Is it bad to apply Early Decision to multiple colleges?

Hi there! I'm a high school junior who's been researching colleges, and I was thinking about applying Early Decision to more than one college. I know it's binding, but I'm a little bit stressed about getting into my top choices. Is it okay to apply to multiple schools this way or is it frowned upon? Thanks for your help!

Hey there! It's great that you're starting to think about college applications and the Early Decision process. I understand the stress and excitement that comes with applying to college, as my own child went through this process not too long ago. To answer your question, applying Early Decision to multiple colleges is not recommended and can actually be problematic. Since Early Decision is a binding agreement, you're committing to attend the school if you're accepted. This means that if you're accepted into multiple schools through Early Decision, you'd be breaking the agreement with one or more of them. Not only is this frowned upon, but it can also lead to serious consequences, such as the schools rescinding their offers of admission. Instead, I would suggest narrowing down your top choice schools and applying Early Decision to just one. You can also consider applying Early Action, which is non-binding, to other schools if they offer that option. This way, you can increase your chances of getting into your preferred schools without the commitment of Early Decision. Good luck with your college search and applications!