Class Of 2026 Early Decision Notification Dates - IvyWise

The college admissions season is flying by, and early admission decisions are already being released. Here’s our annual list of early admission decision notification dates!

Early Decision and Early Action Trends

Colleges are continuing to rely heavily on Early Decision and Early Action application rounds to encourage more students to apply and better manage their yield (the percentage of admitted students who enroll). Overall, early rounds are becoming more popular for both colleges and applicants.

It’s worth noting, as more students and universities utilize early rounds, admissions decisions might get more creative. College enrollment has trended downward in recent years, encouraging more schools to develop new strategies in an effort to boost yield rates.

When Do Early Action Decisions Come Out?

Most colleges notify Early Decision and Early Action applicants of admission around December 15. Because of the usual deadlines for applications, this means that if a student is rejected by their ED college, there are only about two weeks left to send in other applications.

2025-26 Early Decision and Early Action Notification Dates

At IvyWise, we aim to relieve some of the stress commonly associated with the college admissions process, and that includes bringing you the most updated information on early release dates every year. Our annual release date list is exceptionally comprehensive and updated daily as new information becomes available. Be sure to check the links provided within the list for the most recent dates and information.

Here are the Early Decision/Early Action application notification dates for the Class of 2030 — please note that where we list the source as a phone call or email, we have independently verified it. We also included the dates from last year for reference. If you have a decision date to share, please leave a comment below — a screenshot or link to the announcement is also helpful for verification purposes.

Check back regularly for updated dates and times – especially for those without specific dates and times or those labeled “TBD.”

The IvyWise team wishes you the best of luck with your early round applications! And if you don’t get the decision you were hoping for, our expert counselors can help you figure out next steps. Not only do we provide deferral consultations, but we can also help you submit strong and compelling Regular Decision applications.

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