Colleges Where Applying Early Action Helps
If you think you know which college you'd really like to attend but want to keep your options open just in case, the "early action" application route could be the path for you. With early action, you can take advantage of the higher acceptance rates that many colleges offer to students who apply early without having to make a commitment to enroll there if you're accepted. Students who choose this option are free to apply to multiple colleges' early action pool and generally can wait until May to decide whether to accept an offer of admission. Early action applications usually are due in mid-November, and students are notified by the end of the year.
The following list shows which colleges have the highest acceptance rates for their early-action application pool, based on our most recent data. To keep these numbers in perspective, be sure to check the column for how many students applied early: For example, the one student who applied early to Tougaloo College probably got a lot of consideration. But even at the University of Vermont, where more than 5,300 students applied early action, that group's acceptance rate was 28 percentage points higher than the overall number.
If you don't see the college you're looking for on this list, review our list of schools that use the "early decision" option.
| Institution Name | Early Action Deadline | Early Action Acceptance Rate | Early Action # of Applicants | Overall Acceptance Rate | Overall # of Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adelphi University (NY) | 12/1 | 84.1 | 1431 | 66.3 | 6865 |
| Assumption College (MA) | 11/15 | 88.3 | 1067 | 71.4 | 3889 |
| Beloit College (WI) | 12/1 | 85.8 | 611 | 62.8 | 2248 |
| Bentley University (MA) | 11/15 | 52.4 | 2384 | 37.6 | 7238 |
| Biola University (CA) | 12/1 | 88.0 | 1053 | 81.2 | 2470 |
| Bloomfield College (NJ) | 1/7 | 82.3 | 79 | 28.5 | 2690 |
| Boston College | 11/1 | 36.3 | 6697 | 26.2 | 30845 |
| Brandeis University (MA) | 12/15 | 40.3 | 528 | 32.4 | 7724 |
| Butler University (IN) | 11/15 | 85.3 | 3780 | 71.8 | 5923 |
| California Institute of Technology | 11/1 | 26.6 | 800 | 17.4 | 3957 |
| Carthage College (WI) | 7/26 | 88.6 | 545 | 76.7 | 5496 |
| Case Western Reserve University (OH) | 11/1 | 88.5 | 1709 | 73.3 | 7351 |
| Centenary College of Louisiana | 1/15 | 92.6 | 95 | 93.0 | 796 |
| Centre College (KY) | 12/1 | 80.7 | 825 | 62.8 | 2176 |
| Chapman University (CA) | 11/15 | 55.9 | 1853 | 50.1 | 5356 |
| College of Charleston (SC) | 11/15 | 56.4 | 6039 | 64.2 | 9964 |
| College of Idaho (ID) | 11/15 | 96.3 | 215 | 59.3 | 1275 |
| College of Mount St. Vincent (NY) | 11/1 | 79.6 | 181 | 66.6 | 2224 |
| College of St. Rose (NY) | 12/1 | 76.6 | 1802 | 66.3 | 4021 |
| Colorado College | 11/15 | 44.7 | 1303 | 26.0 | 5338 |
| Concordia College (NY) | 11/15 | 82.6 | 69 | 67.9 | 722 |
| Cornell College (IA) | 12/1 | 55.2 | 1286 | 43.6 | 2916 |
| Dickinson College (PA) | 12/1 | 66.7 | 1169 | 44.2 | 5282 |
| Duquesne University (PA) | 12/1 | 63.1 | 1352 | 75.6 | 5715 |
| Earlham College (IN) | 1/1 | 88.1 | 854 | 75.4 | 1825 |
| Emerson College (MA) | 11/1 | 47.3 | 1745 | 37.0 | 6944 |
| Fairfield University (CT) | 11/15 | 58.2 | 3695 | 59.1 | 8732 |
| Fordham University (NY) | 12/1 | 49.1 | 7184 | 46.8 | 23892 |
| Framingham State College (MA) | 11/15 | 56.7 | 372 | 61.0 | 3964 |
| George Fox University (OR) | 12/1 | 98.3 | 292 | 82.8 | 1212 |
| George Mason University (VA) | 11/1 | 76.9 | 2294 | 62.7 | 12943 |
| Georgia College and State University | 11/1 | 49.3 | 1176 | 59.2 | 3906 |
| Gonzaga University (WA) | 11/15 | 79.5 | 2132 | 78.0 | 5026 |
| Gordon College (MA) | 12/1 | 93.4 | 471 | 71.1 | 1570 |
