Upasana Gupta - September 17, 2013
Why Apply to Colleges Early?
Early Applicants Rule Ivy League School Admissions
Applying to colleges early is a great idea for candidates who are seniors in high school and are pretty sure of the colleges they plan to attend.( Suggested Read: College Application Essays; Guide on Selecting the Right College; College Application Tips;)
This has been an on-going trend with Ivy League schools for the past several years. In 2011, for example, for a targeted freshmen class of 1,485, Brown filled it's class by 35.2 percent with Early Decision applicants. Applying early to schools is most appropriate for a student who: meets or exceeds the admission profile for select colleges in standardized tests, extracuricular activities, GPA and class rank.2013 Ivy League Admissions Statistics
|
Ivy League Colleges |
Overall Accept. Rate |
Regular Decision Accept. Rate |
Regular Decision Apps Accepted |
Regular Decision Apps Received |
Early Decision / Action Accept. Rate |
Percent of Class Filled by Early Apps |
Early Decision / Action Apps Received |
Early Decision / Action Apps Accepted |
Expected Number of Students to Enroll |
Total Apps Received |
Total Apps Accepted |
| Brown |
10.8% |
9.5% |
2,152 |
22,645 |
23.7% |
37.4% |
2,343 |
556 |
1,485 |
24,988 |
2,708 |
| Columbia |
9.8% |
8.2% |
1,857 |
22,587 |
22.5% |
45.9% |
2,841 |
639 |
1,391 |
25,428 |
2,496 |
| Cornell |
17.4% |
15.5% |
5,318 |
34,381 |
36.7% |
39.7% |
3,405 |
1,249 |
3,150 |
37,786 |
6,567 |
| Dartmouth |
12% |
10.8% |
1,783 |
16,559 |
25.5% |
35% |
1,571 |
401 |
1,090 |
18,130 |
2,184 |
| Harvard |
7% |
7% |
2,046 |
29,112 |
n/a* |
n/a* |
n/a* |
n/a* |
1,655 |
29,112 |
2,046 |
| Penn |
17.1% |
14.4% |
2,770 |
19,273 |
31.5% |
48.2% |
3,666 |
1,156 |
2,400 |
22,939 |
3,926 |
| Princeton |
9.8% |
9.8% |
2,150 |
21,964 |
n/a* |
n/a* |
n/a* |
n/a* |
1,300 |
21,964 |
2,150 |
| Yale |
7.5% |
5.2% |
1,209 |
23,088 |
13.4% |
n/a* |
5,557 |
742 |
1,310 |
26,000 |
1,951 |
( Source:The Ivy Coach)
(Suggested Read: Undergraduate Admission FAQ; College Application Do's and Don'ts;)Typically there are two ways to apply to a college early.
1. Early Decision (ED) Plans: here students apply to a college early and commit to attend the college, in case he or she is accepted. Basically, a student who is accepted as an ED applicant must attend the college. Early Decision usually requires students to submit an application by November 1 of their senior year of high school instead of an early January deadline. Also, students are notified of the school's decision by mid-December instead of early April.
Pros:
- Students have higher chances of getting into a given school because admission rates for committed students tend to be higher than overall admission rates for an educational institution;
- Candidates who apply through Early Decision have dedicated themselves to an institution and are more likely to match the institution's admission standards;
- Candidates applying early save time as they hear back from colleges relatively quickly and have the advantage of planning ahead. If accepted, they have more time to look for housing, accept financial aid etc. If refused, candidates have enough time to find alternate colleges.
Con:
Pros: Con:
2. Early Action (EA) Plans: through this program a student can apply to
colleges early without making a binding decision to enroll. Students receive
an early response to their application, but do not have to commit to the
college until the normal reply date of April 1. Students applying through
Early Action typically must submit their applications by January 1 and
receive their admissions decision by April 1. Early Action allows candidates
to decline the offer if accepted, and depending on the program, it may be
possible for a candidate to apply to more than one Early Action school and
an Early Decision school.