Early Decision Deadlines for Every College
Thinking of applying to a college under an early decision plan? For students who are dead set on a specific school, doing so can ease the anxiety of waiting until April for your admissions decision as well as give you a slight advantage in the admissions process.
If you do decide to apply ED, remember that you’ll need to start the process earlier than your peers who are applying under regular decision plans. Below are deadlines for every college and university that offers an ED plan, along with a summary of the process, how it differs from early action and regular decision, and factors to keep in mind.
What Is Early Decision?
Under an early decision plan, students apply to their top college early and must attend if they are accepted. You can only apply to one college ED. Some colleges also offer a separate ED II plan, which we’ll describe in greater detail below.
Applying early decision often gives students about whom admissions committees are on the fence a slight advantage. Still, you must be very committed to attending that school and shouldn’t just apply early for the advantage if you’re not really sure since you must matriculate if you accepted, except in the case of emergencies or unusual circumstances.
What Is Early Decision II?
Like ED I, ED II is binding, meaning you must matriculate at that college if you are admitted under the plan. However, the deadlines for ED II plans are later than those for ED I and often coincide with regular decision deadlines. Some colleges offer both plans.
Applying ED II means you gain the same advantage of committing to one school and thus boosting your likelihood of admission. This is because colleges want a high yield rate—the ratio of admitted students to those who enroll—and early decision plans produce students who are committed to matriculating.
Another advantage to ED II is that it gives you the opportunity to apply ED to multiple schools if you’re denied admission or deferred from your first choice
Early Decision vs. Early Action
ED is binding, while early action is nonbinding. Some colleges have restricted early action plans. REA is nonbinding, but you may only apply to one college under this plan.
Most schools offer EA or ED, but not both. To learn more about early action, read Your Complete List of Early Action Deadlines for Every EA College.
To find out more about the differences among the early plans available, check out EA vs ED vs REA.
Tips for Applying Early Decision
There are many factors to keep in mind when applying early decision:
(1) Assess your financial situation.
Remember that ED is binding; unless you really can’t pay, you are obligated to matriculate at the college if you are admitted. Meanwhile, applying RD gives you the chance to compare financial aid offers.
(2) Make sure the college is absolutely your first choice.
Visit campuses, talk to past and current students, and do thorough research before you come to closure.
(3) Be realistic about the edge this gives you.
ED benefits candidates who are on the fence for admissions, meaning it’s a “middle” school for you, but it’s not going to make up for weak test scores or grades. It probably won’t put reach candidates over the edge, and if it’s a safety school for you, you might just hedge your bets and apply regular decision.
(4) Be aware of the timeline.
You’ll need to pay attention to earlier deadlines. ED application deadlines are usually in November, so get a head start on your essays over the summer and make sure you’ve secured your recommendations before October. It’s also a good idea to have your other applications ready in case it’s not good news since you won’t have much time to meet RD deadlines after you hear.
Early Decision Deadlines for Every School
Below is a complete list of early decision I and II deadlines at every school that offers the plan.
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
ED I: November 15
Alfred University
ED I: December 1
Allegheny College
ED I: November 1
ED II: January 15
American University
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 15
Amherst College
ED I: November 15
Babson College
ED I: November 1
Barnard College
ED I: November I
Bates College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 1
Beloit College
ED I: November 1
ED II: January 15
Bennington College
ED I: November 1
ED II: January 15
Bentley University
ED I: November 1
Boston University
ED I: November 1
ED II: January 4
Bowdoin College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 1
Brandeis University
ED I: November 1
ED II: January 1
Brown University
ED I: November 1
Bryant University
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 15
Bryn Mawr College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 1
Bucknell University
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 15
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
ED I: October 31
Carleton College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 15
Carnegie Mellon University
ED I: November 1
Case Western Reserve University
ED I: November 1
ED II: January 15
Centre College
ED I: December 1
ED II: January 15
Champlain College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 15
Christopher Newport University
ED I: November 15
Claremont McKenna College
ED I: November 1
ED II: January 1
Clarkson University
ED I: December 1
Colby College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 1
Colgate University
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 15
College of New Rochelle
ED I: November 1
College of the Atlantic
ED I: December 1
ED II: January 10
College of the Holy Cross
ED I: December 15
College of William and Mary
ED I: November 1
College of Wooster
ED I: November 1
Colorado College
ED I: November 10
Columbia University
ED I: November 1
Connecticut College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 1
Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
ED I: December 1
Cornell College
ED I: November 1
ED II: February 1
Cornell University
ED I: November 1
ED II: February 1
Cox College
ED I: November 1
Dartmouth College
ED I: November 1
Davidson College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 2
Denison University
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 15
DePauw University
ED I: November 1
Dickinson College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 15
Drew University
ED I: December 1
ED II: February 2
Duke University
ED I: November 1
Duquesne University
ED I: November 1
Earlham College
ED I: November 1
Elmira College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 15
Elon University
ED I: November 1
Emory University
ED I: November 1
ED II: January 1
Fairfield University
ED I: November 15
Five Towns College
ED I: December 1
Flagler College
ED I: November 1
Florida Southern College
ED I: December 1
Franklin & Marshall College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 15
Furman University
ED I: November 1
