Class of 2028 Early Action and Early Decision Release Dates
Amidst finals season and holiday celebrations, students who applied to college Early Action (EA) or Early Decision (ED) are anxiously awaiting to hear back about their admissions decision. Early admissions opportunities have become an increasingly desirable option for students and institutions alike, offering a slight boost to applicants’ chances of admission and to universities’ yield rate. This means that more students than ever are opting to apply early—this early application cycle saw a 41% increase over the 2019-20 cycle in applications submitted before November 1st. This also means that for more students than ever, December is filled with anxious anticipation for admissions decisions.
While this time of year can be particularly stressful as the anticipation rises, if you applied early, learning the exact date that you will hear back from your school can help to ease your nerves. Here’s our guide to navigating the month of December as an early action or early decision applicant!
I’m anxious to hear back from my Early Action or Early Decision school — what should I be doing while I wait?
This month can be particularly nerve-wracking, and that’s okay! Here are three things you can do while you await your admissions decisions:
- Keep your grades up: it’s easy to let senioritis sneak up on you, but it’s important to maintain top grades this semester. If you don’t receive an early acceptance, your grades will remain in consideration at your RD schools.
- Keep working on your regular decision applications: if you applied Early Action, there might be a handful (or more) of schools that you’re still interested in applying to, no matter what your Early Action results are. Don’t procrastinate these applications: it’s important to give yourself enough time to submit the best work you can.
- Finally, focus on enjoying your senior year. This will be your last holiday season as a high school student living at home — spend lots of time with your family and friends!
EA/ED decisions have been released for my dream school—what do I do now?
Whether celebrating an acceptance, grappling with rejection, or navigating the stress of a deferral, the release of EA/ED decisions brings a wide range of emotions for students. If you are unsure of your next steps, our comprehensive guide to decision outcomes offers clear, actionable steps you can take—no matter the decision you’ve received! From writing a letter of continued interest to re-evaluating your college list and navigating EDII applications, discover what you can be doing to set yourself up for success.
When should I expect to hear back from my EA/ED school?
Below you will find a list of schools that have released their decision dates. We are updating the list in real time as schools verify their decision dates, so check back in if your school does not yet appear on the list!
| School | Decision Type | Release Date | Release Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Georgia | Early Action (in-state) | November 17th | Not Specified |
| William & Mary | Early Decision | December 5th | Not Specified |
| Boston College | Early Decision | December 5th | Not Specified |
| Tulane University | Early Decision | December 5th | Not Specified |
| Southern Methodist University | Early Decision | December 8th | Not Specified |
| Vassar College | Early Decision | December 8th | Not Specified |
| Colby College | Early Decision | December 8th | Not Specified |
| Williams College | Early Decision | December 8th | Not Specified |
| University of Miami | Early Decision | December 8th | Not Specified |
| Amherst College | Early Decision | December 8th | 6:21 PM |
| Haverford College | Early Decision | December 8th | 7:00 PM |
| Georgia Tech | Early Decision | December 8th | Not Specified |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Early Decision | December 9th | Not Specified |
| Wesleyan University | Early Decision | December 9th | Not Specified |
| Middlebury College | Early Decision | December 9th | 8:00 AM |
| Wellesley College | Early Decision | December 9th | 10:00 AM |
| Caltech | Restrictive Early Action | December 9th | 11:35 AM |
| Bucknell University | Restrictive Early Action | December 11th | 9:00 PM |
| Swarthmore College | Early Decision | December 12th | 7:00 PM |
| Barnard College | Early Decision | December 13th | 6:30 PM |
| Colgate University | Early Decision | December 13th | 7:13 PM |
| Washington and Lee University | Early Decision | December 13th | 8:00 PM |
| American University | Early Decision | December 14th | 4:00 PM |
| Clemson University | Early Action | December 14th | 6:00 PM |
| Columbia University | Early Decision | December 14th | 7:00 PM |
| Cornell University | Early Decision | December 14th | 7:00 PM |
| Duke University | Early Decision | December 14th | 7:00 PM |
| Fairfield University | Early Action | December 14th | 6:00 PM |
| George Washington University | Early Decision | December 14th | Not Specified |
| Hamilton College | Early Decision | December 14th | 8:00 PM |
| Princeton University | Single Choice Early Action | December 14th | 7:00 PM |
| Rice University | Early Decision | December 14th | 6:00 PM |
| Tufts University | Early Decision | December 14th | 7:00 PM |
| University of Pennsylvania | Early Decision | December 14th | 7:00 PM |
| Yale University | Single Choice Early Action | December 14th | 5:00 PM |
| Bowdoin College | Early Decision | December 15th | 6:00 PM |
| Brown University | Early Decision | December 15th | 6:00 PM |
| Georgetown University | Early Decision | December 15th | Not Specified |
| Florida State University | Early Action | December 14th | Late Afternoon |
| College of the Holy Cross | Early Decision | December 15th | Not Specified |
| Johns Hopkins University | Early Decision | December 15th | Not Specified |
| New York University | Early Decision | December 15th | Not Specified |
| Northwestern University | Early Decision | December 15th | Not Specified |
| Smith College | Early Decision | December 15th | 5:00 PM |
| University of Georgia | Early Decision | December 15th | 4:00 PM |
| University of Notre Dame | Restrictive Early Action | December 15th | 6:42 PM |
| University of Richmond | Early Decision | December 15th | 7:00 PM |
| University of Virginia | Early Decision | December 15th | 5:00 PM |
| Villanova University | Early Decision | December 15th | Not Specified |
| Washington University in St. Louis | Early Decision | December 15th | Not Specified |
| MIT | Early Decision | December 16th | 12:16 PM |
| Syracuse University | Early Decision | December 16th | Not Specified |
| University of Chicago | Early Decision & Early Action | December 18th | Not Specified |
| Colorado College | Early Action | December 19th | 6:00 PM |
| Union College | Early Action | December 19th | Not Specified |
| Elon University | Early Action | December 20th | Not Specified |
| Macalester College | Early Action | December 20th | Not Specified |
| St. Olaf College | Early Action | December 22nd | Not Specified |
| Purdue University | Early Action | January 15th | Not Specified |
| Ohio State University | Early Action | January 19th | Not Specified |
| UMass Amherst | Early Action | January 24th | Not Specified |
| UIUC | Early Action | January 26th | Not Specified |
| URichmond | Early Action | January 26th | Not Specified |
| RPI | Early Action | January 27th | Not Specified |
| UNC Chapel Hill | Early Action | January 31st | Not Specified |
| Wake Forest University | Early Decision II | February 15th | Not Specified |
| Johns Hopkins University | Early Decision II | February 16th | Not Specified |
| University of Florida | Regular Decision | February 23rd | Not Specified |