What happens if you back out of early decision?

Early decision is binding, which means if you applied and were accepted, you’re expected to attend. But early decision applications aren’t legal contracts. If you can’t or don’t want to attend, you can back out. However, unless you have an acceptable reason, you could face some consequences. In this guide, we highlight the potential pitfalls of not attending your early decision school and how you can navigate them.

What is early decision?

Early decision is an early college application cycle. Students typically submit applications by November 1 or 15, and receive answers by mid-December. Some schools also have early decision II, with a January 1 due date.

Unlike other types of applications, early decision is a binding agreement. You can only apply to a single school under early decision. If you’re accepted, you’re expected to attend the following fall.

While you shouldn’t take an early decision application lightly, there are some benefits:

• You might get your applications out of the way faster.
• You’ll receive an answer early and potentially relieve the stress of waiting for acceptance letters in the spring.
• You show the school you’re serious about attending.
• Many colleges have higher acceptance rates during early decision and early action.

Can you get out of early decision?

Yes, you can get out of early decision, and you technically don’t need a good excuse. While the agreement is binding, it’s not a legal agreement. You won’t be forced to attend the college if you don’t want to or if you can’t afford it.

However, if you don’t have a good reason for backing out of the agreement, you could be hit with some serious consequences and penalties.

What happens if you back out of early decision?

The penalties for backing out of early decision depend on your situation and the college. You could face no consequences, or it could impact your ability to attend other schools.

Nothing – if you back out with good reason

If you have a good reason for backing out of an early decision offer from a college, the school will often let you leave without penalty.

Most students back out if they discover they can’t afford the cost of attendance, which colleges typically consider an acceptable reason. To avoid this situation, apply to scholarships and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible.

Other commonly accepted reasons include a sick parent or family member, serious health issue, accident, or similar.

There may be consequences if you don’t have “good” reason

Failing to enroll in your early decision school without a “good” reason can result in some consequences. “Bad” reasons include you don’t like the college anymore or you received an acceptance letter to another school you prefer.

Schools’ early decision policies vary. While some colleges will let students off the hook if they explain the college just isn’t for them, others don’t.

You’ll never be forced to attend, but here are some consequences you might face if you back out of your early decision school:

• The college contacts your high school. Backing out could jeopardize other students' acceptance chances at that particular college, as it damages relationships between the college and high school. In some cases, your academic advisor might notify other colleges about your decision, affecting your acceptance chances.
• You can’t get official transcripts. Some high schools won’t send your transcripts to additional colleges if they know you’ve been accepted to your early decision choice, making it difficult to apply to other institutions.
• Other colleges could rescind offers. If you applied to more than one school under early decision, both schools could rescind acceptance orders if they find out. Colleges can and do share applicant lists. Some institutions even notify your early action or regular decision schools of your broken agreement.
• You lose your deposit. If you’ve already paid your deposit to the college, you likely won’t get it back.

What should you do if you can no longer attend your early decision school?

If you find you can’t (or don’t want to) attend your early decision school, you need to do two things:

Contact the college

Contact your early decision college’s admission department as soon as possible. The sooner you let them know, the more they’ll be able to work with you. The next steps depend on the school’s policies. If the college hasn’t sent out early decision acceptance letters yet, they may allow you to change your application to regular decision or early action.

Never back out of your early decision school without notifying them as it could result in paying fees. In addition, other students want to attend. If you don’t let the college know you’re not attending, they can’t open that spot up for others.

Apply to other colleges

If you’re still planning to attend college in the fall, you need to apply to other schools.

Regular decision applications are typically due on January 1. If you backed out of your early decision college quickly, you still have time to get these in.

There are also hundreds of colleges that have rolling admissions, meaning they accept applications year-round. If you apply later in the academic year, you’ll start in spring or the following fall. However, many have priority deadlines – you’re more likely to receive an acceptance letter and financial aid offer the earlier you apply.

Common early decision agreement language

Before applying under early decision, always read the agreement to better understand the terms and potential consequences. Reading over agreements and contracts is a good habit to get into in general! Application language varies between schools.

For example, here are some common lines you might see on early decision applications, including on the Common App:

• "Given that Early Decision is a binding application, you may not apply to other colleges under their binding plans."
• "If you are accepted under Early Decision, you must withdraw all other university applications and initiate no new applications."
• "Students admitted under the Early Decision option may be released from this binding commitment only in cases of documented financial hardship".
• "All admitted Early Decision applicants, those deferred to Regular Decision, and Regular Decision applicants should submit a Mid-Year report."

If you have questions about the legal language, definitely ask your parents or reach out to the school directly for further clarification.

If you’re accepted to your early decision college and want or need to back out, talk to your school as soon as you can. You can also read about its policies so you can be better prepared for the next steps.

Find out your admission chances if you’re thinking about applying to a school under early decision. The College Match tool helps you identify the best colleges for you and your acceptance odds.

Head over to the Student Hub for more tips on applying to—and getting into—your dream school.