2026-27 Early Application Deadlines
Which schools offer ED / EA / REA, when they close, and what signing actually commits you to — on one page. Re-verified each season; confirm on each school's official site before you submit.
Data verified through 2026-09-06 · Official sites take precedence
Early rounds and deadlines
| School | Round | Deadline | Terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Tech | EA1EA2RD | 10/15 11/02 01/06 | — |
| UNC Chapel Hill | EARD | 10/15 01/15 | — |
| UT Austin | EARD | 10/15 12/01 | — |
| Boston College | ED1ED2RD | 11/01 01/04 01/04 | Binding |
| Brown University | ED1RD | 11/01 01/05 | Binding |
| Caltech | REARD | 11/01 01/04 | Restrictive |
| Claremont McKenna College | ED1ED2RD | 11/01 01/01 01/01 | Binding |
| Columbia University | ED1RD | 11/01 01/01 | Binding |
| Cornell University | ED1RD | 11/01 01/02 | Binding |
| Dartmouth College | ED1RD | 11/01 01/01 | Binding |
| Emory University | ED1ED2RD | 11/01 01/01 01/01 | Binding |
| Georgetown University | REARD | 11/01 01/10 | Restrictive |
| Harvard University | REARD | 11/01 01/01 | Restrictive |
| Indiana University Bloomington | EARD | 11/01 02/01 | — |
| Johns Hopkins University | ED1ED2RD | 11/01 01/02 01/02 | Binding |
| MIT | EARD | 11/01 01/04 | — |
| Northwestern University | ED1RD | 11/01 01/04 | Binding |
| NYU | ED1ED2RD | 11/01 01/01 01/05 | Binding |
| Ohio State University | EARD | 11/01 01/15 | — |
| Penn State | EARD | 11/01 12/01 | — |
| Princeton University | SCEARD | 11/01 01/01 | Restrictive |
| Purdue University | EARD | 11/01 01/15 | — |
| Rice University | ED1ED2RD | 11/01 01/04 01/04 | Binding |
| Rutgers | EARD | 11/01 12/01 | — |
| Stanford University | REARD | 11/01 01/05 | Restrictive |
| UIUC | EARD | 11/01 01/05 | — |
| University of Miami | ED1EAED2RD | 11/01 11/01 01/05 01/05 | Binding |
| University of Michigan | EARD | 11/01 02/01 | — |
| University of Notre Dame | REARD | 11/01 01/04 | Restrictive |
| University of Pennsylvania | ED1RD | 11/01 01/05 | Binding |
| University of Virginia | ED1EARD | 11/01 11/01 01/05 | Binding |
| USC | EARD | 11/01 01/10 | — |
| UW Madison | EARD | 11/01 01/15 | — |
| Vanderbilt University | ED1ED2RD | 11/01 01/01 01/01 | Binding |
| Wellesley College | ED1ED2RD | 11/01 01/01 01/08 | Binding |
| Yale University | SCEARD | 11/01 01/02 | Restrictive |
| Boston University | ED1ED2RD | 11/02 01/05 01/05 | Binding |
| Carnegie Mellon University | ED1RD | 11/02 01/04 | Binding |
| Duke University | ED1RD | 11/02 01/04 | Binding |
| Middlebury College | ED1ED2RD | 11/02 01/04 01/05 | Binding |
| Tufts University | ED1ED2RD | 11/02 01/04 01/04 | Binding |
| University of Chicago | EAED1ED2RD | 11/02 11/02 01/04 01/04 | Binding |
| Washington University in St. Louis | EAED1ED2RD | 11/02 11/02 01/04 01/04 | Binding |
| UMass Amherst | EARD | 11/05 01/15 | — |
| Amherst College | ED1RD | 11/09 01/05 | Binding |
| Bowdoin College | ED1ED2RD | 11/15 01/05 01/05 | Binding |
| Carleton College | ED1ED2RD | 11/15 01/15 01/15 | Binding |
| Davidson College | ED1ED2RD | 11/15 01/04 01/11 | Binding |
| Hamilton College | ED1ED2RD | 11/15 01/04 01/04 | Binding |
| Harvey Mudd College | ED1ED2RD | 11/15 01/05 01/05 | Binding |
| Haverford College | ED1ED2RD | 11/15 01/05 01/10 | Binding |
| Pomona College | ED1ED2RD | 11/15 01/15 01/15 | Binding |
| Swarthmore College | ED1ED2RD | 11/15 01/04 01/04 | Binding |
| Williams College | ED1RD | 11/15 01/05 | Binding |
Schools with no early round
These schools (including the UC system) have no ED / EA — every applicant submits in the same round. There is no early advantage to be had.
Common questions
Is ED binding? Can you back out?
Mostly no. ED means you attend if admitted; only a genuine financial-aid shortfall and a few similar situations allow a release. Before signing, make sure the family truly wants the school and can truly afford it.
Can you apply ED and EA at the same time?
Usually one ED plus several unrestricted EAs is fine. Schools marked Restrictive (REA / SCEA) have their own rules — applying there blocks early applications to other private schools. Check the Terms column first.
What exactly does REA / SCEA restrict?
With REA / SCEA you generally cannot apply ED or EA to other private universities at the same time; public-university EA and rolling programs are usually fine. Details vary by school — the official site governs.
Does the UC system have early application?
No. The UC campuses have no ED / EA — everyone applies in a single round, and submitting early carries no advantage. UC runs its own application system; see the UC site for timing.
If you miss early rounds, is it over?
No. Regular Decision holds most of the seats. Early rounds are a pacing choice, not a gate — polish the application and submit RD.
Do deadlines change year to year?
They shift slightly, and schools occasionally change policy. This page is re-verified each application season; always confirm against the school's official published dates before submitting.
Deadlines are just pacing. See where the applicant actually stands first, then decide what goes in each round.
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