Class of 2028 Early Decision Notification Dates
For many high school seniors, amid finals and holiday cheer, December brings an added layer of anticipation: early admissions decisions. Early Action (EA) and Early Decision (ED) have become increasingly popular, offering benefits to both students and institutions. While applications submitted before November 1st have soared by 41% since 2019–2020, leading to anxious waiting for many, knowing the specific decision date for your chosen schools can help alleviate stress.
While the wait can be nerve-wracking, knowing your school’s specific notification date can help ease some anxiety and provide structure and focus during this period. To guide you through this crucial month, this blog breaks down Early Decisions for early applicants.
Early Decision and Early Action Trends
Colleges are doubling down on Early Decision (ED) and Early Action (EA) application rounds, seeking both to attract applicants and improve their yield (the percentage of admitted students who enroll). This trend benefits both colleges and applicants in different ways. It potentially leads to more nuanced admissions decisions down the line.
Driving this trend is a recent decline in college enrollment, prompting institutions to find new ways to fill their classes. While data from the Common Application suggests a surge in applications for the 2023–2024 cycle, colleges may need to get creative with ED and EA as competition intensifies.
Here’s why this matters:
- For colleges: ED and EA can secure committed students early, helping with planning and budgeting. However, relying heavily on these rounds might disadvantage students who apply later.
- For applicants: Applying early can increase acceptance chances at some colleges, but it also limits options and flexibility. Careful consideration is crucial.
As more colleges and students utilize early rounds, admissions processes could become more personalized and strategic. You can expect unique approaches as institutions vie for top talent.
Read Also – Common App Colleges: List of Schools Use the Common Application
When Do Early Action Decisions Come Out?
Most colleges notify Early Decision and Early Action applicants of admission around December 15th. This early notification can be beneficial for accepted students, allowing them to focus on other aspects of their lives with peace of mind.
However, for students who are not accepted through Early Decision, it’s important to remember that there is still ample time to submit applications to other colleges under regular admission deadlines.
Early Decision and Early Action Notification Dates 2023-24
Here is the most up-to-date Early Decision and Early Action notification dates each year, updated daily to ensure you have the latest information. This comprehensive list features verified dates by source (phone call or email) and links to official college websites for additional details.
| School | Early Decision Notification Date |
|---|---|
| American University | ED I: December 14, 2023 ED II: February 14, 2024 |
| Amherst College | ED: December 8, 2023 at 6:21 pm EST |
| Babson College | ED I: December 13, 2023 EA: December 15, 2023 ED II: February 3, 2024 |
| Bard College | ED I: By December 31 EA: By December 31 ED II: By January 31 |
| Barnard College | ED: December 13, 2023 at 6:30 pm |
| Bates College | ED I: December 16, 2023 ED II: February 11, 2024 |
| Baylor University | ED: By December 15 EA: By January 15 |
| Boston College | ED I: December 5, 2023 ED II: February 6, 2024 |
| Boston University | ED I: December 14, 2023 ED II: February 10, 2024 |
| Bowdoin College | ED I: December 15, 2023 at 7 pm EST ED II: Early February |
| Brandeis University | ED I: December 7, 2023 ED II: January 26, 2024 |
| Brown University | ED: December 15, 2023 at 3pm EST |
| Bryn Mawr College | ED I: December 15, 2023 ED II: February 3, 2024 |
| Bucknell University | ED I: December 13, 2023 ED II: Mid-February |
| Caltech | REA: December 9, 2023 |
| Carleton College | ED I: December 13 at 8 pm CST ED II: By February 15 |
| Carnegie Mellon University | ED I: December 15, 2023 ED II: February 3, 2024 |
| Case Western Reserve University | ED I: December 2, 2023 EA: December 19, 2023 ED II: February 10, 2024 |
| Chapman University | ED: December 15, 2023 EA: December 20, 2023 for most programs |
| Claremont McKenna College | ED I: December 15, 2023 ED II: By February 15 |
| Clark University | ED I: Late December EA: Mid-January ED II: Early February |
| Clemson University | EA: December 14, 2023 at 6pm |
| Colby College | ED I: December 8, 2023 ED II: February 9, 2024 |
| Colgate University | ED I: December 13, 2023 ED II: February 16, 2024 at 7:13 pm ET |
| College of Charleston | ED I: Around December 1 EA (in-state): November 30, 2023 EA (out-of-state): December 14, 2023 ED II: Around March 1 |
| College of the Holy Cross | ED I: December 15, 2023 ED II: By February 15 |
| Colorado College | ED I: December 12, 2023 at 6 pm EST EA: December 19, 2023 ED II: February 13, 2024 |
| Columbia University | ED: December 14, 2023 after 7 pm EST |
| Connecticut College | ED I: December 8, 2023 ED II: February 10, 2024 |
