Early application trends varied broadly across colleges and universities offering Early Action (EA) and Early Decision (ED) programs.

Harvard University and Princeton University’s reinstitution of early admission programs for the Class of 2016 fed the ongoing controversy regarding the role of early admissions in the college application process, and caused an ED/EA ripple effect impacting many of the most-competitive schools, most notably Yale and Columbia.

Harvard and Princeton reinstated their early action options for Fall 2012 admission, after eliminating those programs in 2006.    Princeton received 3,547 early action applications for the Class of 2016, and Harvard received 4,245.  Both schools’ early action programs are non-binding, single choice (SC), meaning that admitted students are not required to enroll, but participating students are restricted from applying to most other early admission programs.

According to The Daily Princetonian, Princeton’s last early admission round was in 2006 with 2,275 applications. The Harvard Crimson reported that Harvard’s 4,245 early applications for the Class of 2016, represented a 5.9% increase from the number of students who applied early action when the program was last in effect

Along with Harvard and Princeton, the University of Virginia recently reinstated its early admission program.  UVA eliminated its early admission option in 2007.  This Fall UVA received 11,417 early action applications from high school seniors. 

Early action applicants to Yale’s single-choice program dropped 18% from last year to 4,310 applicants.  Last year 14.5% of EA applicants to Yale were admitted.  At Columbia, ED applications dropped nearly 6% to 3,088.    Nearly 19% of ED applicants to Columbia’s Class of 2015 were admitted.

At the University of Pennsylvania, ED applications dropped about 1% to 4,526.   Last year Penn accepted more than 26% of its ED applicants. 

At Stanford University, SC/EA applications dropped less than 1% to 5,880.   Last year Stanford accepted 12.65% of early applicants.  

Applications to MIT’s Class of 2016, through its unrestricted, non-binding EA program, declined 4.7% to 6,102. Those 6,102 applicants represent over five times the target size of the Class of 2016 (about 1,130) and a 75% increase in EA applications from five years earlier.  Last year, 12% of early applicants were admitted to MIT — slightly higher than the regular decision rate of 9.6%.

This year Dartmouth had a record number of ED applicants, up 2.1% to 1,791. Brown had an increase of 5.5% to 2,904, and Cornell’s ED applicant pool increased 3.7% percent to 3,609.  Last year Dartmouth, Brown and Cornell admitted 25%, 19% and 35% (respectively) of ED applicants. 

This year, Duke University received 2716 ED applications from 509 more high school seniors than last year, an increase of 23%.   Last year, Duke admitted 650 ED candidates, about 38% of its incoming class.

Many early decision programs received a jump in applications for the class entering in 2012. Johns Hopkins saw an increase of 7.65% to 1,440 ED applicants.   American University’s ED applicant pool grew nearly 10% to 624.   ED applications to Boston University increased nearly 20% 1,057.  Elon experienced a 16% increase to 400.  ED applications to George Washington increased more than 6% to 1,575.  Northwestern received 2,450 ED applications, 15.2% more than last year. William & Mary received 1,167 ED applications, an 8.5% increase from last year.

Non-binding Early Action programs remain popular with students whose applications and credentials are ready, but do not wish to make an early commitment.  Babson College (MA) received 1,675 applications representing a 22% increase.   EA applications increased more than 16% at Case Western Reserve to 4,300, from 3,700.   The University of Chicago received 8,698 applications, a noteworthy increase of nearly 25% over last year’s figure.   EA applications to
Georgetown University grew slightly to 6,750.   Fordam (NY) received 11,163 EA applications, a 16.6% increase from last year.  EA applications to Northeastern increased 14% to 16,092.  Notre Dame received 5,590 EA applications, up more than 5% from last year.  Applications surged nearly 11% at Villanova (PA) with 7,743 students seeking EA admission to the Class of 2016.