Do I Apply Early Decision?
By ALYSSA PARSONS
Is it worth it to apply Early Decision? Take a look at this comparison of Early Decision vs. Regular Decision acceptance rates.
I’m sure this isn’t news to you, but college acceptance rates continue falling as the application pool gets increasingly competitive. I don’t say this to drive up your stress level, but because there is a secret weapon to help you get in to your dream school: Early Decision.
To illustrate the benefits of Early Decision, I’ve whipped up a chart that shows the advantage of applying early to top colleges.
What is Early Decision?
By applying Early Decision, you’re basically telling a school that you’re committed to attending.
When looking for a prom date, you’re not going to ask someone who won’t say yes. That would hurt your ego, right? In much the same way, top schools are actively competitive with each other to keep admission rates low, so they don’t want to extend an offer of admission to someone who won’t take them up on it.
If the admissions committee knows you will attend, they are more likely to accept you. Check out the table below – there are huge differences in acceptance rates for Early Decision and Early Action versus Regular Decision, up to 57%!
Early Decision vs Regular Decision Acceptance Rates
| Institution | Early Action Admission Rate | Early Decision Admission Rate | Regular Decision Admission Rate | Difference between Early vs. Regular Decision |
| American University | 84.50% | 26.60% | 57.90% | |
| Amherst College | 34.50% | 11.70% | 22.80% | |
| Babson College | 23.80% | 37.70% | 23.00% | 14.70% |
| Barnard College | 30.90% | 13.30% | 17.60% | |
| Bates College | 48.40% | 17.80% | 30.60% | |
| Boston College | 33.60% | 31.90% | 1.70% | |
| Boston University | 29.60% | 24.80% | 4.80% | |
| Bowdoin College | 28.30% | 11.60% | 16.70% | |
| Brandeis University | 41.00% | 33.70% | 7.30% | |
| Brown University | 21.00% | 7.10% | 13.90% | |
| Bryn Mawr College | 52.50% | 36.50% | 16.00% | |
| Bucknell University | 55.10% | 29.20% | 25.90% | |
| California Institute of Technology | 12.00% | 6.10% | 5.90% | |
| Carleton College | 29.70% | 20.00% | 9.70% | |
| Carnegie Mellon University | 25.00% | 22.00% | 3.00% | |
| Case Western Reserve University | 43.60% | 37.50% | 23.30% | 20.30% |
| Claremont McKenna College | 31.00% | 7.90% | 23.10% | |
| Colby College | 39.00% | 14.20% | 24.80% | |
| Colgate University | 43.90% | 26.40% | 17.50% | |
| College of the Holy Cross | 77.50% | 36.90% | 40.60% | |
| College of William and Mary | 51.90% | 34.70% | 17.20% | |
| Colorado College | 18.10% | 33.10% | 8.10% | 25.00% |
| Columbia University | 14.40% | 4.70% | 9.70% | |
| Connecticut College | 66.80% | 36.10% | 30.70% | |
| Cornell University | 25.80% | 11.00% | 14.80% | |
| Dartmouth College | 28.30% | 8.50% | 19.80% | |
| Davidson College | 44.60% | 16.70% | 27.90% | |
| Duke University | 24.70% | 8.10% | 16.60% | |
| Emory University | 27.40% | 21.40% | 6.00% | |
| Georgetown University | 17.90% | 14.40% | 3.50% | |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | 33.30% | 15.10% | 18.20% | |
| Hamilton College | 40.60% | 22.20% | 18.40% | |
| Harvard University | 14.30% | 3.40% | 10.90% | |
| Harvey Mudd College | 16.10% | 15.30% | 0.80% | |
| Haverford College | 42.00% | 17.70% | 24.30% | |
| Johns Hopkins University | 30.40% | 10.30% | 20.10% | |
| Kenyon College | 66.40% | 31.70% | 34.70% | |
| Lehigh University | 59.90% | 22.10% | 37.80% | |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 7.80% | 6.70% | 1.10% | |
| Middlebury College | 48.30% | 13.90% | 34.40% | |
| New York University | 34.20% | 26.70% | 7.50% | |
| Northeastern University | 37.90% | 27.30% | 10.60% | |
