that I was back then when I applied.” So officially, there’s only one reason why you can break an Early Decision commitment and it’s if you can’t afford the college. Now, certainly it’s your responsibility to find out what the college costs before you send a binding commitment. That said, life happens. And if you had a parent lose their job since you submitted that application and you could afford it then, but you can’t afford it now, that’s a reason to break your Early Decision commitment.

Likewise, if you used the net price calculator before you applied that every college is legally required by the federal government to provide on their website, where you input things like your household income and assets and it spit out some numbers (here’s how much you can expect to get, here’s what you can expect your bill to be), and now that you’ve been accepted they’re not actually giving you the amount of money the website said, that’s another reason for you to break that Early Decision binding commitment.

That said, if you really want to go to that college and you just can’t afford it, listen, they really want you to go there and they may be willing to work with you. So if you reach out to them and explain your change of circumstance, or explain that the award letter you’ve received is not bringing it within the budget that you expected in good faith based on using their net price calculator before submitting your Early Decision application, they may blink and say: Okay, you know what? We’re going to make this work for you and we’re going to honor what the website says. We’re going to work with you in your change of circumstance. Here is your new award letter and now you can afford it. Please send your deposit because you’re coming.

What if you can afford it? Whether they meet your need or you just have the money and you just don’t want to go? Are they going to come break down your door? Are the cops going to come and arrest you? No. That said, you did make an agreement and you should live up to your agreements and you shouldn’t enter into agreements you don’t intend to live up to.

So if you’re a senior right now and you’ve applied Early Decision and you get accepted, you should go. It’s the right thing to do and it’s what you agreed you would do. Are there consequences in it for you? Probably not. But there are horror stories about colleges blacklisting whole high schools based on too many kids, or even just one, committing and then backing out after the guidance counselor signed that they were going to go. And you don’t want that to happen to the students behind you.

And if you’re a junior, a sophomore, a first year right now, and you’re thinking, should I apply Early Decision later? Really take it seriously and only apply Early Decision if you and your family are willing to commit to the terms of going there. If you have questions, call us at 732-556-8220. We are here to help.