As many of you have submitted your college applications for the 2023-2024 college admissions season, it’s important to update your calendar and check your inbox regularly for interview invitations.
You probably already know which schools on your list offer admissions interviews and whether the interview helps you demonstrate your interest in attending those colleges. Continue reading
When it comes to college admissions, understanding the various application deadlines is essential. Three popular options that students often consider are Early Decision (ED), Early Action (EA), and Single Choice Early Action (SCEA). Each of these deadlines comes with its own set of advantages and considerations.
Early Decision is a binding commitment to attend a specific college or university if admitted. It typically has a deadline in November, with admission decisions released in December. ED is an excellent choice if you have a clear first-choice school and are certain about attending, as it can boost your chances of acceptance. However, it’s crucial to be aware that you must withdraw all other college applications if you are accepted through ED. This option may not be suitable if you wish to compare financial aid packages from different schools.
Early Action is a non-binding option with a similar application deadline to ED in November, but it allows you to apply to multiple schools. You’ll receive your admissions decision in December or January, and you’re not obligated to attend the school if accepted. EA is an excellent choice for students who want to demonstrate their enthusiasm for a school and potentially receive early acceptance while keeping their options open. It also offers more time to compare financial aid offers.
SCEA, sometimes known as Restrictive Early Action, is a hybrid option. Like EA, it’s non-binding, but you can only apply to one school using SCEA. The application deadline and decision release dates are the same as EA. SCEA is ideal if you have a clear top choice, but you want to keep your options open at other institutions. It offers the best of both worlds, allowing you to apply early to your preferred school while maintaining flexibility.
When deciding which early admission option to pursue, consider your academic and personal preferences, your level of commitment to a particular school, and your financial situation. It’s also crucial to review the policies and requirements of each school, as they may vary. Keep in mind that not all colleges offer these early admission options, so research your chosen institutions carefully. Team Insight has compiled a short list of popular colleges and their admissions options and deadlines. This chart was last updated in September 2023.
Read more: Applying Early – Insights to Optimize Your College Admissions Strategy
In conclusion, understanding the differences between Early Decision, Early Action, and Single Choice Early Action can help you make an informed decision about your college application strategy. These options can provide a competitive advantage and potentially relieve some of the stress associated with the regular application process. Ultimately, the key is to choose the approach that aligns best with your goals and circumstances.
In the 2022-2023 admissions cycle, University of Southern California (USC) offered the Early Action option for the first time. Earlier in 2023, USC admitted 2,400 students from a pool of 40,600 applicants. That’s a 6% acceptance rate! You may wonder if early action and early decision can still be your best options to get into your top choice schools.
We designed this webinar just for you, rising seniors and families! Our college admissions expert will analyze the early admissions trends, processes, and limitations. Whether you’re planning to apply early decision, early action, or regular admission, this event is a must for anyone looking to maximize their chances in college admissions.
Date/Time: Tuesday, March 21 from 4:00pm – 5:00pm (Pacific)
Location: Online via Zoom
RSVP for your FREE tickets now
Zach Pava – Senior College Admissions Counselor
Zach is the lead counselor and head of Insight’s Boston office. He also works with students from other parts of the US remotely. He graduated from Trinity College in Hartford with a B.S. in Psychology. Zach’s background in psychology and managerial experience has allowed him to assess the specific needs of other people. No two students are exactly alike, as each brings his or her own unique personality, talents, and goals to the admissions process.
Can’t wait until the event to meet with us? Contact us today and schedule your 1-hour personalized college planning session!
We are looking forward to meeting you!
Team Insight
As college admissions get more and more competitive, you and your teen will want to boost your chance to get into your top-choice colleges. Beyond putting together a balanced college list and the best quality college applications, WHEN you submit your application can also be an important factor.
Early action (EA) and early decision (ED) have become increasingly popular with high school students as they strategize for admissions. Learn from Team Insight’s 120 years of combined College Admissions experience as we analyze the latest early admissions trends and results.
Date/Time: Tuesday, February 28 from 6:00pm – 7:00pm (Pacific)
Location: Online via Zoom
RSVP for your FREE tickets now
Ajit Jain – Co-Founder of Insight Education
Ajit has a BASc in Civil Engineering from the University of Toronto and an MBA from Stanford School of Business. After his career with McKinsey and Co., he spent more than 20 years as a College Admissions Counselor and worked with hundreds of students. Currently, Ajit’s role focuses more on operation and management as he continuously grows Team Insight, in number and in talent, and trains new counselors.
