Top Tier Admissions

AUGUST 8, 2025

Get Started WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU If you’re a strong academic fit and have a clear first-choice school: Apply Early Decision. The data shows it’s your best bet—by far—for maximizing your admissions chances. If you need to compare financial aid offers, consider Early Action or build a smart Early Decision II strategy.

Early Decision

The Koppelman Group

MAY 2, 2025

However, we specifically love them for their robust financial aid program, leading programs in subjects like public affairs and computer science, and great residential programs. You need a solid strategy, and likely part of that plan will be applying through their Single-Choice Early Action option.

Ivy League

AdmissionSight

JULY 20, 2025

</h2> <p>A Harvard likely letter is an unofficial early communication from <a href="[link] admissions office</a>, sent before the <a href="[link] decision release date</a> (late March), to let you know you’re very likely to be admitted.</p>

Financial Aid

AdmissionSight

AUGUST 6, 2025

</h2> <p><strong>A likely letter is an unofficial early communication from Duke’s admissions office, sent before official decision day, letting the recipient know that they are very likely to be admitted.</strong></p> Complete financial aid and scholarship requirements.</h3>

Admissions

Top Tier Admissions

JANUARY 6, 2023

Now that December’s flurry of early admissions decisions has abated, we can take a deep dive into the data to understand both the results and the institutional priorities that drove decision-making. Spoiler alert : a growing number of applicants led to ever-lower early admit rates at many of the nation's top colleges and universities.

Early Admission

Top Tier Admissions

AUGUST 14, 2023

Applying early admission is one of the most strategic moves you can make in seeking admission to a competitive college. Simply put, admissions rates are notably higher for early applicants who are in range, meaning that some students admitted in the early round would not be if they had waited for subsequent admissions rounds.

Early Admission

Top Tier Admissions

JANUARY 31, 2024

Between ever-increasing early application numbers, unexpected current events and other external factors, colleges seeking to further diversify (gender diversity, economic diversity, geographic diversity, etc.) TOP 10 EARLY ADMISSIONS TRENDS: CLASS OF 2028 1. Yale , for instance, had a 9.02

Early Admission

Spark Admissions

JUNE 22, 2023

But when you dug deeper, you found a lot more than “early decision” – you found Early Action, Early Decision I, Early Decision II, and something called Single Choice Early Action, whatever that is. Can I Just Apply Early Decision II? Withdrawing your application after a decision has been made is much harder.

Early Decision

Excelsior Admissions Consulting

DECEMBER 23, 2021

Want to know what is going on in early admissions for the Ivy League colleges for the Class of 2026? Here is a summary of early admissions statistics from December 2021. Brown This year, Brown admitted 896 students Early Decision out of 6,146 applicants for a 15% admission rate. Click here for the article.

Ivy League

Ivy Central

JUNE 5, 2023

These shifting statistics illuminate the dynamic nature of Harvard College's admissions trends. During the early admissions cycle, Harvard College admitted 7.56 percent of early applicants to the Class of 2027, marking the second-lowest early acceptance rate in the College's history.

Acceptance

Solomon Admissions

JANUARY 26, 2023

Financial Aid The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) opens for students on October 1st and closes on June 30th. Although there are general deadlines for each type of application—early action in the fall, regular decision in the winter—identify the specific deadline for each institution.

Applications

BestColleges

AUGUST 8, 2023

Now, one college is taking a unique approach to ensure that first-generation students have access to early admissions: Wake Forest University is creating an early action option specifically for first-generation students that will let them know of their admission decision by Jan.

Admissions

Great College Advice

SEPTEMBER 28, 2023

” You could make it more specific: “Question about financial aid from prospective applicant 2025.” ” No matter how you formulate it, don’t neglect the subject line in capturing the attention of the admissions officer.

Admissions

Top Tier Admissions

DECEMBER 6, 2022

Moreover, the Classes of ’23 and ’22 were filled 57.15% and 61.46%, respectively, by early admissions. Princeton’s Early Action program is “Single-Choice,” meaning students may not apply early to any other private college or university but may apply early to a public institution, so long as the decision is non-binding.

Acceptance

BestColleges

APRIL 23, 2024

A high yield rate helps colleges minimize the volatility of the admissions cycle. Colleges aim to boost their yield through several strategies, including early admissions policies. Maria Laskaris, a former dean of admissions and financial aid at Dartmouth College who's now a consultant with Top Tier Admissions , agrees.

Waitlist

College Essay Guy

OCTOBER 18, 2024

I loved that QuestBridge had a very straightforward mission: to remove the financial barriers that kept academically strong students from applying to top colleges because of the “sticker price” (For details on “sticker price” vs “net price,” and a lot of other financial aid information, check out the paying for college modules ).

Financial Aid

Ivy College Essay

NOVEMBER 5, 2023

One of the primary advantages of Early Action is that it allows students to relieve some of the stress associated with the college admissions process. Knowing that you have at least one acceptance in hand early on can be a significant relief. This means that you can only apply to one college under an Early Decision plan.

Ivy League

Top Tier Admissions

JANUARY 5, 2024

percent acceptance rate is the lowest since Yale adopted its current non-binding early admissions model, which first went into effect for the class of 2008. TTA Takeaway: Yale now denies more early applicants than it defers.

