Applying to a college through Early Decision is an excellent choice for many students, especially if they are applying to Ivy League institutions or other highly-selective colleges such as MIT or Vanderbilt University. Whether Early Decision or Early Action are offered varies between institutions and is liable to change over the years. You need to ensure that you have the most up-to-date information.
In this article, we will review key differences between Early Action and Early Decision applications as well as discuss Early Decision 2026 application trends. Read on to see Class of 2026 Early Decision dates and learn everything you need to know to have a successful college application season.
Colleges that allow Early Action and Early Decision programs allow applicants to submit their college applications at a much earlier date. You can usually apply Early Action to multiple schools — unless the school specifies that they offer restrictive Early Action, also known as Single Choice Early Action or SCEA. In contrast, you can only apply to one school through Early Decision. Early Decision is binding for admitted students. If accepted, the student must attend that school.
Because of the benefits offered by applying early, any high school student going through the admissions process — especially minority students such first-generation students and students of color — should understand and consider Early Decision.
Schools that offer Early Decision may also offer Early Decision II. Early Decision II applications are binding decisions submitted either near or on the Regular Decision deadline. With Early Decision II, you get more time to work on your application than for Early Decision I, and it may increase your chances of being accepted over Regular Decision. You lose the benefits, however, of Early Decision I: Early Decision II will have a lower acceptance rate, and you will still have to apply to other schools through Regular Decision.
It’s important to stay current with Early Decision statistics, especially in regards to how they compare to last year’s statistics and the less specified Class of 2026 college acceptance rates. This will help you prepare and plan ahead for your anticipated admissions cycle. Look at the chart below for important information concerning:
Below are the top 14 universities that offer Early Decision and Early Action application options. Review the Early Decision Class of 2026 statistics below to gauge the size of each school’s applicant pool, admission rates, as well as your probability of admittance.
|
College |
Number of early applicants |
Number of early applicants accepted |
Early acceptance rate for class of 2026 |
Early acceptance rate for class of 2025 |
Link to college website |
|
Brown University |
6,146 |
896 |
15% |
16% |
|
|
Columbia University |
6,305 |
650 |
10% |
10% |
|
|
Cornell University |
TBD |
TBD |
TBD |
21% |
|
|
Dartmouth College |
2,633 |
530 |
20% |
21% |
|
|
Harvard University |
9,406 |
740 |
7.9% |
7.4% |
|
|
University of Pennsylvania |
7,795 |
1,218 |
16% |
15% |
|
|
Princeton University |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
|
Yale University |
7,288 |
800 |
11% |
10.5% |
|
|
Boston College |
4,443 |
1,250 |
28% |
39% |
|
|
Duke University |
4,015 |
855 |
21% |
17% |
|
|
Emory University |
2,205 |
804 |
37% |
39% |
|
|
Georgetown University |
8,832 |
881 |
10% |
11% |
|
|
John Hopkins University |
2,500 |
520 |
21% |
N/A |
|
|
Northwestern University |
N/A |
N/A |
25% |
N/A |
|
|
Rice University |
N/A |
440 |
N/A |
16% |
|
|
Tulane University |
N/A |
N/A |
10% |
N/A |
|
|
Vanderbilt University |
2,700 |
650 |
24% |
18% |
|
|
University of Virginia |
3,466 |
1,097 |
32% |
33% |
The total number of applicants for Brown Early Decision 2026 increased by 11% from last year. Of the admitted Early Decision students, 51% identify as students of color, 17% identify as first-generation college students, and 57% applied for financial aid.
A total of 6,305 students applied to Columbia ED in 2026, compared to 6,435 applicants from its previous admissions cycle. The admit rate increased slightly to 10.3%.
Cornell has opted not to disclose its Cornell Early Decision Class of 2026 statistics until the end of the admissions cycle. The university disclosed, however, that there are approximately 9,500 Cornell Early Decision 2026 applicants.
Dartmouth’s ED acceptance rate for 2026 decreased slightly from last year, falling from 21% to 20%. They accepted 530 Early Decision students this year. This will account for about 46% of the incoming class of 2026.
Harvard’s Early Decision acceptance rate increased slightly to 7.9% this year. They accepted 740 of 9,406 Harvard Early Decision applicants.