Can’t wait until the event to meet with us? Contact us today and schedule your 1-hour personalized college planning session!
We are looking forward to meeting you!
Team Insight
If you submitted your college application early back in October or November, late December and early January is usually a very exciting time for you as you are starting to hear back your early admissions results.
Not sure when will you know your early decision or early action results? Check out Class of 2027 Early Decision / Early Action Notification Dates.
There are three possible results that can happen: accepted, deferred, or denied. In this article, Insight’s Head of College Admissions Counseling Purvi Mody shares what each admissions decision can mean for you and what you can do!
(More of an audio learner? Check out Purvi’s YouTube video here.)
Congratulations! You may have one or several colleges to attend in Fall 2023. Whether or not you have to accept the school’s offer depends on the early admissions plan you chose when you applied. If you applied for early decision (ED), it is binding and means you are bound to attend that university. In other words, now that you are accepted in the ED round, you can celebrate! You are done. Don’t forget to withdraw all your other college applications, turn down any other offers, and get your new college swags!
Binding or nonbinding? Early Decision vs. Early Action – Which to Choose?
If you are accepted into your dream schools, congratulations! That is amazing news, and you have accomplished a huge feat. This does NOT mean you can just party all the way till Fall. What this means is that now you can enjoy your senior year of high school. Spend time with your friends and family (especially if you are going far to college). Make the most of it while keeping up your academics.
Why can’t you just take things easy? First, you don’t want colleges to rescind your offers. Your grades will have to drop significantly for colleges to take back the offers, but the chance is never zero. The other reason (possibly the more important one) is that you are going to be a college student in a few months. Odds are that you are going to a college filled with brilliant, smart cookies like yourself. You want to keep up the rigor, the stamina, and the work ethic, so that when you start college, you are already used to the pace. If you start to take things too easy now, then you will have to work extra hard to level back up when you start college.
Keep working hard and finish your senior year strong! The beautiful thing is that now you are studying just for yourself. I hope you are always working hard for yourself, but admittedly, I know that college admissions are always in the back of our minds. Now, with your early acceptance, you are truly 100% doing this for yourself. So please keep up your rigor and continue to work hard for you!
Whether you chose early decision, early action, or restrictive/single-choice early action, if you are deferred from the early admissions round, all that means is the colleges want to view your application in the context of their regular applicant pool. It is not a rejection. The college admissions office still finds you interesting and your college application compelling. In some cases, the admissions office wants more information before they can make a decision.
If you are deferred, continue to work on other college applications and apply during the regular decision deadlines. If you applied ED but were deferred and then later accepted in the regular round, you are no longer bound by the ED agreement. In short, if you are deferred and then accepted, you don’t have to attend that school. You are free to choose other colleges that offer a better financial package or a more appealing program.
What if you REALLY REALLY want to go to this college but got deferred; what should you do? Remember, you submitted your application back in October or early November. Now you have accomplished new things, such as your first semester’s grades, new activity achievements, or new responsibilities. Many colleges will allow you to submit an update or a letter of continued interest (LoCI). Some universities will have very specific forms that you need to fill out while others treat LoCI as optional. Be sure to check each school’s requirements carefully, so you continue to make a good impression.
Keep in mind that you are now competing with applicants in the regular round, and they will have at least six more weeks’ worth of information that they are submitting. You want to make sure you’re doing the same in your letter of continued interest. The information you want to include in your letter of continued interest could be
1. academic performance (without restating info from your mid-year report)
2. extracurricular activities (without repeating what is already on your application)
3. new hobbies or responsibilities
4. and any new achievements or awards
Finally, a few more key notes on the letter of continued interest:
1. Keep it short and succinct. Ideally, your LoCI should not exceed one page.
2. Check the university’s policy. Will they accept a LoCI? What should the format be? Follow those policies closely!
3. Spend some time working on it, just like you would on your college essays.
4. Send in ONLY ONE thorough update. Do not repeat information that is already in your mid-year report or college applications.
5. Make sure you send it at an appropriate time. Usually, this is mid-January, though different colleges have different specifications.
Read more on Writing A Letter of Continued Interest
If you are denied in the early round, that college application is completed for this year. The college does not want any additional information, and you cannot appeal that decision. You also can no longer apply for the same college this admissions cycle.