George Washington University
ED I: November 1
ED II: January 1
Gettysburg College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 15
Gordon College
ED I: November 1
Goucher College
ED I: November 15
Grinnell College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 1
Grove City College
ED I: November 15
Hamilton College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 1
Hamline University
ED I: November 1
Hampden-Sydney College
ED I: November 15
Hampshire College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 15
Hartwick College
ED I: November 1
Harvey Mudd College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 1
Haverford College
ED I: November 15
High Point University
ED I: November 3
Hillsdale College
ED I: November 15
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 15
Hollins University
ED I: October 15
ED II: November 15
Ithaca College
ED I: November 1
Johns Hopkins University
ED I: November 1
Juniata College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 1
Kalamazoo College
ED I: November 15
ED II: February 15
Kenyon College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 15
Lafayette College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 15
Lake Forest College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 15
Lawrence University
ED I: November 1
Lehigh University
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 1
Lewis & Clark College
ED I: November 1
Loyola University Maryland
ED I: November 1
Lynchburg College
ED I: November 15
Macalester College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 1
Manhattan College
ED I: November 15
Manhattanville College
ED I: December 1
Marist College
ED I: November 1
Marlboro College
ED I: November 15
Mary Baldwin College
ED I: November 15
Maryland Institute College of Art
ED I: November 15
Meredith College
ED I: October 30
Merrimack College
ED I: November 15
Miami University
ED I: November 15
Middlebury College
ED I: November 1
ED II: January 1
Mississippi College
ED I: December 1
Mitchell College
ED I: November 15
Moody Bible Institute
ED II: December 1
Morehouse College
ED I: November 1
Mount Holyoke College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 1
Muhlenberg College
ED I: February 15
Nazareth College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 15
New York University
ED I: November 1
ED II: January 1
New School of Architecture & Design
ED I: July 1
Northeastern University
ED I: November 1
Northwestern University
ED I: November 1
Oberlin College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 2
Occidental College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 1
Ohio Wesleyan University
ED I: November 15
Pitzer College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 1
Pomona College
ED I: November 1
ED II: January 1
Presbyterian College
ED I: November 1
Prescott College
ED I: December 1
Providence College
ED I: December 1
Quinnipiac University
ED I: November 1
Ramapo College of New Jersey
ED I: November 1
Reed College
ED I: November 15
ED II: December 20
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
ED I: November 1
ED II: December 15
Rhode Island School of Design
ED I: November 1
Rhodes College
ED I: November 1
ED II: January 1
Rice University
ED I: November 1
Roanoke College
ED I: November 10
Rochester Institute of Technology
ED I: December 1
Rollins College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 15
Sacred Heart University
ED I: December 1
Saint Mary’s College
ED I: November 15
Salisbury University
ED I: November 15
Santa Clara University
ED I: November 1
Sarah Lawrence College
ED I: November 1
ED II: January 1
Scripps College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 1
Sewanee: University of the South
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 15
Siena College
ED I: December 1
Skidmore College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 15
Smith College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 1
Southern Methodist University
ED I: November 1
ED II: January 15
Spelman College
ED I: November 1
Springfield College
ED I: December 1
ED II: January 10
St. John Fisher College
ED I: December 1
St. Lawrence University
ED I: February 1
St. Mary’s College of Maryland
ED I: November 1
ED II: December 1
St. Olaf College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 1
State University of New York at Fredonia
ED I: November 1
State University of New York at Oswego
ED I: November 30
State University of New York College at Geneseo
ED I: November 15
State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry
ED I: December 1
State University of New York Maritime College
ED I: November 1
Sterling College
ED I: November 15
Stevens Institute of Technology
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 15
Stillman College
ED I: July 1
Stonehill College
ED I: December 1
Susquehanna University
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 15
Swarthmore College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 1
Syracuse University
ED I: November 15
Texas Christian University
ED I: November 1
The College of New Jersey
ED I: November 1
ED II: January 1
The Jewish Theological Seminary
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 15
Trinity College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 1
Trinity University
ED I: November 1
ED II: January 1
Tufts University
ED I: November 1
ED II: January 1
Union College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 15
University at Buffalo
ED I: November 1
University of Miami
ED I: November 1
University of Pennsylvania
ED I: November 1
University of Puget Sound
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 1
University of Richmond
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 15
University of Rochester
ED I: November 1
University of San Francisco
ED I: November 15
Ursinus College
ED I: January 15
Vanderbilt University
ED I: November 1
ED II: January 1
Vassar College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 1
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
ED I: November 1
Wabash College
ED I: November 15
Wake Forest University
ED I: November 15
Warren Wilson College
ED I: November 15
Washington & Jefferson College
ED I: December 1
Washington and Lee University
ED I: November 1
ED II: January 15
Washington College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 15
Washington University in St. Louis
ED I: November 15
Webb Institute
ED I: October 15
Wellesley College
ED I: November 1
Wells College
ED I: December 15
Wesleyan College
ED I: November 15
Wesleyan University
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 1
Wheaton College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 1
Whitman College
ED I: November 15
ED II: January 1
Willamette University
ED I: November 15
Williams College
ED I: November 15
Wittenberg University
ED I: November 15
Wofford College
ED I: November 1
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