| Northwestern University | 26.90% | 7.20% | 19.70% | |
| Oberlin College | 48.70% | 32.70% | 16.00% | |
| Ohio State University | 62.40% | 29.10% | 33.30% | |
| Pitzer College | 30.30% | 12.00% | 18.30% | |
| Pomona College | 19.30% | 6.90% | 12.40% | |
| Princeton University | 15.40% | 4.70% | 10.70% | |
| Reed College | 57.40% | 34.40% | 23.00% | |
| Rice University | 20.50% | 15.40% | 5.10% | |
| Scripps College | 38.70% | 32.80% | 5.90% | |
| Sewanee: University of the South | 58.20% | 64.40% | 24.80% | 33.40% |
| Skidmore College | 54.80% | 22.50% | 32.30% | |
| Smith College | 54.50% | 29.40% | 25.10% | |
| Stanford University | 9.50% | 3.50% | 6.00% | |
| Swarthmore College | 27.90% | 9.30% | 18.60% | |
| Trinity College | 57.10% | 31.60% | 25.50% | |
| Trinity University | 66.00% | 38.10% | 27.90% | |
| Tufts University | 36.80% | 11.90% | 24.90% | |
| Tulane University | 32.10% | 35.90% | 2.70% | 33.20% |
| University of Miami | 50.40% | 63.80% | 24.40% | 39.40% |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 31.70% | 11.50% | 20.20% | |
| University of Notre Dame | 29.90% | 15.20% | 14.70% | |
| University of Pennsylvania | 22.00% | 7.00% | 15.00% | |
| University of Richmond | 49.40% | 31.80% | 17.60% | |
| University of Rochester | 50.80% | 34.30% | 16.50% | |
| University of Virginia | 28.90% | 25.50% | 3.40% | |
| Vanderbilt University | 24.00% | 9.20% | 14.80% | |
| Vassar College | 41.70% | 22.10% | 19.60% | |
| Wake Forest University | 44.20% | 24.80% | 19.40% | |
| Washington and Lee University | 46.30% | 19.10% | 27.20% | |
| Washington University | 38.30% | 14.60% | 23.70% | |
| Wellesley College | 34.70% | 20.30% | 14.40% | |
| Wesleyan University | 38.10% | 14.00% | 24.10% | |
| Williams College | 35.40% | 12.70% | 22.70% | |
| Yale University | 14.70% | 4.70% | 10.00% | |
- Data is from 2017 from https://www.collegetransitions.com/early-actiondecision-vs-regular-decision-admission-rates/
What is the difference between Early Decision and Early Action?
By applying Early Decision, you commit to a school. This is considered binding. You are promising that if you are accepted, you will attend that university.
A handful of schools like Harvard and MIT offer Early Action instead. Early Action is non-binding. Since you can only apply Early Action for one school, you are basically saying that you’re pretty sure it’s the school for you – which will net you a small advantage – but you’re allowed to change your mind. This approach means you can apply to different schools and compare financial aid packages. You still apply in early November and receive a decision in mid-December.
Deadlines
Early Decision and Early Action applications are due earlier – typically either November 1st or 15th, which means they’re right around the corner.
You will have to get your application ready earlier, but you will also find out the decision earlier, usually mid-December, which could save you from spending your senior spring stressing about your future.
Some schools, like Emory University and Fordham University, even have two Early Decision deadlines. This way, if you missed out on your top choice school, you can try again within the early decision period.
UNTIL EARLY DECISION APPLICATIONS ARE DUE
Ready to apply Early Decision?
If you know where you want to go, I’d recommend taking the plunge because it will help your odds.
But does finishing your application in a month send shivers of panic down your spine? We’ve written a guide that should get you started, or our advisors can help you through the entire college essay writing process or perfect your essay once you’re done.
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