Sometimes a student may ask, “If I am denied in the early admissions round, can I apply to the same college in the regular deadline?” No. In one admission year, you can only apply to one time to a given school.
This is not the end of the world. This does not mean you are not hardworking or driven. It does not mean your college application was terrible. There are many, many great schools out there, and we hope that some of those colleges made it into your college list. In this case, you should focus on other colleges, polish your college essays, and perhaps submit additional college applications.
Those are the three early admissions results and what you should do in each case. The determining factor is your early admissions option. If you apply early action or restrictive early action, the result is not binding. You can still consider other offers as they come in. Though, I will say this final piece of advice: if you are accepted early into a college you’re definitely going to attend, stop applying. Give other applicants the spot. Alleviate yourself from the stress and time. Focus on making the most of your senior year!
If you are a sophomore or a junior planning ahead, don’t wait! Early application requires careful strategizing and early planning. Contact us today and schedule a 1-hour personalized college planning session with our experienced college admissions counselor to see how you can maximize your admissions chance!
This article was written by Insight’s Co-Founder and Head of Counseling Purvi Mody.
Since 1998, Purvi has dedicated her career to education and is exceedingly well-versed in the college admissions process. Her philosophy centers around helping kids identify and apply to the schools that are the best fit for them and then develop applications that emphasize their unique attributes and talents.
For many of you, your college applications are almost completed (and there is light at the end of the tunnel, we promise). The next big item coming up is early admissions decisions!
The college admissions landscape continues to surprise us this year. The new, digital SAT will be implemented in Spring 2024, and some schools, such as MIT, terminate their test-optional admissions policy. With USC offering its first Early Action admissions option and CalTech moving to a new Restricted Early Action plan, notification dates for early admissions results seem more important than ever!
For 23 years, Insight Education is committed to helping high school students and families to navigate the college admissions process, and that includes understanding your concerns and providing a tailored strategy for you. Here are the top 3 common questions surrounding ED/EA, and you can always reach out to your Insight Counselor or contact us to find out more!
Q: What do I need to do between now and the decision time?
A: Check your portal regularly! Set up a weekly reminder and commit to checking your email and college portal. Some schools may require you to send in your progress report for the current school year.
Q: What does my result mean? Can I do anything if I am deferred?
A: To understand your result, check out our article “Accepted, Deferred, or Denied: Understand Early Admissions Results.” If you are deferred from your dream school, don’t worry! You’re not out of the race yet. The school wants to compare you to their regular applicant pool OR they simply need more details from you. To learn more about that, visit The Importance of Writing A Letter of Continued Interest
Q: What do I do about ED II if my ED I decision won’t come back until January?
A: You can still apply to ED II. When ED I notifies your acceptance, you can withdraw your application from ED II school.
Q: What do I do if my current progress report is not as good?
A: If you are improving but your progress report doesn’t show it, ask your school counselor to make a note on your progress report before you send it to your ED school.
Here are early admissions decision notification dates for the upcoming Class of 2027. Please check back regularly for updated dates and times as we gather the most updated information – especially for those without specific dates and times or those labeled “TBD.”
Last Updated: January 9, 2023
School |
Early Decision I Notification Date |
Early Action Notification Date |
Early Decision II Notification Date |
Early Action II Notification Date |
| American University | December 16 | February 15 | ||
| Amherst College | December 9 @ 6:21pm ET | |||
| Babson College | December 14 | December 16 | Mid-February | |
| Barnard College | December 14 @6:30pm ET | |||
| Bates College | December 20 | February 15 | ||
| Baylor University | December 5 | January 15 | March 1 | |
| Bentley University | Late December | Early February | ||
| Boston College | December 6 | February 15 | ||
| Boston University | December 13 | February 15 | ||
| Bowdoin College | December 9 | Mid-February | ||
| Brandeis University | December 15 | February 1 | ||
| Brown University | December 20 @ 7pm ET | |||
| Bryn Mawr College | December 16 @ 5pm ET | ED2: TBA | ||
| Bucknell University | December 14 | Mid-February | ||
| Cal Tech | December 10 @ 8:06am PT | |||
| Carleton College | December 15 | |||
| Carnegie Mellon University | February 1 | |||
| Case Western University | December 5 | December 21 | Beginning January 9 | |
| Chapman University | December 16 | Late December, rolling through early February | ||
| Clark University | Late December | Mid-January | Early February | |
| Claremont McKenna College | December 15 | February 15 | ||
