Early Action Acceptance Rates for the Class of 2029

Are you trying to decide if it's worth it to apply Early Action as part of your college admissions strategy? In this post, Crimson Education COO Arkesh Patel shares the most recent data available on Early Action acceptance rates and related early round admissions trends and developments — for the Ivy League and other highly selective US schools, for the Class of 2029. With the admissions landscape as competitive as it has ever been, an Early Action application strategy could give you the edge you're looking for. Use the information below to help you decide if applying EA is the right choice for your circumstances.

With tens of thousands of motivated young scholars aspiring each year to get into top colleges, acceptance rates at Ivy League schools and top-ranked non-Ivies have been touching record lows.

Among these institutions, a good number offer Early Action or Early Decision admissions options, which thousands of students apply under each year, for various reasons.

One of the most prominent reasons, especially in the current admissions landscape, is to take advantage of a higher acceptance rate.

Overall acceptance rates are what most families think of when they’re comparing how selective one top school is compared to another. But students who apply Regular Decision will typically encounter an acceptance rate lower than the overall rate, while those who apply in an early round — when that’s an option — will typically benefit from a significantly higher acceptance rate, compared to the overall rate, and even more so compared to the Regular Decision rate.

This is why applying early can give you a big edge in admissions, but to make the best decisions when considering an early decision application strategy, it’s helpful to track early decision rates and trends.

Below you’ll find more information about Early Action statistics for the Class of 2029 along with insights into recent Early Action admissions trends and developments.

At the end, we’ll review important features of EA policies and application strategies to help you plan your next steps. You'll also find links to posts going into more detail on related topics because we want you to be able to make the most informed decisions possible.

Class of 2029 Early Action Admissions Results

First we'll take a look at the Ivy League schools that offer an Early Action option — some do while others offer Early Decision instead.

Also, we have to accept that some schools report statistics later than others, or elect not to report them, so what follows is based on available data and estimated figures in some cases.

Harvard (early action), for example, has recently joined UPenn (early decision), Princeton (early action), and Cornell (early decision), in withholding early-round admissions data.

Ivy League Early Action Acceptance Rates

At Crimson, we've found that an Early Action application strategy can be one part of a comprehensive strategy that helps students beat the odds in such a competitive landscape.

But how much better are Early Action acceptance rates for the Class of 2029 at top schools?

Before you commit to an EA strategy, you'll want to think through the potential pros and cons and research just how big an edge you might get by applying Early Action.

Here's a look at recent Early Action statistics for the Ivy League schools that offer some form of Early Action — updated for the Class of 2029, based on available data, and in some cases on estimates:

Class of 2029 Early Action Acceptance Rates at Top-Ranked Universities (non-Ivies)

Admissions is also highly competitive at the universities and colleges ranking among the top 25 nationally. Of those, the ones that have Early Action admissions options include schools such as MIT, Georgetown, USC, University of Notre Dame, and more.

Applying EA and adhering to other strategies used by top applicants will typically boost your chances for admissions. The table below shows you EA acceptance rates at top schools that offer EA, for the Class of 2029.

Early Action results for the Class of 2029 and 2028 show that the acceptance rates for EA admissions are significantly higher than Regular Decision rates, but still put you up against a competitive field.

Also, despite longer-term trends, EA acceptance rates haven't changed all that much year to year at most top schools. This means the EA results for the Class of 2029 are likely to be a fairly reliable guide for estimating next year's EA acceptance rates at your dream school.

Stanford's EA Statistics & Key Trends

Stanford no longer reports EA statistics, making it hard to gauge what boost you might get applying under Stanford's Restrictive Early Action (REA) policy.

Stanford’s overall acceptance rate has generally remained near or below 3–5% over the last decade. Based on historical data, students who apply under REA to Stanford might enjoy an acceptance rate closer to 8–10%, a bit better, but still extremely competitive.

One factor that should impact admissions at Stanford is the elimination of legacy admissions. While the practice was already banned at public universities in the state, the ban will extend to all private universities in California beginning in 2025.

It has been estimated that between 10–15% of Stanford students have been admitted under legacy admissions — not a considerable number of students for each admissions round, but it does mean the playing field will be a bit more fair for all applicants going forward.

Early Action Admissions Trends

If you’re thinking about applying under Early Action, you may also find it helpful to consider some larger trends impacting early admissions at selective universities.

1. Overall Decline in EA Acceptance Rates

There has been a general increase in the number of students pursuing early admission strategies — as more and more students are looking for ways to get an edge at a time of historically low overall acceptance rates.

Ivy League Schools. When looked at just one year to the next, EA acceptance rates at schools like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton don’t always change significantly. But, over the span of the last decade, EA acceptance rates have declined several percentage points at these schools. This is presumably a result of the growing interest students have in leveraging EA and ED admissions. During the same time period, applications to top schools also increased steadily, especially after test-optional admissions policies became more common in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.  Now, however, many Ivies and other selective schools are reinstating test score requirements.

Smaller Liberal Arts Colleges. While still competitive, some liberal arts colleges have experienced less dramatic declines in their early-round acceptance rates.

2. Increased Use of Early Action and Early Decision To Shape Classes

While increasing numbers of early-round applications are bringing EA and ED acceptance rates lower at many top schools, another trend is helping early applicants maintain a stronger edge.

