Each year, tens of thousands of students across the world try their luck at being admitted to an Ivy League school. A small but mighty proportion of these students do so ahead of schedule, submitting applications for consideration in Early admission rounds held by each school. Across the Ivy League, Early applicants stand a better chance of being admitted. 

At five of the schools in the Ivy League — Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, and the University of Pennsylvania — this Early round is termed “Early Decision,” which means the decision to admit an applicant is binding. Students must matriculate if admitted. The remaining three schools — Harvard University, Princeton University, and Yale University — use a “Restrictive Early Action” policy which requires Early applicants to exclusively apply to one of these schools amongst private institutions. In other words, an applicant applying early to Yale is free to submit Early applications to public universities, but can not also apply early to Princeton. The decision rendered under Restrictive Early Action is non-binding.

Early vs. Regular Ivy League Acceptance Rates: A Comprehensive Breakdown

As the data below indicates, the Early round acceptance rate across the Ivy League is considerably higher than the Regular round acceptance rate, a trend that has only become more pronounced as the years progress. What’s more, the Ivy League has consistently filled around half of incoming classes with early admits. Does this mean that Ivy Leagues prefer Early applicants? Yes indeed!

However, there is a misconception about why early applicants fare better, a myth that we at Ivy Coach would like to dispel. Early applicant pools are not more competitive because they are filled with recruited athletes, legacies, and development cases. While these groups are more likely to apply Early, and stand a better chance of being admitted than the average applicant, the Regular Decision pools at the Ivy League schools are just as competitive, as they are filled with underrepresented minority students, first-generation college students, and low-income students.

Both pools contain highly coveted groups that increase admission competitiveness for the average applicant, but this effect is magnified in the Regular Decision pool. That’s why it’s easier to get in Early, even when an applicant is up against more privileged counterparts.

Early vs. Regular Ivy League Admission Statistics for the Class of 2027

Ivy League School	Overall Acceptance Rate	Regular Decision Acceptance Rate	Regular Decision Applications Accepted	Regular Decision Applications Received	Early Decision/ Action Acceptance Rate	% of Class Filled by Early Applications	Early Decision/Action Applications Received	Early Decision/Action Applications Accepted	Expected Number of Students to Enroll	Total Applications Received	Total Applications Accepted
Brown University	5.08%	3.88%	1,730	44,532	12.98%	51.70%	6,770	879	1,700	51,302	2,609
Columbia University	3.93%	NYP	NYP	51,391	NYP	NYP	5,738	NYP	NYP	57,129	2,246
Cornell University	NYP	NYP	3,324	NYP	NYP	NYP	NYP	1,670	NYP	NYP	4,994
Dartmouth College	6.07%	4.54%	1,173	25,832	19.21%	50.26%	3,009	578	1,150	28,841	1,751
Harvard University	3.41%	2.34%	1,220	47,384	7.56%	n/a*	9,553	722	1,665	56,937	1,942
University of Pennsylvania	NYP	NYP	NYP	NYP	NYP	NYP	NYP	NYP	2,400	59,463	NYP
Princeton University	4.50%	NYP	NYP	NYP	NYP	n/a*	NYP	NYP	1,558	39,644	1,782
Yale University	4.35%	3.22%	1,433	44,506	10.89%	n/a*	7,744	842	1,554	52,250	2,275