| Clemson University | December 1 | |||
| Colby University | On and before December 15 | On and before February 15 | ||
| Colgate University | Mid-December | Mid-February | ||
| Columbia University | December 15 @ 7pm ET | |||
| Cooper Union | ||||
| Cornell University | ||||
| Dartmouth College | December 16 @ 3pm ET | |||
| Davidson College | December 15 @ 9pm ET | February 1 | ||
| Drexel University | Mid-December | Mid-December | ||
| Duke University | December 17 @ 2pm ET | |||
| Elon University | December 1 | December 20 | ||
| Emerson College | Mid-December | Mid-December | Early February | |
| Emory University | December 15 after 6pm ET | February 15 | ||
| Fordham University | December 20 | December 20 | ||
| George Mason University | December 15 | |||
| George Washington University | December 15 | Late-February | ||
| Georgetown University | December 15 | |||
| Georgia Tech |
December 9 (for Georgia students) |
Late January (for Non-Georgia students) | ||
| Hamilton College | December 15 | February 15 | ||
| Harvard University | REA: December 15 at 7pm ET | |||
| Harvey Mudd | December 15 | February 15 | ||
| Haverford College | December 10 | Early February | ||
| Hofstra University | January 15 | |||
| Indiana University Bloomington | January 15 | |||
| Johns Hopkins University | December 16 | February 17 | ||
| Lafayette College | December 15 @ 4pm ET | February 15 | ||
| Lehigh University | December 9 | Mid-February | ||
| MIT | December 17 @ 12:17pm ET | |||
| Middlebury College | Mid-December | Mid-February | ||
| Mount Holyoke College | Late December | Late January | ||
| New York University (NYU) | December 15 | February 15 | ||
| Northeastern University | December 8 | February 1 | March 1 | |
| Northwestern University | December 16 | |||
| Oberlin College | December 15 | February 1 | ||
| Occidental College | December 15 | February 20 | ||
| The Ohio State University | Late January | |||
| University of Oregon |
(some Insight students already heard the great news) |
|||
| Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) |
(some Insight students already heard the great news) |
|||
| Pomona College | December 15 @ 5pm PT | February 15 | ||
| Princeton University | Single Choice Early Action (SCEA) Decision Notification: December 15 at 7pm ET |
|||
| Purdue University | January 15 | |||
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | December 10 | January 28 | January 14 | |
| Rice University | December 14 after 5pm CT | |||
| Rutgers University | January 31 | |||
| Santa Clara University | Late December | Late December | Mid-February | |
| Stanford University | REA: December 16 @ 4pm PT | |||
| Suffolk University | Late December | |||
| Swarthmore College | December 13 at 7pm ET | |||
| Syracuse University | Late December rolling through January |
|
||
| Temple University |
(Some Insight students already heard the good news) |
Mid-February | ||
| Trinity College | December 15 | Mid-February | ||
| Tufts University | December 13 at 7pm ET | Mid-February | ||
| Tulane University | December 1 at 4pm CT | January 15 | January 31 | |
| University of Chicago | December 21 | December 21 | Mid-February | |
| University of Georgia | November 18 at 4pm ET | |||
| University of Illinois at Chicago | December 1 | |||
| University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) | January 27 | |||
| University of Massachusettes | Late January | |||
| University of Miami | December 9 | Late January | Late February | |
| University of Michigan | Late January | |||
| University of Minnesota |
(Including engineering. Some Insight students already heard the good news!) |
February 15 | ||
| University of North Carolina (UNC) | January 31 | |||
| University of Notre Dame |
Restrictive Early Action decisions released in December 16 @ 6:42pm ET |
|||
| University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) | December 15 @ 7pm ET | |||
| University of Richmond | December 9 | January 25 | February 15 | |
| University of Rochester | Mid-December | Early-February | ||
| University of San Francisco | Mid-December | Late January | ||
| University of South California (USC) | January 20 | |||
| University of South Carolina | December 14 | |||
| University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) | February 1 | |||
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | On or before January 31 | |||
| University of Vermont | December 20 | December 20 | ||
| University of Virginia | December 13 at 5pm ET | February 15 | ||
| Vanderbilt University | December 14 @ 5:30pm CT | |||
| Villanova University | December 14 @ 5pm ET | January 20 | February 15 | |
| Virginia Tech | December 9 at 5pm ET | Late February | ||
| Washington & Lee University | December 16 @ 8pm ET | Late January | ||
| Washington University in St. Louis (Wustl) | December 13 | February 17 | ||
| Wellesley College | December 10 | Mid-February | ||
| Wesleyan University | December 10 | Mid-February | ||
| William & Mary | December 9 | Early February | ||
| Williams College | December 9 | |||
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute | December 13 | January 15 | February 15 | March 1 |
| Yale University | Single choice early action decisions will be available in December 15 after 5pm ET |
Over the past few years, all of us at Team Insight are noticing more and more families want to know if early admission option can increase their chance of acceptance. While early admissions may have a higher acceptance rate, it’s important to understand your options and weigh the restrictions before you send in your application!
