Cornell is a major research university in Ithaca, NY that just so happens to be part of the prestigious Ivy League. We say “just so happens” like it happened by chance, but Cornell’s status comes from past performance, present prominence, and future excellence. The university is exceptional, and it has the outcomes to prove it. The admissions numbers, though, can be a bit misleading.
Early Decision Strategy for The University of Pennsylvania 2026-2027
The University of Pennsylvania, or Penn, is a prestigious Ivy League university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The university has a strong global perspective, and is for study abroad among its Ivy League peers. The focus on global affairs plays out on campus, too. Students in the Class of 2028 came from 90+ countries, and 15% of the class has addresses outside of the United States. Penn isn’t just about globe-trotting, though. What the school is particularly well-known for, actually, is being home to the most famed undergraduate business program in the United States. The university is home to nearly 30,000 students across and over 10,300 undergraduates. The overall acceptance rate for the Class of 2029, including both the Early Decision and the Regular Decision rounds, was .
Early Decision Strategy for Brown 2026-2027
Brown is the artsy Ivy. This isn’t because it is an arts school, but rather because the culture of the university embodies the ethos of the arts. This is amplified by where Brown is located, in the creative hub of Providence, Rhode Island, and who it has as a neighbor: RISD, one of the most famous creative schools in the world. Brown takes bits and pieces from the communities around it, adding exceptional research opportunities and unique educational approaches to the mix. They have an open curriculum that encourages exploration and discovery, which is very much on theme. Brown receives 40,000 applications each year and aim to admit about 2,400. The acceptance rate for the Class of 2029 was . Then, it dropped. For the Class of 2030, the acceptance rate went down .3% to .
Early Decision Strategy for Columbia 2026-2027
Columbia University is one of the most prestigious schools in the United States in one of the most beloved and even mythic cities. New York City is iconic even before you consider plopping an Ivy League campus in the midst of Manhattan. A few minutes of walking takes students to relaxation in Central Park and a few minute-long train ride brings the same students to their internships on Wall Street. Columbia students benefit from both the social and career resources of New York, and the university is known as a feeder for top-tier financial, consulting, and tech companies. The first-year acceptance rate for the Class of 2030 only .
Early Decision Strategy for Dartmouth 2026-2027
Dartmouth is the mountain Ivy. It’s not in the middle of nowhere, but Hanover, New Hampshire is by far the smallest college city that is also home to an Ivy League institution. It is nestled in the White Mountains. This mountain setting gives Dartmouth a particular energy, culture, and community. The 2025-2026 application cycle the second-largest applicant pool in the history of the College. One year earlier, in 2025, the overall acceptance rate for the Class of 2029 was . That year, they received over 28,000 applications and accepted only 1,699 students. Of that group, 1,205 committed to Dartmouth – or a 71% yield. Then, in 2026 the acceptance rate to 5.8%, and they received applications. This continued a trend that has included record setting numbers of applicants year-over-year for nearly a decade.
Rejected Early Decision from Swarthmore 2025-2026
Swarthmore is an excellent small liberal arts school that has become intensely competitive to gain admission to in recent years. The college wasn’t ever easy to get into — or, at least, not in the past half century. But the acceptance rate has plummet more recently and more students than ever are receiving disappointing news in the Early Decision round.
Rejected Early Decision from Pomona 2025-2026
Rejection nearly always stings, but getting an Early Decision rejection from a dream school is particularly frustrating. If you recently heard from Pomona that they don’t have a space for you, it is understandable if you feel turned upside down. You had a plan and being rejected wasn’t part of it. Now, you have to figure out what comes next.
Rejected Early Decision from Bowdoin 2025-2026
If you recently received a rejection from Bowdoin in the Early Decision round, you aren’t alone. The ED acceptance rate for Bowdoin is quite low, and admissions is extremely competitive. That doesn’t make it hurt less, though. An ED rejection is always gutting, as a dream school rejection is, to put it bluntly, the rejection of a dream. But it isn’t the end of your college dreams. You can still get into an exceptional school. To pull that off, you need to figure out what to do next.
Rejected Early Decision from Rice University 2025-2026
If you’ve recently received a rejection from Rice in the Early Decision round, we know that this wasn’t the plan. You picked Rice ED because you are in love with what they offer, and it felt possible. Not easy, probably, but possible. But now you have a rejection in your inbox, and you have to figure out what comes next.
Rejected Early Decision from Johns Hopkins 2025-2026
You had a plan. You would apply to Johns Hopkins Early Decision, get in, and be done with the college application process. Or, if you didn’t get in ED, you’d at least be deferred. A deferral is far from an acceptance, of course, bouncing you into the Regular Decision pool, but Johns Hopkins would still be in the mix. However, that isn’t what happened. Now you are grappling with a rejection ED and trying to figure out what comes next.
Rejected Early Decision from Northwestern 2025-2026
Any rejection is upsetting, but college rejections — especially in the Early Decision round — have a particular sting to them. There is so much hope, optimism, and hard work wrapped up in college applications, that having a dream school like Northwestern shut down that potential future is frustrating, to put it lightly.
Rejected Early Decision from Boston College 2025-2026
If you recently received a notice of rejection from Boston College in the Early Decision round, that is a major downer. It wasn’t the plan. You picked Boston College for Early Decision because it is a dream school that seemed feasible. You didn’t assume you would get in, but you also thought that you had a solid chance to at least be deferred. Unfortunately, this ED rejection tells us that Boston College didn’t assess your application as “.” In this post, we’re going to break down what this means, why it may have happened, and what you need to do next to get into a dream school.
Rejected Early Decision from Vanderbilt 2025-2026
Rejected Early Decision from Williams 2025-2026
Receiving a rejection from Williams in the Early Decision round is more than frustrating. For many, it is devastating. Williams is a highly-selective school, and it is also a self-selecting one. Students who apply to Williams want Williams, even more so when they decide to apply ED. We’ll go into some numbers in a moment, but the chances of getting into Williams are low enough that it isn’t a safe ED option for anyone. So, what does a rejection tell us and what should you do next?
Rejected Early Decision from Barnard 2025-2026
Deferred Early Decision by Williams 2025-2026
Deferred Early Decision by Wesleyan 2025-2026
Rejected Early Decision from Middlebury 2025-2026
Being rejected Early Decision from Middlebury stings. Yes, it’s a super competitive school, but you didn’t apply thinking that you’d be rejected. Using your Early Decision I for Middlebury was probably a measured choice. You thought hard about it, and it didn’t work out how it was supposed to. What you do next will determine whether you move into a dorm at a dream school in the fall.
Deferred Early Decision by Wellesley 2025-2026
Getting deferred from your top-choice school is tough. You put your heart into your Wellesley ED application, hit submit, and crossed your fingers. And now you’re sitting in the awkward in-between – not denied, but not admitted. The “maybe” zone can be one of the hardest places to be. But before you start spiraling, let’s regroup. A deferral means Wellesley wants more time. You’re still very much in the game.
Rejected Early Decision from Tufts 2025-2026
If you recently received a rejection from Tufts in the Early Decision round, we know that it can be a punch to your stomach. Tufts is one of those interesting schools that has had a rapidly shrinking acceptance rate that mirrors the plummeting percentages at Ivies. As a result, Tufts, which was once a great target or even safety school for strong students with high scores and well-expressed passions has become a reach — even in the ED round — for many of the best and brightest. The overall acceptance rate for the Class of 2029 was only .