Early vs. Regular Ivy League Admission Statistics for the Class of 2026

Ivy League School	Overall Acceptance Rate	Regular Decision Acceptance Rate	Regular Decision Applications Accepted	Regular Decision Applications Received	Early Decision/Action Acceptance Rate	% of Class Filled by Early Applications	Early Decision/Action Applications Received	Early Decision/Action Applications Accepted	Expected Number of Students to Enroll	Total Applications Received	Total Applications Accepted
Brown University	5.00%	3.60%	1,651	44,503	14.60%	52.70%	6,146	896	1,700	50,649	2,547
Columbia University	3.73%	2.96%	1,603	54,072	10.31%	43.60%	6,305	650	1,492	60,377	2,253
Cornell University	6.91%	4.99%	3,077	61,609	19.18%	51.82%	9,555	1,831	3,533	71,064	4,908
Dartmouth College	6.24%	4.70%	1,207	25,703	21.27%	48.70%	2,633	560	1,150	28,336	1,767
Harvard University	3.19%	2.34%	1,214	51,814	7.87%	n/a*	9,406	740	1,665	61,220	1,954
University of Pennsylvania	6.50%	4.99%	2,339	46,794	15.52%	50.42%	7,794	1,210	2,400	54,588	3,549
Princeton University	5.69%	5.69%	2,169	38,019	NYP	n/a*	NYP	NYP	1,433	38,019	2,167
Yale University	4.47%	3.17%	1,353	42,727	12.09%	n/a*	7,288	881	1,554	50,015	2,234

Early vs. Regular Ivy League Admission Statistics for the Class of 2025

Ivy League School	Overall Acceptance Rate	Regular Decision Acceptance Rate	Regular Decision Applications Accepted	Regular Decision Applications Received	Early Decision/Action Acceptance Rate	% of Class Filled by Early Applications	Early Decision/Action Applications Received	Early Decision/Action Applications Accepted	Expected Number of Students to Enroll	Total Applications Received	Total Applications Accepted
Brown University	5.40%	3.50%	1,652	41,028	15.90%	52.10%	5,540	885	1,700	46,568	2,537
Columbia University	3.70%	2.90%	1,568	54,116	10.10%	43.50%	6,435	650	1,492	60,551	2,218
Cornell University	NYP	NYP	NYP	NYP	NYP	NYP	NYP	NYP	3,296	NYP	5,836
Dartmouth College	6.20%	4.50%	1,158	25,693	21.20%	51.40%	2,664	591	1,150	28,357	1,749
Harvard University	3.40%	2.60%	1,223	47,349	7.40%	n/a*	10,086	747	1,665	57,435	1,970
University of Pennsylvania	5.70%	4.20%	2,008	48,371	14.90%	49.80%	7,962	1,194	2,400	56,333	3,202
Princeton University	4.00%	4.00%	1,498	37,601	n/a*	n/a*	n/a*	n/a*	1,308	37,601	1,498
Yale University	4.60%	3.40%	1,332	38,996	10.50%	n/a*	7,939	837	1,554	46,935	2,169

The Real Reason Why Early Applicants Fare Better

The Ivy League values early applicants because these students have essentially told their respective schools: “I am willing to forego admission anywhere else because I love your school that much!” Admissions committees would rather fill their classes with students who are excited and enthusiastic about joining their communities than with students who are vying for entry into many different schools. Early admitted students will arrive on campus starry-eyed and energized, whereas Regular admits might not have that same fervor, or so the admissions committee logic goes.

When it comes to the privileged composition of the Early applicant pool, it’s something of a chicken and egg question. Most Ivy Leagues claim that the Early pool is simply more competitive than the Regular pool. While this may very well be true, it is worth asking: do legacies and private-schoolers come into their senior years with a greater understanding of their chosen colleges, and commit sooner by weighing this information? This could also be possible. Or, are there a greater number of teachers, parents, and mentors in their lives who encourage Early applications because it’s more to their advantage, and a greater number of resources in place to allow them to start their applications as soon as possible? This could also be the case.

Interpretations aside, Early rounds are the best time to apply to highly selective universities. At Ivy Coach, all of our students apply Early (except those who first come to us in mid-December of their senior years after they don’t get in) because we understand that, regardless of the reasoning, the same application is more competitive during an Early round than a Regular round. In fact, Ivy Coach’s crystal ball tells us that, as the years progress, a higher and higher percentage of Ivy League student bodies will be culled from Early applicant pools, and the gap between early and regular acceptance rates will only continue to grow!