Penn received 7,795 Early Decision applications this year, a slight decrease from last year’s Early Decision applicant pool of 7,962. Of these students, Penn admitted 1,218, which will account for approximately 50% of Penn’s incoming Class of 2026.
Princeton University has chosen not to release any Class of 2026 admissions statistics at this time.
Yale University admitted 800 Early Action applicants, 11% of a total of 7,288 applicants.
Of the 4,443 Boston College Early Decision 2026 applicants, only 1,250 students were offered admission, giving Boston College an 2026 Early Decision acceptance rate of 28%.
Of the 4,015 Duke Early Decision 2026 applicants, only 855 were admitted. This gives Duke a 2026 Early Decision acceptance rate of 21%, an increase from its 2025 Early Decision acceptance rate of 17%.
Emory’s 2026 Early Decision acceptance rate decreased slightly from the year before. Their 39% acceptance rate dropped to 37% this year. In total, they accepted 804 Early Decision applicants.
Georgetown University’s Early Decision acceptance rate dropped from 11% to 10% this year. Of 8,832 Early Decision applicants, 881 gained admission.
John Hopkins University admitted 520 of 2,500 Early Decision applicants this year, giving them an overall Early Decision acceptance rate of 21%.
Northwestern University admitted 25% of their Early Decision applicants during the Class of 2026 college admissions cycle.
Rice University accepted 440 Early Decision applicants during this year’s college admissions cycle.
Due to over-admittance last year, Tulane ED acceptance rate for 2026 has decreased significantly to 10%.
Vanderbilt’s Early Decision 2026 acceptance rate increased this year from 18% to 24%. There were a total of 2,700 Vanderbilt ED 2026 applicants; of these, 650 applicants were offered admission.
Of 3,466 Early Decision applicants, 1,097 students were offered admission, granting the University of Virginia a 2026 Early Decision acceptance rate of 32%, a slight decrease from its 33% acceptance rate from the year before.
College acceptance rates are currently at a record low. This includes 2026 Early Decision statistics. With the rise of test-optional admission policies, more and more students are applying to top universities, especially Ivy League institutions. Overall, students with average test scores are widening their application reach. This has caused serious applicants to consider early admission programs at higher rates than in previous application Cycles.
Other Class of 2026 college application trends include:
Many of these admissions statistics concerning the 2026 incoming class are largely reflective of the social and financial effects of the pandemic. This is important to keep in mind as you review admissions decisions and statistics.
An essential part of well-planned college admissions is prioritizing and planning out your applications. Starting
applications early and periodically working on them will ensure a polished product when the deadlines approach. Overall, it is inefficient to work on all your applications around the same time. You want to be able to focus and finish one set of applications so you can fully apply yourself to another.
Then, you need to decide which applications to start early so that some will be ready by the early deadlines. Even if you decide that Early Decision is not the best idea, you may want to still complete some applications by the Early Action deadline. This is a way to pace yourself so you don’t have to scramble during December. If you get accepted through Early Decision or Early Action, you are done dealing with college admissions before the New Year! This will help alleviate some stress as you continue to prepare for college by completing financial aid documents before your enrollment.
Make sure to check the Early Decision deadlines for all colleges you have on your list. As with regular decision deadlines, Early Action and Early Decision vary between schools.
Here are Early Decision Dates for the class of 2026 for some of the top schools in the US:
Remember, this list is not exhaustive. Add the relevant Early Decision Date to your calendar, and good luck!
Are you applying Early Decision to any schools? If so, and make sure you understand the difference between Early Decision and Early Decision II! Click here to see the list of colleges in the US offering Early Decision and their due dates.
The college admissions process can look different for every student, especially international and Latin American students. Read more to find out why it can be more challenging and how to overcome these obstacles.
Looking for a high school internship? Whether you want to explore different professions or simply start gaining experience, click here.
Career planning often starts during high school. You are learning about various subjects not just so you can possess whatever knowledge is required, but also to expose yourself to possible interests.
Keeping possible career paths in mind during high school will make deciding majors as a college student easier. But there is no set time to come to a decision. Narrowly pursuing one interest too early on can lead to regrets, and many undergraduates only know what they want to do well into college. For this reason, it is a good idea to consider internships for high school students. What matters is that you give your future plans a great deal of thought and consideration, and internships can help you with this. Whatever you choose and whenever you choose it, it should make sense for you.
