2024-25 Early Decision and Early Action Notification Dates for the Class of 2029

So: you’ve written your Common App personal statement, finished your supplemental essays, acquired recommendations from your favorite teachers, created a fantastic activity resume, sent out your applications, crossed your fingers (and toes!), and now all you have left to do is wait for the results. And waiting is the wooorst!

Especially for the 2024-25 admissions cycle, with standardized tests remaining an optional part of the application for so many schools — or even done away with entirely. Many students decide to apply Early Decision as it is often their best chance to get into their top choice school. Luckily, some schools like Villanova University, Tufts University, and the University of Chicago have two Early Decision deadlines. This way, if you’re rejected or deferred from your top choice school, you can try your hand again at the early decision pool.

To make the wait a little less painful, we’ve compiled a list of Early Decision, Early Action, and Early Decision II deadlines for the Class of 2029 using school websites and past years’ data so you can be prepared for the timing of your admissions decision. Schools announce their decisions in a portal, via email, and some even through snail mail. We update this list all the time, so make sure to check back in for new schools, changes, or additions!

Let’s start by addressing some of your frequently asked questions:

When Do Early Decisions Come Out?

Early Decision notifications typically roll out in early to mid-December. In past years, Ivy Leagues have released Early Decision notifications around the 14th. Some schools, however, release decisions as early as December 3, and others as late as December 24. Read more below to find out when you can expect to hear back from your top-choice schools!

How to Prepare for Early Decision and Early Action Results?

To best prepare for Early Decision and Early Action results, we recommend getting a head start on your Regular Decision applications. Obviously, the best case scenario is that you gain acceptance to your top-choice Early Decision and Early Action schools and do not need to submit any more applications…but have you seen acceptance rates lately? Statistically, most applicants will either be rejected or deferred, so it’s in your best interest to make some serious progress on your Regular Decision application essays beforehand. Trust us, no one is in the mood to write essays while grieving a rejection.

How Do Colleges Notify Applicants of Admission Decisions?

Colleges notify applicants of their admissions decisions via email, an online portal, or in a few cases, by mail.

Here are the Early Decision and Early Action notification dates for the 2024-25 Admissions season:

Want to compare these dates with those from last year? We’ve got you covered.

Here are the Early Decision and Early Action notification dates from the 2023-24 Admissions season:

Want expert help perfecting your Regular Decision essays?

We're waiting for your call!

GET IN TOUCH »

Contact us for information on rates and more!

• I am a*
  StudentParentPotential PartnerSchool CounselorPrivate College Counselor
• When is the best time to get in touch with you?
  • Morning
  • Afternoon
  • Evening
• Name*
  First Last
• Email*
• Phone
• Phone Type
  MobileLandline
• Street Address
• Address
  City State / Province / Region AfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBoliviaBonaire, Sint Eustatius and SabaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCabo VerdeCambodiaCameroonCanadaCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos IslandsColombiaComorosCongoCongo, Democratic Republic of theCook IslandsCosta RicaCroatiaCubaCuraçaoCyprusCzechiaCôte d'IvoireDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEswatiniEthiopiaFalkland IslandsFaroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuamGuatemalaGuernseyGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard Island and McDonald IslandsHoly SeeHondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsle of ManIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJerseyJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea, Democratic People's Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwaitKyrgyzstanLao People's Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacaoMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMicronesiaMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorth MacedoniaNorthern Mariana IslandsNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPalestine, State ofPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarRomaniaRussian FederationRwandaRéunionSaint BarthélemySaint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da CunhaSaint Kitts and NevisSaint LuciaSaint MartinSaint Pierre and MiquelonSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSint MaartenSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan MayenSwedenSwitzerlandSyria Arab RepublicTaiwanTajikistanTanzania, the United Republic ofThailandTimor-LesteTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluTürkiyeUS Minor Outlying IslandsUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuelaViet NamVirgin Islands, BritishVirgin Islands, U.S.Wallis and FutunaWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabweÅland Islands Country
• Which best describes you (or your child)?
  High school seniorHigh school juniorCollege studentCollege gradOther
• How did you find CEA?
  Internet SearchPodcastNew York TimesGuidance counselor/schoolSocial MediaYouTubeFriendSpecial EventDelehey College ConsultingPerks at WorkOther

• I am potentially interested in (select all that apply):
  • Common App and Coalition Essays
  • Supplemental Essays
  • University of California Essays
  • University of Texas Essays
  • Resume Review
  • Post-Grad Essays
  • Specialized Services
  • Waitlist Letters
  • Private School Essays
  • Test Prep
  • General College Counseling
  • Other
• GPA:
• School list with priorities noted:
• Anything else we should know?
• Name
  This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Δ