Most of you probably know about early actions (EA) and early decisions (ED). If you are uncertain, you can learn more about them in our article “Early Decision vs. Early Action.” In addition to early decisions and early actions, we will also explain restrictive early actions (REA) and single-choice early actions (SCEA) and provide insights on Early Decision 2 (ED2).
If you look at any of the admissions statistics, you may be shocked at how high the acceptance rates are compared to regular decisions. Before you jump in and apply ED, note there is a catch. Early decision is binding. You can apply ED to only ONE college, and if you are accepted, you must withdraw all your applications to other universities. Essentially, when you apply ED to a school, you are signing a contract telling this school, “You’re my number one choice, and I will absolutely attend if I am accepted.”
Should you do that for your dream school? The answer is “it depends.” ED doesn’t mean less competitive; it may even be more competitive because it is a self-selecting process. Everyone who applies ED to UPenn is highly qualified, not to mention they are well-motivated to plan and start their application process early. If you are confident that you can finalize a high-quality college application by the typical November ED deadline, ED may be an option for you.
The other consideration is financial aid. Once again, when you apply early decision, you are signaling to the college that you will attend no matter what. This means colleges are less likely to offer you scholarships or financial aid. Therefore, if you are counting on financial help, then early decision may not be the right option.
Read more: Think it Through: Early Decision
This is a relatively new admissions option, and not all colleges offer this. You follow the same rule as ED1. For many schools, ED2 deadline is slightly before or the same as regular decision. Why would you choose the ED2 option then? The main reason you’d apply ED2 is that you were deferred or rejected from your ED1 college.
Like ED1, your ED2 school is a college that you are excited to attend. Although early decision 2 admissions rate is not as high as early decision 1 acceptance rate, it can still provide you with a boost because of the binding policy.
A word of caution for ED2: some universities (for example, Santa Clara University) offer both early action and early decision 2. You cannot switch from early action to early decision 2. That’s why ED2 options need to be factored in early during the admissions process rather than treated like a backup option. If you are not sure which of your top-choice colleges offer ED2 or how to use it to your advantage, reach out to your Insight Counselor!
Have quesitons about applying early? Talk to one of our Counselors today!
The deadlines for early action are typically November 1st or November 15th. For some schools and majors, you may need to submit your application as early as mid-October. When you apply EA, you can apply to as many schools as you want. A word of caution, some colleges offer EA programs, but the admissions process is closer to restricted early action, which we will get to in the next section.
What’s the benefit of submitting your applications early? In addition to getting a big to-do item checked off before your high school finals, you also hear about the admissions results earlier. You may find out in December or January whether you get to attend your top-choice school, and who wouldn’t like that as a Christmas present?
The other advantage is you have time on your side to strategize (or relax) since you won’t have to commit to a college until May 1st. This gives you time to apply to more schools, compare financial aid options, and visit more campuses. Since early action is non-binding, you can choose what you like the most.
This is where things get a bit more complicated. Whether you see restrictive early action or single-choice early action, please note that REA and SCEA are interchangeable. Ultimately, it’s up to the admissions office’s restrictions, so always remember to read the college admissions website carefully. When in doubt, talk to your Insight Counselor!
There are two different types of restrictive early action, and we will explain both with examples. The first type of REA limits perspective students from applying ED to any universities, nor can they apply EA to any private colleges. The colleges that adopt this type of REA are Stanford, Harvard, Princeton, CalTech, and Yale (on Yale’s admissions site, this is known as the single-choice early action). This means if you are applying early to Princeton, you cannot apply EA to USC, but you can still apply EA to University of Michigan.
USC now words their early action deadline differently, so you may still be able to apply to restrictive early action to some of the examples listed above. Wonder how this might work? Schedule a personalized college admission strategy session with an Insight counselor today!