As a high school student, you may have your eyes set on certain careers or academic subjects. You may find that advanced courses and extracurriculars can only offer so much. If you are looking for some experience in fields related to your career or academic internship, you should consider applying for internships as a high school student. Doing an internship can give you the hands-on experience needed to decide if a career path is right for you. What you learn during an internship can also assist you further down that path.
Internships give you professional work experience that would otherwise not be available to high schoolers. While this work will likely not be of the caliber of positions meant for people with college degrees or better, internships will often acquaint students with what tasks certain fields involve and what it is like to be employed in that field. You may have the opportunity to form connections and ask people who actually work in that field for a living.
The minimum age for internships depends on the program. Internship opportunities for high school students can be either unpaid or paid (in wages or stipends). While some internships are open to high school students but have college undergraduates competing for them, others are designed exclusively for high school students.
For this reason, many high school internships will not require much experience. Employers are not only looking for a hard worker but someone who is serious about the field or career in question. Internships for high school students are usually designed to help with career planning and are often hosted by universities or funded by the federal or state government. So, part of being qualified is having a strong interest and knowing how this opportunity will fit into your future plans.
Internship applications for high school students might ask for essays rather than the usual cover letter and resume. Your competitiveness would likely be determined by how effectively you communicate the importance of the position to your career/academic interests in your essays along with the strength of your academics and extracurriculars.
Most internships will only accept students that reside near the area they are headquartered. You may not be eligible for most opportunities, if any, on the list below. This should serve as an example of the kinds of prestigious opportunities that high school students can seek. If you are interested in gaining professional work experience as a high schooler, you can search for internships in your area.
The Air Force Research Laboratory has paid internships in STEM fields open to high school students at a variety of locations. Interns perform research and are mentored by AFRL’s scientists and engineers.
American Museum of Natural History’s Saltz Internship Program
Interns communicate science and present artifacts to museum visitors. For students in New York and offers a $900 stipend.
The Art Institute of Chicago – Opportunities for Teens
Chicago High School students design and plan museum exhibitions for the Teen Council, a year-round program. Students can gain experience working as a staff member in the museum for the Summer Internship.
The Introductory College Level Experience in Microbiology (iCLEM)
5-week intensive summer internship for low-income students at Alameda, Contra Costa, or San Francisco County high schools. Interns receive a $1,500 stipend to complete a research project and learn the fundamentals of various disciplines in biology.
John Hopkins School of Medicine – Opportunities for High School Students
John Hopkins School of Medicine offers a variety of summer internships for high school students in Baltimore. These summer medical programs introduce students, especially from underrepresented or low-income backgrounds, to healthcare work and research in biomedical disciplines.
KP Launch’s High School Program
Six-week, paid healthcare-related internship for Northern California high school students. Interns do administrative and support work, and they also participate in professional workshops.
Maine Sea Grant Research Projects
The Main Sea Grant funds many educational and research opportunities for environmental and marine science open to high schoolers in New England.
The Metropolitan Museum – Summer High School Internships
This paid summer internship trains students as a staff member of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Interns can be placed in a department related to their interests. High school students from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut are eligible.
Microsoft’s High School Program
A paid tech internship for students with a background in computer science. For Washington residents only and is closed for 2021.
NASA’s 2021 Volunteer High School Internship Project
Four-week unpaid internship at NASA’s John H. Glenn Research Center. Interns explore various career opportunities with NASA professionals.
National Institutes of Health – Summer Internships in Biomedical Research for High School Students
Federally-funded research internships hosted on campuses around the U.S. (if in-person). High school students work for around 8 weeks of the summer and receive a stipend.
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s High School Scholars Internship Program (HSSIP)
Six-week paid summer internships for Washington D.C. high school seniors interested in banking. Students must be nominated by a school counselor.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Internships
PNNL offers internships to high schoolers interested in Business or STEM. Interns work during the academic year in either program.
The Smithsonian’s Youth Engagement Through Science (YES!) Internship Program
These are paid research internships at the National Museum of Natural History, beginning in February. Besides doing research in a scientific discipline, interns are trained in speaking to public audiences and are given mentorship for college preparation.
If you are interested in interning as a high school, be sure to research carefully and consider financial feasibility – whether they are paid, provide housing, cover travel expenses, etc. Keep in mind that high school internships are not common, and what matters when applying for these opportunities is if they make sense for you and your future plans.
