Early application numbers fell for some Ivies

College Search & Selection
1

A quick look to early admission announcements showed significant decrease in early applications at Harvard and UPenn. Brown saw an increase in early applications. How did it go at other Ivies? Princeton only posted number of accepted applicants, didn’t post number of total applications received or percent of admitted students so likely nothing to boast there either.

2

I’ve heard through the grape vine that Cornell had a decrease in applications as well. There was a slight decline for the class of '23 as well.

3

Thanks @momofsenior1 Duke isn’t an Ivy but they too saw a decline in early applications.

4

I expect we won’t see all the numbers until after this admission cycle is complete in the spring. Some of it is population decrease as we got passed the boom of the 2000 babies but I’m sure some of it is also cost.

5

Most schools post early admission info in December but for RD, we’ll get a better idea in spring.

I think more applicants are figuring out that for unhooked, applying early to non-binding early decisions doesn’t help and for a competitive student getting locked in early without knowing all aid/merit offers isn’t a very wise choice.

6

https://cornellsun.com/2019/12/13/cornells-early-decision-acceptance-rate-increases-to-23-8-percent-for-class-of-2024/

https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2019/12/13/harvard-early-admissions-rate-rises/

https://www.princeton.edu/news/2019/12/12/princeton-offers-early-action-admission-791-students-class-2024

https://www.browndailyherald.com/2019/12/12/university-accepts-record-low-17-5-percent-early-decision-applicants/

7

In advance of 7:00 decision release

http://www.page217.org/class-of-2024-early-decision-program/

8

Not only did Penn, Harvard and Duke see less applications this year, it seems Dartmouth did as well…“third largest applicant pool in the school’s history”? clever!

https://news.dartmouth.edu/news/2019/12/acceptances-offered-early-decision-group

9

Cornell bucks this trend and reports increases in ED applicants AND ED admits for the Class of 2024:

“Cornell admitted 1,576 out of 6,615 early decision applicants, or 23.8 percent, a slight increase from last year’s 22.6 percent acceptance rate for the Class of 2023, according to University statistics provided to The Sun. The early decision acceptance rate for the Class of 2022 was 24.4 percent.”

“…According to the press release, early decision applications for the Class of 2024 rose by 7.4 percent when compared to the Class of 2023 and 4.6 percent over the Class of 2022.”

Source:
https://cornellsun.com/2019/12/13/cornells-early-decision-acceptance-rate-increases-to-23-8-percent-for-class-of-2024/

10

It’s a clever way to say less applications than last two years.