Applying Early Decision or Early Action is one of the most decisive ways for students to boost their odds of admission to their dream schools. At many Ivy League institutions, applying early can as much as double or triple a student’s odds of admission. While it can be a highly advantageous path to take, applying early also requires a significant amount of strategy, time, and effort, as students must compile standout application materials more than a month before the Regular Decision deadlines. With less than one week until early deadlines at top schools, students should be intentional, focused, and detail-oriented in polishing their materials before they press “submit.”
When are Ivy League early application deadlines?
This year, early deadlines for all of the Ivy League schools fall on November 1st, with notification dates falling in mid-December. While the deadlines align, Ivy League schools differ in the types of early application pathways they offer, and students should be mindful when composing their applications. Early Decision (ED) is binding, meaning that students commit to attending if accepted; Restrictive or Single-Choice Early Action pathways, meanwhile, do not require a student to attend if accepted, but they restrict applicants from applying to other schools early.*
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Brown University
- Application Type: Early Decision
- Deadline: November 1 (11:59 p.m. applicant’s local time)
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Columbia University
- Application Type: Early Decision
- Deadline: November 1
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Cornell University
- Application Type: Early Decision
- Deadline: November 1
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Dartmouth College
- Application Type: Early Decision
- Deadline: November 1
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Harvard University
- Application Type: Restrictive Early Action
- Deadline: November 1
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University of Pennsylvania
- Application Type: Early Decision
- Deadline: November 1
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Princeton University
- Application Type: Single-Choice Early Action
- Deadline: November 1
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Yale University
- Application Type: Single-Choice Early Action
- Deadline: November 1
*Some schools allow students applying early to submit a concurrent, non-binding application to a local state school. Students should call admissions to confirm.
What should I do before I submit my early applications?
Pressing “submit” on an early application is an important moment—it marks the first completed application of the admissions process and represents the culmination of all of a student’s hard work throughout high school. Using the final days before the deadline strategically and intentionally can help ensure that students put their best foot forward on their early application. Here are three critical steps to take before submitting:
1. Create a specific and tactical application strategy (and stick to it).
Under the pressure of early deadlines, it may be tempting to revamp your entire strategy or get carried away with ideas about how you can reinvent the wheel. But it is critical to avoid getting carried away with last-minute strategy changes.
With less than a week until application deadlines, students should have a clear strategy and plan regarding which schools they are applying to early based on their preferences, test scores, grades, and academic interests. While applying early can boost a student’s chances of admission at a school where they are a qualified and competitive candidate, it is not a golden ticket into the Ivy League. Students should not simply apply ED to Harvard as a Hail Mary attempt at admission—instead, they should select an EA or ED school based on their genuine academic interests, career goals, program alignment, and odds of success based on how their grades and test scores compare to the median at that institution.
The week before application deadlines is not the time to switch up one’s application strategy. Students and parents should instead remind themselves of why they chose their original approach and trust the preparation they have done until this point. Reactive application strategies rarely succeed.
2. Edit your application—and then edit it again.
Particularly in the early admissions round, as students have less time to perfect their applications, polishing and editing one’s materials is absolutely essential. A glaring typo, a wrong school name, an incorrect reference, or a sloppy mistake can detract from an otherwise strong application by suggesting that a student is careless or doesn’t care enough about the school to polish their materials. Students should have their personal statement, supplemental essays, Activities List, and additional information section drafted well in advance of the deadline so that they can read through their materials thoroughly before submitting. Enlisting the help of a teacher, peer, or family member can be invaluable for editing and polishing applications—request that your editor look out for errors and typos and ask them to ensure that the application effectively captures your voice.
That being said, it is just as important to know when to stop editing. With so much pressure resting on these documents, some students feel immobilized by the need to continue tweaking and re-reading. Once you have read through your materials carefully and had one or two additional editors evaluate them, it is time to close your laptop and trust the hard work you have put into them.
3. Prepare yourself for deferral by crafting a strong Plan B.
The vast majority of early applicants receive a deferral. This is not the same as a rejection—it simply means that the institution wants to evaluate the candidate against the regular decision pool rather than accepting or rejecting them in the early round. Because this is the most common outcome, students should first and foremost go into the early application process mentally prepared for the possibility of deferral. Kicking off the application season with an inconclusive response can be frustrating and demoralizing if students allow it to be; but knowing that this is a likely outcome can help students stay motivated and positive, regardless of the decision they receive.
Additionally, it’s easy for students to get tunnel vision around their early application school, but it is important not to let other applications fall by the wayside. Rather than putting all of your eggs in the early decision basket, refocus on the other schools on your list after you have submitted your early applications. While you can remain hopeful about an early acceptance, staying committed to the other schools on your list can ensure that you have plenty of options if your first choice doesn’t pan out.
Success in early admissions comes down to crafting a clear strategy, telling a cohesive story, and preparing for every possible outcome. Whether your acceptance arrives in December or not, the long-term strategy and dedication you put into your early applications will pay dividends in the Regular Decision round.