The second type of REA does not limit the type (private or public) of EA schools you can apply to. Georgetown is a good example. On the admissions page, Georgetown classifies its program as early action, but their description of their EA program outlines the restriction. If you apply early to Georgetown, you can still apply EA to both USC and UMich, but you cannot apply to any early decision programs.
While it may be confusing on what you can or cannot apply, the restrictions end at the early admissions round. Both REA and SCEA are non-binding. Thus, you can still apply to other schools during regular decision deadlines, and you can enroll in the college that you like the most.
While you may use early admissions to increase your chance in getting into your dream schools, it’s still important to have a strong college application that tells a powerful personal narrative. Ultimately, it’s up to you. How thoughtful you are in putting together your college list. Have you talked to your parents about financial aid? Did you send your application to your Insight Counselor for review yet? Are you following up with teachers who can be strong recommenders? Have you been working on your college essays? Are you scheduling time every week to focus on your application and essays? These are all actions you can take to ensure you have the best chance of maximizing your college admissions acceptance rate. If you need help or additional clarification, don’t hesitate to email us at info@insight-education.net and let our team of experienced college admissions counselors help you!
This article was created from an interview with Insight’s Co-Founder and Head of Counseling Purvi Mody.
Since 1998, Purvi has dedicated her career to education and is exceedingly well versed in the college admissions process. Her philosophy centers around helping kids identify and apply to the schools that are the best fit for them and then develop applications that emphasize their unique attributes and talents.
For many of you, your college admissions season is almost wrapped up (and there is light at the end of the tunnel, we promise). The next big item coming up is early admissions decisions!
The effect of COVID-19 continues to impact college admissions this year. Many universities and colleges have extended the test-optional admissions policy due to SAT/ACT cancellation. While some colleges resume in-person campus tours, many universities continue to offer virtual information sessions and admissions interviews. In the Common App‘s optional essay section, students will have a chance to discuss how the pandemic affects their lives. One thing remains true: both students and parents are eager to know the admissions decisions!
For 22 years, Insight Education is committed to helping high school students and families to navigate the college admissions process, and that includes understanding your concerns and providing a tailored strategy for you. Here are the top 3 common questions surrounding ED/EA, and you can always reach out to your Insight Counselor or contact us to find out more!
Q: What do I need to do between now and the decision time?
A: Check your portal regularly! Set up a weekly reminder and commit to checking your email and college portal. Some schools may require you to send in your progress report for the current school year.
Q: What do I do about ED II if my ED I decision won’t come back until January?
A: You can still apply to ED II. When ED I notifies your acceptance, you can withdraw your application from ED II school.
Q: What do I do if my current progress report is not as good?
A: If you are improving but your progress report doesn’t show it, ask your school counselor to make a note on your progress report before you send it to your ED school.
Here are early admissions decision notification dates for the upcoming Class of 2026. Please check back regularly for updated dates and times as we gather the most updated information – especially for those without specific dates and times or those labeled “TBD.”
Last Updated: December 13, 2021
School |
Early Decision I Notification Date |
Early Action Notification Date |
Early Decision II Notification Date |
| American University | December 31 | February 15 | |
| Amherst College | Early to Mid-December | ||
| Babson College | Mid-December | January 1 | Mid-February |
| Barnard College | Mid-December | ||
| Bates College | December 11 | February 15 | |
| Baylor University | December 15 | January 15 | March 1 |
| Bentley University | January 20 | February 20 | |
| Boston College | December 2 | February 15 | |
| Boston University | December 15 | February 15 | |
| Bowdoin College | Mid-December | Mid-February | |
| Brandeis University | December 15 | February 1 | |
| Brown University | December 16 | ||
| Cal Tech | Mid-December | ||
| Carleton College | December 15 | ||
| Carnegie Mellon University | February 1 | ||
| Case Western University | December 4 | December 21 | Beginning January 9 |
| Chapman University | December 15 | December 15 | |
| Clark University | Late December | Mid-January | Early February |
| Clemson University | Mid-February | ||
| Colgate University | Mid-December | Late February | |
| Columbia University | Mid-December | ||
| Cooper Union | |||
| Cornell University | |||
| Dartmouth College | Mid-December | ||