| Cornell University | ED: December 14, 2023 at 7 pm EST |
| Dartmouth College | ED: December 15, 2023 after 4 pm ET |
| Davidson College | ED I: December 16, 2023 at 10 am ED II: January 31, 2024 |
| Denison University | ED I: By December 15 ED II: By February 15 |
| DePaul University | EA: By December 15 |
| Dickinson College | ED I: December 15, 2023 ED II: Late February |
| Drexel University | ED I: December 14, 2023 EA: December 14, 2023 |
| Duke University | ED: December 14, 2023 at 7 pm EST |
| Elon University | ED I: December 1, 2023 EA: December 20, 2023 |
| Emerson College | ED I: December 20, 2023 EA: Mid-January ED II: Early February |
| Emory University | ED I: December 13, 2023 after 6 pm ED II: February 7, 2024 after 6 pm |
| Fairfield University | ED I: December 15, 2023 EA: December 20, 2023 ED II: February 15, 2024 |
| Fordham University | ED I: December 15, 2023 EA: December 15, 2023 ED II: February 15, 2024 |
| Furman University | ED I: By December 1 EA: By January 15 ED II: By February 1 |
| George Mason University | EA: December 15, 2023 |
| George Washington University | ED I: December 14, 2023 at 4 pm EST ED II: February 15, 2024 |
| Georgetown University | EA: December 15, 2023 |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | EA I (in-state only): December 8, 2023 EA II (out-of-state only): January 26, 2024 at 7 pm |
| Grinnell College | ED I: December 8, 2023 ED II: January 22, 2024 |
| Hamilton College | ED I: December 14, 2023 at 8 pm EST ED II: February 8, 2024 at 8 pm |
| Harvard University | REA: December 14, 2023 at 7 pm EST |
| Harvey Mudd College | ED I: December 12, 2023 at 6 pm PST ED II: February 15, 2024 at 6 pm PT |
| Haverford College | ED I: December 8, 2023 at 7 pm EST ED II: Early February |
| Howard University | EA: Late January ED: Late January |
| Indiana University | EA: By January 15 |
| Johns Hopkins University | ED I: December 15, 2023 ED II: February 16, 2024 |
| Lafayette College | ED I: December 15, 2023 ED II: February 16, 2024 |
| Lehigh University | ED I: December 8, 2023 ED II: February 2, 2024 |
| Lewis & Clark College | ED: Late November EA: December 15, 2023 after 5 pm PST |
| Loyola Marymount University | ED I: mid-December EA: December 16, 2023 ED II: January 27, 2024 |
| Macalester College | ED I: December 3, 2023 EA: December 20, 2023 ED II: January 28, 2024 |
| Marquette University | EA: December 15, 2023 |
| Miami University | ED: December 1, 2023 EA I: December 15, 2023 EA II: February 1, 2023 |
| Middlebury College | ED I: December 8, 2023 ED II: Mid-February |
| MIT | EA: December 16, 2023 at 12:16 pm EST |
| New York University | ED I: December 14, 2023 at 4 pm EST ED II: February 15, 2024 at 4 pm ET |
| Northeastern University | ED I: December 13, 2023 EA: January 31, 2024 ED II: February 14, 2024 |
| Northwestern University | ED: December 15, 2023 |
| Oberlin College | ED I: December 15, 2023 ED II: By February 1 |
| Occidental College | ED I: December 15, 2023 ED II: February 20, 2024 |
| Ohio State University | EA: December 8, 2023; January 19, 2024 |
| Penn State University | EA: Rolling |
| Pepperdine University | EA: January 10, 2024 |
| Pomona College | ED I: December 15, 2023 after 5pm ED II: By February 15 |
| Pratt Institute | EA: Bmid-December |
| Princeton University | SCEA: December 14, 2023 at 7 pm EST |
| Providence College | ED I: By December 1 EA: December 18, 2023 ED II: by March 1 |
| Purdue University | EA: January 15, 2024 |
| Reed College | ED I: December ED II: February EA: February |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | ED I: December 9, 2023 ED II: January 13, 2024 EA: January 27, 2024 |
| Rice University | ED I: December 14 after 5 pm CST |
| Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | EA: December 15, 2023 |
| Rutgers University | EA: January 31, 2024 |
| Santa Clara University | ED I: December 15, 2023 EA: December 15, 2023 ED II: Mid-February |
| Sarah Lawrence College | ED I: December 20, 2023 EA: December 20, 2023 ED II: Early February |
| Seattle University | EA: December 20, 2023 |
| Sewanee: The University of the South | ED I: Early December EA: Late January ED II: Late January |
| Skidmore College | ED I: December 7, 2023 at 7pm ED II: February 11, 2024 |
| Smith College | ED I: December 15, 2023 ED II: Late January |
| Southern Methodist University | ED I: December 8, 2023 EA: Mid-December ED II: Mid-March |
| Stanford University | REA: December 15, 2023 at 4 pm PST |
| Swarthmore College | ED I: December 12, 2023 at 7 pm EST ED II: February 15, 2024 at 7 pm ET |
| Syracuse University | ED I: Late December rolling through January ED II: Late January rolling through February |
| Temple University | EA: by January 10 |
| Texas A&M University | EA Engineering: Mid-December |
| Texas Christian University (TCU) | EA: December 14, 2023 ED I: December 1, 2023 ED II: by March 3 |
| The New School | Parsons EA: Late December – early January Eugene Lang EA: Late December – early January |
| Trinity College | ED I: December 14, 2023 ED II: February 15, 2024 |
| Tufts University | ED I: December 14, 2023 at 7 pm ED II: February 2, 2024 |
