What Types of Early Admission Options Does Your Dream College Offer?

Good morning and happy Wednesday 7EDU readers!


After yesterday's read on the Different College Applications Types: ED vs EA vs ER, some of our readers have asked us what types of early admission options Ivy League universities offer. Now that we understand some common early admission programs and what they mean, we will examine what early admission options some of these Ivy Leagues offer.


Before we begin, there are eight registered and established members of the private Ivy League:

The eight Ivy League institutions have a joint admission policy, which is all enumerated in the Joint Statement for Candidates on Common Ivy Admission Procedure. (Download a PDF copy of the statement here).

The renowned Ivy League institution is comprised of the universities mentioned above, established in 1954. Their primary purpose is to promote and encourage novice growth in athletics.


In order to aid in the transition from secondary school to higher education, the organization itself has established a streamlined process with the intentions of simplifying and promoting a unified admissions procedure.


All eight Ivy League colleges mail acceptance decision letters twice annually, typically during mid-December and late March. For students who hope for an admission letter in December, we recommend that they are prepared to apply in early to mid-November.


Early Applications

If your child decides to apply for early decision (ED) or early action (EA) at an Ivy League, expect a notification in December on whether he or she has been awarded, declined, or deferred admission until the late March announcement date.


Within early applications, student candidates can choose between two options that have their own special guidelines:

  • Early decision (ED): binds an applicant to the school that they are applying at if admitted, and are required to withdraw all other applications to any other universities or colleges.

  • Early action (EA): applicant not required to commit to a specific school and may apply at other colleges (private or not) under standard admission.

  • Restrictive early action (REA): applicant may only apply to one private university for REA. Candidates can apply EA at their state public colleges, however. Similar to EA in that it is non-binding; students are not required to commit.


Ivy Leagues that offer early decision: Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, and the University of Pennsylvania.

  • For a list of all early decision colleges and universities not limited to Ivy League institutions, see here.


Ivy Leagues that offer early action: Harvard, Princeton, and Yale.

  • For a list of all early action colleges and universities not limited to Ivy League institutions, see here.

Ivy Leagues that offer restrictive early action: Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, and Yale.

  • Other colleges, not limited to Ivy Leagues that offer this option: Boston College, Georgetown University, and the University of Notre Dame.


You can learn the details and specifics about ED and EA in our article on Different College Application Types: ED vs EA vs ER.


Early Evaluation

Depending on the Ivy League your child may want to apply for, each individual admission office will identify and advise candidates accordingly regarding their probability of admission. This is known as an early evaluation.


Early evaluation letters are determined and sent no earlier than October 1 of the intended student's senior year in high school. Given that the prospective candidate maintains their academic and personal history illustrated in the original application, the targeted Ivy League university will send an official admissions letter and offer on the standardized notification date.


While it is not required, Ivy League schools encourage that the approved student retract and inform all other applications at the earliest opportunity.

We hope that today's blog was able to clarify what early admission programs/options each Ivy League schools offer and the potential deadlines your child may need to meet to apply. If you require more assistance on understanding college admissions and counseling, 7EDU Impact Academy offers guidance and consulting for college preparations. Call us at (408) 216-9109 or email us at info@7edu.org.


Beginning to explore the various early admission options is a great start to planning your child's college list. To further learn about how you can be prepared, see our previous blog article on the 2019 Admission Trends to get a rough idea of what to expect when your child is applying for colleges this year! We also have an old post in which we discuss the amount you should be saving up in order to prepare your kid for the academic rigor of universities.


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