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Early Acceptance Rates Show the Ivy League Remains as Competitive as Ever

Posted on: December 21, 2022 by: dee

Most of the colleges in the Ivy League announce their early acceptance decisions by mid-December. This year is no exception: the majority of students in the Class of 2027 who applied early to one of the 8 most prestigious higher education institutions in the country now know the results of that decision. The data shows that admission into the Ivy League remains intensely competitive, with some schools setting new records for selective admissions.

At the time of publication, six schools have published data about their early applicant pool and acceptance rates:

Brown University released its admissions information for the Class of 2027 on December 21: 879 early decision students were accepted, out of an applicant pool of 6,770 (10% more early applicants than last year). This translates to a 13% early decision acceptance rate, the school’s “lowest-ever acceptance rate in the early decision program for the fifth year in a row” according to The Brown Daily Herald.
Yale University announced last week that 2022 saw their lowest acceptance rate in 20 years. Only 10% of early applicants were accepted; of the nearly 7,800 students who applied early, 776 were accepted, approximately 1,626 were deferred to the regular decision category, and 5,188 had their applications denied.
Harvard University also published their Class of 2027 early acceptance rates last week, reporting that just 7.56% of early action applicants have been admitted. The school received 9,553 early applications and this year’s acceptance rate is just 0.2% above that of the Class of 2025, “who faced the College’s most competitive early admissions cycle in history.”
Columbia University revealed that it received its third largest early decision applications in history, with 5,738 candidates applying for early consideration. The university’s undergraduate admissions office has not revealed how many of these applicants were accepted, but for reference, the school’s overall acceptance rates were 3.9% in 2020 and 3.73% in 2021 – the most selective years ever for the school. This is credited largely to the schools decision to be test-optional, a policy that will continue until 2024.
The University of Pennsylvania announced that over 8,000 students applied to its early decision program this year, representing the largest early decision applicant pool in the university’s history. Like Columbia, Penn has not disclosed the early acceptance rate – a decision that appears to be in keeping with its decision to not publicize the regular acceptance rate for the Class of 2026.
Finally, Dartmouth College released these figures: 3,009 students applied through the school’s early decision application program, which is a 14% increase from last year. They accepted 578 students (a 19% acceptance rate) and these applicants are the first to be admitted after the college significantly amended its financial aid policies. It’s also worth noting that Dartmouth’s early decision pool has increased by 45% over the past three years.

Princeton University offered admissions to single-choice early action round applicants for the Class of 2027 earlier this month, but has not publicized its acceptance rate for the second consecutive year. Cornell University similarly made offers to early applicants by December 15, but unlike the other Ivy League schools, has not yet shared any information about the Class of 2027.

While it is clear that gaining acceptance into one of the Ivies is very difficult, the process can be made easier – and The Ivy Dean is here to help. Admissions experts Drusilla (Dee) Blackman, President, and Christian Rabin, Associate Vice President, together have more than 45 years of experience in the Ivy League. They are ready to support students and their families in applying to, and getting accepted at, the top colleges in the country.

Please contact us today to schedule a free consultation with our team, and feel free to review our other blog posts for more tips and insights regarding the admission process.

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