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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