| Goucher College (MD) | 12/1 | 77.3 | 1238 | 63.6 | 4077 |
| Gustavus Adolphus College (MN) | 11/1 | 88.4 | 708 | 74.9 | 3128 |
| Hamline University (MN) | 12/1 | 88.1 | 1074 | 79.9 | 2234 |
| Hanover College (IN) | 12/1 | 75.5 | 1264 | 67.1 | 2180 |
| Hillsdale College (MI) | 1/1 | 62.4 | 850 | 64.3 | 1502 |
| Hofstra University (NY) | 12/15 | 44.9 | 8349 | 53.0 | 20071 |
| Hood College (MD) | 12/15 | 55.6 | 187 | 78.2 | 1570 |
| James Madison University (VA) | 11/1 | 72.9 | 6102 | 65.1 | 19245 |
| Juniata College (PA) | 1/1 | 86.0 | 874 | 69.2 | 2349 |
| Kalamazoo College (MI) | 11/20 | 86.2 | 951 | 70.3 | 2059 |
| Lawrence University (WI) | 12/1 | 82.3 | 695 | 58.8 | 2618 |
| Linfield College (OR) | 11/15 | 96.9 | 422 | 78.6 | 2066 |
| Longwood University (VA) | 12/1 | 55.2 | 1561 | 68.6 | 4197 |
| Loyola College Maryland | 11/1 | 80.0 | 3376 | 68.6 | 7623 |
| Loyola Marymount University (CA) | 11/1 | 61.9 | 2327 | 50.1 | 9086 |
| Marist College (NY) | 12/1 | 48.7 | 3582 | 37.5 | 9198 |
| Massachusetts College of Art and Design | 12/1 | 53.1 | 81 | 51.4 | 1499 |
| Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts | 12/1 | 75.9 | 278 | 78.0 | 1232 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 11/1 | 13.3 | 3919 | 11.9 | 13396 |
| McDaniel College (MD) | 12/1 | 88.7 | 1213 | 77.3 | 2651 |
| Merrimack College (MA) | 11/15 | 88.2 | 991 | 78.7 | 3915 |
| Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design | 11/15 | 23.7 | 93 | 74.7 | 443 |
| Monmouth University (NJ) | 12/1 | 82.2 | 2660 | 56.4 | 7039 |
| Mount St. Mary's University (MD) | 12/1 | 86.6 | 485 | 77.9 | 2716 |
| Nebraska Wesleyan University | 11/15 | 87.3 | 513 | 79.9 | 1519 |
| Niagara University (NY) | 12/10 | 74.8 | 1071 | 73.5 | 3268 |
| Northeastern University (MA) | 11/15 | 48.4 | 10956 | 35.2 | 35754 |
| Old Dominion University (VA) | 12/1 | 60.6 | 5282 | 71.7 | 9484 |
| Pace University (NY) | 11/30 | 55.3 | 2453 | 74.7 | 9123 |
| Point Loma Nazarene University (CA) | 12/1 | 39.5 | 1753 | 78.1 | 1810 |
| Pratt Institute (NY) | 11/1 | 78.8 | 400 | 41.9 | 5010 |
| Randolph-Macon College (VA) | 11/15 | 56.3 | 2446 | 58.1 | 3502 |
| Rhode Island School of Design | 12/15 | 37.1 | 372 | 29.3 | 3148 |
| Rider University (NJ) | 11/15 | 40.9 | 1563 | 74.0 | 6829 |
| Salve Regina University (RI) | 11/1 | 64.2 | 1611 | 58.7 | 5937 |
| Santa Clara University (CA) | 11/1 | 67.7 | 2507 | 57.6 | 10124 |
| Seattle Pacific University | 11/15 | 94.1 | 1052 | 88.2 | 2049 |
| Simmons College (MA) | 12/1 | 56.1 | 1666 | 54.5 | 3222 |
| St. Joseph's University (PA) | 11/15 | 94.8 | 3840 | 86.0 | 7012 |
| St. Mary's College of California | 11/15 | 85.5 | 1253 | 81.4 | 3638 |
| St. Michael's College (VT) | 11/1 | 73.8 | 1646 | 68.8 | 3618 |
| Stanford University (CA) | 11/1 | 16.2 | 4552 | 9.5 | 25299 |
| Stonehill College (MA) | 11/1 | 70.1 | 1505 | 45.0 | 6838 |
| Suffolk University (MA) | 11/20 | 57.9 | 1582 | 81.9 | 9169 |
| SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry | 11/15 | 98.5 | 328 | 48.2 | 1568 |
| SUNY College--Oneonta | 11/15 | 49.5 | 2866 | 37.4 | 12571 |
| SUNY--Stony Brook | 11/15 | 43.9 | 4066 | 43.3 | 25590 |
| Taylor University (IN) | 12/1 | 75.9 | 1168 | 84.0 | 1557 |
| Texas Christian University | 11/1 | 57.6 | 7207 | 50.4 | 12212 |
| Tougaloo College (MS) | 11/1 | 100.0 | 1 | 25.6 | 4573 |
| Transylvania University (KY) | 12/1 | 78.7 | 893 | 78.8 | 1377 |
| Trinity University (TX) | 12/1 | 80.7 | 1385 | 58.2 | 3754 |
| Tulane University (LA) | 11/1 | 65.7 | 8534 | 27.0 | 34125 |
| United States Coast Guard Academy (CT) | 11/1 | 28.8 | 469 | 21.5 | 1370 |
| University of Arkansas | 11/15 | 87.6 | 4914 | 57.7 | 12045 |
| University of Connecticut | 12/1 | 70.0 | 11714 | 54.5 | 21058 |