| Davidson College | December 15 | February 1 | |
| Duke University | December 16 | ||
| Elon University | December 1 | December 20 | |
| Emerson College | Mid-December | Mid-December | February 1 |
| Emory University | December 15 @6pm ET | February 15 | |
| Fordham University | December 20 | December 20 | |
| George Mason University | December 15 | ||
| George Washington University | December 13 @9am EST | Late-February | |
| Georgetown University | December 13 @7pm EST | ||
| Georgia Tech | January 29 | ||
| Hamilton College | December 15 | February 15 | |
| Harvard University | Mid-December | ||
| Harvey Mudd | December 15 | February 10 | |
| Haverford College | December 10 | February 15 | |
| Hofstra University | |||
| Indiana University Bloomington | January 15 | ||
| Johns Hopkins University | December 10 | February 12 | |
| Lafayette College | December 15 | February 15 | |
| Lehigh University | December 15 | Mid-February | |
| MIT | December 18 @3:14pm | ||
| Middlebury College | Mid-December | Mid-February | |
| Mount Holyoke College | Late December | Late January | |
| New York University (NYU) | December 15 | February 16 | |
| Northeastern University | December 8 | February 1 | February 15 |
| Northwestern University | December 17 | ||
| Oberlin College | December 15 @7pm EST | February 1 | |
| Occidental College | December 15 | February 20 | |
| The Ohio State University | January 29 | ||
| Pomona College | December 15 | February 15 | |
| Princeton University | Single Choice Early Action (SCEA) Decision Notification on December 16 | ||
| Purdue University | January 15 | ||
| Rice University | December 9 | ||
| Rutgers University | January 31 | ||
| Santa Clara University | December 15 | December 15 | Mid-February |
| Stanford University | December 15 | ||
| Suffolk University | TBA | ||
| Swarthmore College | December 14 @7pm ET | ||
| Tufts University | Mid-December | Mid-February | |
| Tulane University | November 22 @4pm CST | December 20 @4pm CST | January 31 |
| University of Chicago | December 17 | December 17 | Mid-February |
| University of Georgia | Before December 1 (for GA resident) | ||
| University of Illinois at Chicago | December 1 | ||
| University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) | TBA | ||
| University of Massachusettes | January 25 | ||
| University of Miami | Late December | Late January/Early February | Late February |
| University of Michigan | January 28 | ||
| University of North Carolina (UNC) | January 28 | ||
| University of Notre Dame | Mid-December | ||
| University of Pennsylvania | December 16 | ||
| University of Richmond | December 15 | January 25 | February 15 |
| University of Rochester | Mid-December | Early-February | |
| University of San Francisco | Mid-December | Mid-December | |
| University of South Carolina | December 13 | ||
| University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) | February 1 | ||
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | January 29 | ||
| University of Vermont | Late December | ||
| University of Virginia | December 10 at 5pm EST | TBA | |
| Vanderbilt University | January 15 | TBA | |
| Villanova University | December 15 | January 15 | March 1 |
| Virginia Tech | Mid-December | Late February | |
| Washington & Lee University | December 15 @8pm EST | Late-January | |
| Washington University in St. Louis (Wustl) | TBA | TBA | |
| Wellesley College | Mid-December | Mid-February | |
| Wesleyan University | Mid-December | Mid-February | |
| William & Mary | Early December | Early February | |
| Williams College | TBA | ||
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute | December 15 | January 15 | February 15 |
| Yale University | Mid-December |
For many of you, your college admissions season is almost wrapped up (and there is light at the end of the tunnel, we promise). The next big item coming up is early admissions decisions!
Like many things this year, the college admissions landscape of 2020 has changed due to COVID-19. Many universities have temporarily adopted the test-optional admissions policy due to SAT/ACT cancellations, and some colleges have extended their application deadlines to allow applicants to complete their applications. While this year causes many obstacles for the high school seniors and families, the anticipation surrounding EA/ED decisions remains high.
Our mission at Insight is to help you navigate the college admissions process, and that includes understanding your concerns and providing a tailored strategy for you. Here are the top 3 common questions surrounding ED/EA, and you can always reach out to your Insight Counselor or contact us to find out more!
Q: What do I need to do between now and the decision time?
A: Check your portal regularly! Set up a weekly reminder and commit to checking your email and college portal. Some schools may require you to send in your progress report for the current school year.
Q: What do I do about ED II if my ED I decision won’t come back until January?
A: You can still apply to ED II. When ED I notifies your acceptance, you can withdraw your application from ED II school.
Q: What do I do if my current progress report is not as good?
A: If you are improving but your progress report doesn’t show it, ask your school counselor to make a note on your progress report before you send it to your ED school.