Acceptance

StandOut College Prep

MARCH 3, 2023

If you apply under the NYU ED program, you commit to attending NYU if you are accepted and the financial aid offered is satisfactory. As you consider applying to NYU, it’s important to know that applying Early Decision can increase your chances of being admitted. This will allow you to attend a more affordable college.

Early Decision

Anna Ivey Consulting

DECEMBER 23, 2022

Get all your financial aid forms as close to finished as possible. All you have to do is send a two line email to the admissions office at the other colleges: Please withdraw my application from consideration. I was admitted to [name of college] through Early admission and I will be enrolling there.

Financial Aid

CTK College Coach

FEBRUARY 12, 2024

Early Admissions Trends for the Class of 2024: How are colleges handling the massive increase in applications? This week the government announced it would not be sending FAFSA outcomes to colleges until March while it fixes the problem, so this will surely delay financial aid offers from schools to families.

Acceptance

AdmissionSight

NOVEMBER 25, 2024

Duke’s Early Decision acceptance rate hit a record low of 12.9%, making this year one for the books. Part of the rise in applications to Duke this year is thanks to its new financial aid program aimed at students from the Carolinas. This suggests that applying ED could enhance your chances of admission.

Early Decision

BestColleges

SEPTEMBER 26, 2023

As these institutions weigh the benefits of early decision against the challenges of enrolling a diverse student body, they have to ask themselves: Does clinging to a policy that stunts diversity efforts still make sense? For students seeking to make college decisions based on financial aid, then, early decision is a poor choice.

Early Decision

Great College Advice

JULY 24, 2023

The student agrees to withdraw all other applications, and not accept any other offers of admission. Early action programs are a hybrid. Students may apply early under these early action (EA) programs and receive an early admissions decision. So why, then, do colleges like the early decision process?

Early Decision

SSA Online College Prep

DECEMBER 26, 2023

Juniors | Seniors | Financial Aid | Academics | Career Services What is a college information session? Whether they’re online or in person, hosted by students or admissions counselors, they may appear to be just more information overload, especially after a tour. What kinds of financial aid are offered?

Financial Aid

BestColleges

JULY 7, 2023

The plaintiffs argued that legacy preferences, along with early admission programs, "operate to the disadvantage of minority applicants."

Admissions

Cornell University Undergraduate Admissions Office

OCTOBER 11, 2023

You may apply ED to only one college or university, but ED applicants can apply to other non-binding early admission programs. If you’re applying for financial aid, we strongly encourage you to submit your CSS Profile by your priority date so we’re able to provide you with a Cornell Aid Estimate.

Early Decision

Top Tier Admissions

DECEMBER 27, 2023

EARLY INSIGHTS ON CLASS OF 2028 EARLY ADMISSIONS RESULTS Despite the frustrating lack of transparency around the early admissions process at many top colleges, some key data has been shared. Among the interesting tidbits we’ve learned: Harvard sees its early applications drop by nearly 20%.

Admissions

CTK College Coach

FEBRUARY 9, 2024

Early Admissions Trends for the Class of 2024: How are colleges handling the massive increase in applications? This week the government announced it would not be sending FAFSA outcomes to colleges until March while it fixes the problem, so this will surely delay financial aid offers from schools to families.

Acceptance

Top Tier Admissions

JANUARY 10, 2024

percent of applicants to the Class of 2024 under the restrictive early action cycle. Though the acceptance rate increased this year, it still marks the fourth-lowest early admission acceptance rate in the College’s history. This year’s acceptance rate marks the highest since 2019, when the College admitted 13.9

Acceptance

The Ivy Dean

DECEMBER 21, 2022

Harvard University also published their Class of 2027 early acceptance rates last week, reporting that just 7.56% of early action applicants have been admitted. The school received 9,553 early applications and this year’s acceptance rate is just 0.2%

Ivy League

Excelsior Admissions Consulting

JANUARY 6, 2023

Although there has been some variability, the trend in early applications indicates that more students are choosing to apply for Early Decision or Restrictive Early Action to highly selective colleges. Here is a summary of early admissions statistics for the Class of 2027. Click here for the news release.

Ivy League

Next Admit College Admissions Blog

JANUARY 29, 2023

Tuition and Financial Aid Columbia University fees add up to $85,967 per year. But 49% of students receive financial aid, with the average financial aid offer being $63,971. Columbia is need-blind for non-international students and need-aware for international students.

Admissions

Top Tier Admissions

MARCH 1, 2024

Since 2018, the university has ceased disclosing acceptance rates in real time, instead waiting months after admissions decisions have been made to report publicly available data. Want To Read More About Stanford?

Acceptance

The Ivy Dean

FEBRUARY 16, 2021

Changes in early acceptance rates: As I explained in my previous blog post , schools in the Ivy League received a record number of early admission applications this year. As a result, their admissions process became even more selective, with historically low acceptance rates.

Ivy League

Top Tier Admissions

FEBRUARY 16, 2024

As of February 8, Vanderbilt announced that it is expanding Opportunity Vanderbilt , its nationally recognized no-loan financial aid program, which is sure to lure even more applicants in future cycles. At Top Tier Admissions, we are committed to making the college admissions process more transparent.

Acceptance

Top Tier Admissions

FEBRUARY 9, 2024

Especially now, with rampant grade inflation, high school GPA alone is not enough to identify students who will excel at schools like Dartmouth,” said Maria Laskaris , TTA Senior Private Counselor and former Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Dartmouth College.

Acceptance