| Tulane University | ED I: December 5, 2023 at 4 pm EA: December 20, 2023 at 4 pm CT ED II: February 5, 2024 at 4 pm |
| University of Chicago | ED I: December 18, 2023 EA: December 18, 2023 ED II: February 16, 2024 |
| University of Colorado – Boulder | EA: By February 1 |
| University of Denver | ED I: early December EA: Late December – late January ED II: Mid-February |
| University of Georgia | EA (in-state): November 17, 2023 EA (out-of-state): December 15, 2023 at 4 pm |
| University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign | EA: January 26, 2024 |
| University of Maryland | EA: by February 1 |
| University of Massachusetts Amherst | EA: January 24, 2024 |
| University of Miami | ED I: December 8, 2023 EA: January 26, 2024 ED II: by late February |
| University of Michigan | EA: by late January |
| University of Minnesota | EA I: By January 31 EA II: by February 15 |
| University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill | EA: January 31, 2024 |
| University of Notre Dame | REA: December 15 at 6:42 pm EST |
| University of Pennsylvania | ED: December 14, 2023 at 7 pm EST |
| University of Richmond | ED I: December 27, 2023 EA: January 26, 2024 ED II: February 16, 2024 |
| University of Rochester | ED I: December 9, 2023 ED II: Early February |
| University of San Francisco | ED: December 12, 2023 EA: Late January |
| University of Southern California | EA: January 19, 2024 |
| University of South Carolina | EA: December 15 in the late afternoon |
| University of Tennessee | EA: December 20, 2023 |
| University of Texas at Austin | Priority: February 1, 2024 |
| University of Vermont | ED: December 1, 2023 EA: December 20, 2023 |
| University of Virginia | ED: December 15, 2023 at 5 pm EA: February 2, 2024 at 5 pm |
| University of Wisconsin | EA: On or before January 31 |
| Vanderbilt University | ED I: December 14, 2023 at 5 pm CST ED II: Mid-February |
| Vassar College | ED I: December 12, 2023 ED II: January 27, 2024 |
| Villanova University | ED I: December 15, 2023 EA: January 19, 2024 ED II: February 12, 2024 |
| Virginia Tech | EA: February 3, 2024 |
| Wake Forest University | ED I: Rolling EA: January 13, 2024 ED II: February 9, 2024 |
| Washington & Lee University | ED I: December 13, 2023 at 8 pm EST ED II: January 26, 2024 at 8 pm EST |
| Washington University in St. Louis | ED I: December 15, 2023 ED II: February 8, 2024 |
| Wellesley College | ED I: December 8, 2023 ED II: February 11, 2024 |
| Wesleyan University | ED I: December 9, 2023 ED II: February 11, 2024 |
| Willamette University | EA: December 8, 2023 ED: December 8, 2023 |
| William & Mary | ED I: December 5, 2023 ED II: January 24, 2024 |
| Williams College | ED: December 8, 2023 |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute | ED I: December 13, 2023 EA I: January 10, 2024 at 5 pm ED II: February 14, 2024 at 5 pm EA II: February 14, 2024 at 5 pm |
| Yale University | SCEA: December 14 at 5 pm |
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From the Desk of Yocket
Early Decision can be beneficial for some students. It allows them to focus their efforts on one college, potentially increasing their chances of admission. Early acceptance brings peace of mind and allows for earlier financial aid planning. Moreover, some schools offer scholarship opportunities specifically for Early Decision applicants.
However, there are also drawbacks. The binding nature of Early Decision means applicants commit to attending that school if accepted. It potentially limits their options if admitted elsewhere. The tight timelines leave little room for improvement after submitting applications. Additionally, not every school offers Early Decision, and some students may feel pressured to apply before they’re fully prepared. Students should carefully consider their priorities, academic profile, and financial situation before making a decision. Yocket is here to assist US students in thorough school research and understanding the implications of Early Decision, crucial steps in the college application process.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are the Early Decision notification dates for the Class of 2028?
Most Early Decision notifications are released around December 15th, 2023. However, some schools may release them earlier or later. Ivy League schools typically release decisions on the same day, known as Ivy Day, which is currently Thursday, March 28th, 2024.
What happens if I’m rejected from my Early Decision school?
Don’t be discouraged! You still have many options. You can apply to other schools through Regular Decision, and some schools offer Early Decision II rounds. The Early Decision is anyway binding, so you’re committed to enrolling if accepted. However, if you’re rejected, you’ll be released from that obligation and can still apply to other schools through Regular Decision.
What happens if I don’t receive my notification by the expected date?
Don’t panic! There could be a few reasons for a delay. You can try checking your application portal again, contacting the admissions office, or searching for updates on the school’s social media or website.