Full list for 2024/25

In the crazy world of college applications, it’s best for students to make plenty of flexible plans and backup plans. And then creates backup plans for your backup plans. Early Decision applications, a binding agreement that accepted students are required to attend that school, can play an important role in the application strategy. Early decision applications can reduce both the stress associated with waiting for a decision and the time and financial costs of filing an application. Knowing the difference between Early Decision I (ED I) and Early Decision II (ED II) and planning for them both during the application process can mean the difference between a successful application process or not.

Before describing the importance of ED II planning in the application timeline, it is worth acknowledging the often misunderstood admissions statistics associated with early admissions processes.

True advantage or statistical mirage?

While Early Decision provides a statistical advantage, experts question whether that’s what these numbers really indicate. For example, of the 7,921 students who applied early for admission to Harvard’s Class of 2028, 692 were admitted, an acceptance rate of 11.44% compared to the Class of 2028 average of 3.59%. However, Harvard states that “although acceptance rates tend to be higher under restrictive early action, this reflects the remarkable strength of the applicant pool rather than an advantage in application timing.” Assuming that a similar concept applies to early decision programs, it is best to take early decision round statistics with a grain of salt, viewing them as a useful tool for applicants rather than a sure-fire way to improve your chances of admission.

Benefits of Early Decision Planning and Timing II

Universities will begin publishing ED I results in mid-December, but waiting until then to plan your ED II application may be too late. Most ED II deadlines are in early to mid-January, so scheduling them at the same time as regular decision making and ED I plans would probably make more sense. Since regular decision deadlines often coincide with ED II deadlines, students may want to consider applying through ED II to potentially increase their chances rather than through regular decision. For example, the ED II deadline for Skidmore College is January 15, the same day as the regular decision application deadline.

Early Decision Timing II

Here is a list of universities that offer ED II dates in the 2024/2025 cycle.

December dates

December 1:

• SUNY – Geneseo
• Emerson College

December 15:

• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

December 20:

January deadlines

January 1:

• Grinnell College
• Bates College
• Boston College
• Bryn Mawr College
• College of New Jersey
• College of William and Mary
• Emory University
• New York University
• Northeastern University
• Syracuse University
• Vanderbilt University
• Wesleyan University
• Colby College
• Brandeis University
• Lehigh University
• Macalester College
• Pitzer College
• Rochester Institute of Technology
• Smith College
• University of Miami
• University of Richmond
• Wake Forest University
• Washington and Lee University
• Wellesley College
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

January 2:

• Oberlin College
• Washington University in St. Louis

January 3:

• Johns Hopkins University
• Babson College

January 4:

• Boston University
• Middlebury College
• Tufts University
• University of Chicago
• Davidson College
• Swarthmore College
• Vassar College

January 5:

• Bowdoin College
• Hamilton College
• Haverford College
• Mount Holyoke College
• Rollins College
• University of Rochester
• George Washington University
• Harvey Mudd College
• Scripps College

January 7:

January 8:

• Tulane University
• Pomona College

January 10:

January 11:

• Claremont McKenna College

January 15:

• Bennington College
• Bucknell University
• Clark University
• Colgate University
• College of Wooster
• Denison University
• DePauw University
• Drew University
• Hobart and William Smith Colleges
• Lafayette College
• Providence College
• Sewanee: University of the South
• Skidmore College
• Southern Methodist University
• St. Olaf College
• Stevens Institute of Technology
• Catholic University of America
• Trinity College (Hartford)
• Trinity University
• American University
• Case Western Reserve University
• College of the Holy Cross
• Colorado College
• Connecticut College
• Dickinson College
• Fairfield University
• Furman University
• Gettysburg College
• Lake Forest College
• Loyola Marymount University
• Rhodes College
• Sarah Lawrence College
• University of Denver
• Villanova University
• Kenyon College
• Franklin and Marshall College
• Union College (New York)

February dates

February 1:

• Allegheny College
• Baylor University
• High Point University
• Marist College
• Muhlenberg College
• Western College
• St. Lawrence University
• Kalamazoo College
• Stonehill College

February 15: