The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has always blazed a trail away from the rest among highly selective universities. They were among the first to phase out legacy admissions, the first to truly prioritize meritocratic criteria in the admissions process, and one of the first to bring back mandatory standardized testing in the wake of the pandemic. 

This Cambridge, Massachusetts-based institution recently announced that out of a pool of 12,053 applicants, 721 lucky students were admitted to the MIT Class of 2029 through the Early Action program. While this is the worst showing for MIT since the Class of 2024, it still places this school among the most highly selective in the world. Unlike many other schools currently experiencing higher-than-projected Early acceptance rates, MIT can’t chalk it all up to returning to standardized testing and filtering our “squeaker” applicants this time — they decided to bring mandatory SAT/ACT testing back in 2022.

Could it be that the challenges MIT faced in the past year, particularly the antisemitic eruptions that plagued its campus (including and especially the horrific testimony before Congress of its president), had an impact on prospective students’ perceptions of the institution? This is a question we leave to you, the reader, to ponder. In the meantime, let’s delve into MIT’s Early Action data.

MIT’s Early Action Admissions Statistics over 10+ Years

MIT Class Year	Early Action Applications Received	Early Action Acceptances	Early Action Acceptance Rate
Class of 2029	12,053	721	5.98%
Class of 2028	12,563	661	5.26%
Class of 2027	11,924	685	5.74%
Class of 2026	14,781	697	4.72%
Class of 2025	15,036	719	4.78%
Class of 2024	9,291	687	7.40%
Class of 2023	9,600	707	7.36%
Class of 2022	9,557	664	6.95
Class of 2021	8,394	657	7.83%
Class of 2020	7,767	656	8.45%
Class of 2019	6,519	625	9.59%
Class of 2018	6,820	612	8.97%
Class of 2017	6,541	650	9.94%
Class of 2016	6,008	680	11.32%
Class of 2015	6,405	772	12.05%
Class of 2014	5,684	590	10.38%
Class of 2013	4,681	540	11.54%

For admission to the Class of 2029, MIT deferred a significant 7,486 (62.11%) applicants and denied 3,039 (25.21%). A surprisingly high 807 (6.70%) applicants withdrew their applications from consideration.

Looking back on past admissions cycles, for the Class of 2028, MIT accepted 5.26% of applicants. For the Class of 2027, this figure stood at 5.74%, and at a record-low 4.72% for the Class of 2026. Does that mean MIT should have its tail between its legs after looking at the results from this cycle? Well, it’s a bit more complicated than that. Early-round acceptance rates across elite schools have experienced a slight uptick this cycle, suggesting a growing skepticism among high school seniors that these schools have their best interests at heart. Time will only tell how long this reversal of competitiveness trends will last.

A Breakdown of the MIT’s Class of 2029 EA Applicants

In a press release on the subject, MIT neglected to share any data about this incoming cohort of students, which mimics other schools who have chosen to keep these characteristics close to the vest and away from the prying eyes of the public. But one thing is sure: these Early Action candidates certainly will have fared better than the Regular Decision students once those decisions come out this Spring. 

Why? Admissions officers at MIT only want to admit highly enthusiastic students who will matriculate if enrolled, thus protecting their yield rate. Yield protection is a common tactic used by schools of MIT’s caliber to shore up ranking on the US News list. Believe it or not, they’re not above these sorts of tactics!

Ivy Coach’s Assistance with MIT Deferral

If you’ve been deferred to MIT’s Class of 2029, you’ll still receive a second look “without prejudice” when Regular Decision comes around. In the meantime, turn to Ivy Coach to make the most of this time and optimize your odds of admission. Fill out our complimentary consultation form, and we’ll be in touch to outline our go-forward services, including a PostMortem for denied candidates and a PostMortem followed by assistance crafting a powerful Letter of Continued Interest for deferred candidates to the Class of 2029.