In particular, more schools are leaning on the interest shown by early applicants to recruit a larger percentage of their incoming classes. Since applicants who apply early are more likely to attend if accepted, universities may be eager to admit more early applicants as a way to manage yield rates or increase diversity.

Ivy League Application Trends 2018 to 2024

Hundreds of thousands of ambitious students apply to the Ivy League each year, and the numbers are growing! Over the past three years the number has topped 400,000. And, most Ivy League schools have overall acceptance rates dropping to 8% or even lower.

Which Ivy League receives the most applications?

Cornell University and UPenn receive the most applications each year, numbering well over 60,000.

Which Ivy League receives the least number of applications?

Dartmouth University is the Ivy League school that receives the least amount of applications. Last year (Class of 2028), Dartmouth received 31,656 applications, resulting in an Overall Acceptance Rate of 5.4%.

The chart below highlights the trend in the number of applications to all eight Ivy League schools over the last ten years.

Is Applying Early Action Worth It?

Despite the stress of applying early — with EA application deadlines typically between November 1st and early December — an EA application strategy still provides potential benefits:

• Applying EA is an opportunity to get and accept an offer early, so you have more time to plan your college experience and can finish the application process early
• EA and ED applicants also demonstrate greater interest in attending the prospective school, something that can help your application get noticed
• Early Action acceptance rates can be 2x or 3x higher, or more, compared to Regular Decision acceptance rates.

Choosing Between Early Action and Early Decision

Some Ivy Leagues and other top schools, like those featured in the tables above, offer Early Action options, but others offer Early Decision options instead.

While Early Action and Early Decision require applying on an earlier timeline than Regular Decision rounds, there are some important differences to consider:

• EA is non-binding and allows students to keep options open, while ED is binding and should only be used if a student is sure about attending the school.
• Restrictive Early Action (REA) limits the number of schools a student can apply to early but remains non-binding.

Check out these resources to learn more:

Your Guide to Early Applications to The Ivy League

Early Action, Early Decision, and Regular Decision Explained

What Is Single-Choice Early Action/Restrictive Early Action?

When applying Early Action to the Ivy League, it's important to understand that Harvard, Yale, and Princeton use a more restrictive form of Early Action, typically called Single-Choice Early Action (SCEA) or Restrictive Early Action (REA).

While NOT binding, SCEA/REA plans prohibit students from applying EA or ED to any other school.

From the school's perspective, imposing SCEA/REA conditions will prevent a student from applying ED somewhere else. This could matter, because ED applications become binding if a student is accepted; the SCEA/REA school wants to ensure that most students they admit will also choose to enroll, perhaps in order to boost their yield rate.

Schools tend to have a strong interest in boosting their yield rates because those rates can improve their overall rankings.

To learn more, check out the following resources:

Your Guide to Early Applications to The Ivy League

Early Action, Early Decision, and Regular Decision Explained

How To Decide If Early Action Is Worth It?

Choosing to apply Early Action can help you stand out by highlighting your genuine interest in the school. As we've just seen, it can also put your application into a smaller pool of applicants so you're contending with a more favorable acceptance rate.

The downside of course is having to apply earlier, and well before you've finished courses, tests, or activities you're engaged in during the first semester of your senior year in high school.

We've also seen that the three top Ivies with EA options use more restrictive SCEA/REA plans, preventing students who take this approach from applying EA or ED to any other school!

With all these essential factors in mind, when applying to highly selective schools, an EA strategy can provide many students a significant admissions edge, but it should be used alongside other effective strategies that help top applicants stand out.

Want more help making important decisions for your college journey? Check out these resources:

What Is a Good SAT Score?

What Is a Good ACT Score?

US College Admissions Calculator

How Can a College Admissions Counselor Help You with Your College Application?

Final Thoughts

With university acceptance rates at some of their lowest and application numbers at their highest, you're smart to be thinking about how to get an edge.

You now know that several Ivy League schools and many other leading institutions in the US offer Early Action options. And, at the most selective schools, applying EA can make a tremendous difference in the acceptance rate — in your favor!

Students and their guardians should remember, however, that some forms of EA admissions are highly restrictive, so be sure you think about your overall college list, top preferences, and your best options before committing to a specific strategy.

Also, remember that applying EA probably won’t be a viable strategy all on its own. You'll want to be sure you're on track to stand out as a top applicant, regardless of the admissions timeline.

Crimson Education is a partner who can help you with decisions like these, with a team approach to support students in preparing the best application possible. In fact, no admissions consultancy has ever had over 100 students accepted in the early round to the Ivy League, but this year we achieved that, with 103 Crimson students succeeding in the early round and receiving offers to Ivy League schools.

How do we do it? One key to our success is the knowledge we have at our fingertips across our large network. But most important, perhaps, is that we use a team approach, with specialists helping students with essays, extracurriculars, and testing and academics.

If you want to learn more, it's easy to get started.

Signing up for a free feedback session with a Crimson strategist is usually the best next step — an easy and convenient way to ask questions and find out more about the Crimson network and our team approach.

Key Resources & Further Reading

• Join our free webinars on US university applications
• Free eBooks and guides to help with the college application process