Closing out a year unlike any other, 2020’s Early college admissions cycle was indeed unlike any other as well.

While the number of applicants through the Common App actually dropped by 2%, at highly selective schools, the number of Early applicants skyrocketed. To illustrate just how dramatic the increases were, this chart details the rise in Early applications at a handful of selective institutions from 2019 to 2020:

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The increase in Early applicants can largely be attributed to this year’s largely test-optional landscape; more than 1,500 universities including all eight Ivy League schools adopted a test-optional policy in response to the pandemic. This, of course, created a broader sense of possibility and in some cases unfounded optimism for students who might normally not have been compelled to reach for a highly selective university in the Early round.

Of course, the spike in Early applicants contributed to a somewhat inevitable yet anxiety-inducing drop in admissions rate at many schools (Yale’s Restrictive Early Action acceptance rate declined from approx 14% to 10%; Harvard’s fell from 14% to 7.4%). However, it’s important to note that these numbers belie the many successes our students have celebrated - and, perhaps paradoxically, the lack of surprise our Advisors have expressed for the most part. Despite the chaotic application landscape, our Advisors and Essay Coaches continued to do what they do best: support students to present a clear and compelling narrative that distinguishes them and conveys their unique characteristics.

Congrats to our students who received Early acceptances - a full list is below. We’re looking forward to celebrating our Regular Decision successes in 2021!

Arizona State University

University of Arizona

Babson College

Belmont University

Bocconi University

Boston University

Case Western Reserve University

University of Central Florida

Chapman University

Colorado College

Columbia College Chicago

Columbia University

Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science

Cornell University

SC Johnson School of Business

Dartmouth College

University of Denver

Drexel University

Duke University

Emerson College

Emory University

Florida International University

Fordham University

George Washington University

University of Georgia

Harvard University

Howard University

Indiana University Bloomington

Kelley School of Business

King's College London

Lehigh University

College of Business

Lewis and Clark College

Loyola Marymount University

School of Film and Television

University of Massachusetts Amherst

University of Miami

Michigan State University

University of Minnesota

Morehouse College

The New School

New York University

Stern School of Business
Tisch School of the Arts

Northeastern University

College of Engineering

Northwestern University

University of Notre Dame

Occidental College

Pace University

University of Pennsylvania

Wharton School of Business
School of Engineering and Applied Science

Pennsylvania State University

Pomona College

Providence College

Reed College

University of Richmond

Ringling College of Art and Design

Roger Williams University

University of San Francisco

Santa Clara University

Sarah Lawrence College

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

University of St Andrews

Stanford University

Suffolk University

Syracuse University

S.I. Newhouse School Of Public Communications
David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics
School of Education