| University of Dallas | 12/1 | 94.0 | 366 | 91.0 | 1060 |
| University of Georgia | 10/15 | 66.0 | 10969 | 55.6 | 17207 |
| University of Maryland--Baltimore County | 11/1 | 40.5 | 1498 | 71.7 | 5820 |
| University of Massachusetts--Amherst | 11/1 | 80.2 | 6222 | 64.3 | 28931 |
| University of Miami (FL) | 11/1 | 52.1 | 7462 | 38.6 | 21773 |
| University of Mobile (AL) | 8/1 | 88.9 | 18 | 55.9 | 1853 |
| University of New Hampshire | 11/15 | 49.1 | 5765 | 65.2 | 16246 |
| University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill | 11/1 | 42.9 | 11776 | 34.0 | 21543 |
| University of North Carolina--Wilmington | 11/1 | 65.1 | 5442 | 58.5 | 9311 |
| University of Notre Dame (IN) | 11/1 | 42.2 | 4059 | 26.7 | 13945 |
| University of Rhode Island | 12/1 | 88.6 | 9667 | 80.1 | 15887 |
| University of San Diego | 11/15 | 57.4 | 2748 | 52.1 | 10584 |
| University of San Francisco | 11/15 | 71.4 | 1925 | 63.6 | 8485 |
| University of Scranton (PA) | 11/15 | 80.1 | 3424 | 66.0 | 7890 |
| University of Vermont | 11/1 | 92.8 | 5331 | 64.8 | 21062 |
| Ursinus College (PA) | 12/1 | 62.1 | 4498 | 54.7 | 6192 |
| Valparaiso University (IN) | 11/1 | 96.8 | 790 | 91.8 | 3022 |
| Villanova University (PA) | 11/1 | 38.2 | 5409 | 39.5 | 15102 |
| Washington and Jefferson College (PA) | 1/15 | 38.6 | 6601 | 38.3 | 6826 |
| Washington College (MD) | 11/15 | 91.1 | 672 | 69.0 | 3413 |
| Wells College (NY) | 12/15 | 75.0 | 531 | 63.8 | 1117 |
| Westmont College (CA) | 11/1 | 80.3 | 989 | 65.6 | 2078 |
| Wheaton College (IL) | 11/1 | 50.9 | 1087 | 61.8 | 2083 |
| Wheelock College (MA) | 12/1 | 93.8 | 192 | 73.7 | 1096 |
| Whitworth University (WA) | 11/30 | 56.9 | 3087 | 51.2 | 5472 |
| Willamette University (OR) | 12/1 | 86.0 | 559 | 66.6 | 4023 |
| Wittenberg University (OH) | 12/1 | 86.3 | 1928 | 68.8 | 3344 |
| Yale University (CT) | 11/1 | 18.1 | 4888 | 8.6 | 22817 |
Reader Comments
Early Admissions
Experienced college counselors know that early plans are wonderful for the collges and usually (exceptions to everything) because they can lock down the high testers and full paying students, but terrible for the students. Not only are students unaware that deferred students seldom get in (around 5%) but the main danger is that early plans close minds. Students learn more and more about their so-called first choice (we all like best what we know best) and almost nothing about the rest of their list. I'll stick by my principles to keep those student minds open to 8 FIRST CHOICES! In that way they strengthen the weakest part of the college selection process... researching what's out there.
Joyce Slayton Mitchell, Director
Cybernaut Global Education USA, ShanghaiChina
To Zatkow
<<I think the reason some colleges may have higher admit rates with students who apply early is due to the strength of those students>>
Well, that's what they all say, but they are not telling the truth.
The top elites are being pasrticularly misleading on this score, since at many, the early applicants are admitted at a rate THREE OR FOUR TIMES HIGHER than the lowly "regular" applicants!
Not long ago, there was a book entitled "The Early Admissions Game" (Harvard University Press,2003, by Avery, Fairbanks and Zeckhauser) where all the damning statistics were laid out in excruciating detail.
The reason 80% of Andover & Exeter grads, for example, apply early, is NOT because they are smarter, and NOT because they "really know" where they want to go, but because their experienced admissions counsellors tell then the truth: applying early VASTLY INCREASES your odds of admission, no matter what your SAT or ACT score.
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