Q: Why can’t I find Princeton University on your list?
A: For the 2020-2021 application cycle, Princeton University decided to move to one application deadline of January 1, 2021.
Here are early admissions decision notification dates for the upcoming Class of 2025. Please check back regularly for updated dates and times as we gather the most updated information – especially for those without specific dates and times or those labeled “TBD.”
Last Updated: December 14, 2020
If you are entering the college admissions process, you might have heard of these terms. You might even wonder what they are. What is the difference? Which is better for your college admissions strategy, if at all? Insight Head of College Admissions Purvi Mody is here to share with you all the insights on Early Decision and Early Action, so you can pick the option that best suits your needs.
– Both Early action and early decision have earlier application deadlines than regular admissions.
– You will also receive college admissions decisions earlier, usually starting in mid-December.
– You can apply to as many schools as you want using EA.
– ED is for only one school, and it is a binding agreement, which means you have to attend when you are accepted.
“Early Decision” and “Early Action” are likely terms that you have heard before when talking about the college application process. The biggest thing to get your head around – what is the difference between the two? They have similar names but are quite different in their outcomes.
As the name implies, your college applications are due earlier than regular application deadlines. Typical deadlines for regular applications can be December 1st and January 15, whereas early deadlines mean you’re probably submitting around November 1st. For some schools and majors, you need to complete your admissions file by mid-October.
There is no limit to the number of schools you can apply to using early action. This can be a great option because it means you have submitted applications to schools early in the season – they’re off your plate! But why would you want to submit your applications a month before everyone else?
According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), early action means that “students apply early and receive a decision well in advance of the institution’s regular response date.” And that is a big advantage. You will receive your admissions decisions back earlier! You may find out in December or January about where you stand with your dream school. That may also mean you can relax and enjoy the rest of your senior year.
Another advantage with early action is that you do not need to commit until May 1 (the national response date), so you have almost half a year to decide and to compare financial aid packages.
Though to make things confusing, some schools use restrictive early action (or single-choice early action), which is exactly like early decisions. The restrictive early action limits you to using the process only once. Thus, be diligent in your college research and weigh your options carefully before committing to applying early.
Unlike early action, early decision is binding! You can apply to only one because you are saying that if the school accepts you, you will 100% attend. Because of this commitment, colleges require signatures from you, your family, and a school counselor in order for you to apply early decision.
Early decision benefits students who know their first-choice college and who are confident in their odds of getting accepted. Similar to early action, you will also receive an admissions decision early, usually in December.
One of the challenges with early decision can be that you will not find out about other schools until later in the year. If you get into a different school that you’d actually like to attend more than your early decision school, you don’t have the option to switch. So be 100% certain about your early decision school. If you are torn on which school you would ultimately like to attend, or which major you’d like to do, early decision might not be for you.
Another aspect of early decision to consider is the financial side of it all. If you apply early decision, you’re telling the school that you will attend no matter what. This means they are less likely to offer you a scholarship or financial aid because they know they don’t need to add those incentives to sway you to attend their school. If you are counting on some financial help, early decision again may not be right for you.
Read more: Think it Through: Early Decision
By applying early, you stagger the deadlines, which alleviate the stress that comes with stacked regular admissions. Early action allows you until May 1 to decide whether or not you want to attend that school. Both early action and early decision show the schools that you have done your research and you are interested in these schools.
Something else to keep in mind is that some colleges do take a substantial amount of their incoming class from that early decision pool. Many elite schools look at early decision as a way to separate the students that are “kind of interested” from the students that are willing to commit 100% to that school.
With all the advantages, it may seem compelling to apply early. Keep in mind that the early admissions process works best for students who know their dream school(s) and who feel they are competitive applicants.
How do you know if you are competitive? Check the school’s website. Most schools give you an idea of their applicant profile. In addition to your application, you need to thoroughly research the schools. It is not a blanket statement that “all elite schools will take a higher percentage of their class from the early decision applicants”. Some schools only take a slightly higher percentage, and in some cases, the difference between early and regular admissions rounds is not noticeable at all. Other than the academic offerings, campus, school culture, and location, you should also research the different available financial aid packages.
Our biggest tip is to do your research! Talk to your school (and Insight) counselor, your parents, and family members. Figure out if you have a school on your list that might be a good candidate for early decision, and if you do, make sure you are prepared for the financially and mentally to commit to that school.
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