Class of 2026 Early Decision Notification Dates
Congratulations on submitting your ED/EA applications! Even though you have passed the first hurdle in this college application process, it’s time to start focusing on the next steps. Check out the latest information on 2026 Early Decision and Early Action notification dates below (we will continue to update this list as more information becomes available.)
- Confirm all of the schools received your application and materials. You can check the Common App/Coalition dashboard to see if a school has downloaded your application. In addition, confirm your school materials have been submitted. If you have any doubts, you can feel free to call the admissions offices of the colleges and ask for them to confirm receipt.
- Check your emails (and spam) daily. Most colleges will email you access to a portal. You need to set your login and passwords (keep track of these!) This is where you will find any updates from the school or access to submit any additional materials if requested or updated test scores.
- If you are offered Admission/Alumni Interviews please prepare! Check out a common list of interview questions here.
- In terms of Regular Decision and ED2 schools, we strongly recommend you prepare at least 3-4 RD schools BEFORE 12/15 so you are not panicking if you don’t gain acceptance to your ED school. In addition, many of the Early Action schools will not be notifying you before the new year.
- Please send thank you notes to all of the teachers/administrators/others who wrote recommendations on your behalf – hand written notes are best.
- Continue to take virtual tours and info sessions for colleges to which you are applying. Here is the list of colleges that track demonstrated interest.
Class of 2026 Early Decision Notification Dates
*as of 11/26 – check back for updates!
| American University | 12/31 |
| Amherst College | early-mid December (ED) |
| Babson College | mid-Dec (ED1), 1/1 (EA) |
| Barnard College | mid-Dec |
| Bates College | 12/20 |
| Boston College | 12/15 |
| Boston University | 12/15 |
| Bowdoin College | mid-Dec |
| Brandeis University | 12/15 |
| Brown University | mid-Dec |
| Bryn Mawr College | Jan 1 |
| Bucknell University | mid-Dec |
| California Institute of Technology | mid-Dec |
| Carleton College | Dec 15 |
| Carnegie Mellon University | 12/15 |
| Case Western Reserve University | 12/4 (ED1), 12/21 (EA1) |
| Chapman University | late Dec (ED1), early Feb (EA1) |
| Claremont McKenna College | 12/15 |
| Colby College | 12/15 |
| Colgate University | mid-Dec |
| College of the Holy Cross | 12/15 |
| College of William and Mary | early Dec |
| Colorado College | mid-Dec (ED1), late Dec (EA) |
| Columbia University | mid-Dec |
| Connecticut College | mid-Dec |
| Cornell University | mid-Dec |
| Dartmouth College | mid-Dec |
| Davidson College | 12/15 |
| Dickinson College | mid-Dec |
| Duke University | mid-Dec |
| Emerson College | mid-Dec (ED1), mid-Dec (EA1) |
| Emory University | 12/15 |
| Franklin and Marshall | Dec 15 |
| George Washington University | late Dec |
| Georgetown University | Dec 15 |
| Grinnell College | mid-late Dec |
| Hamilton College | 12/15 |
| Harvard University | mid-Dec |
| Harvey Mudd College | Dec 15 |
| Haverford College | 12/15 |
| Johns Hopkins University | 12/10 |
| Kenyon College | 12/15 |
| Lafayette College | 12/15 |
| Lehigh University | mid-Dec |
| Loyola Marymount University | mid-Dec (ED1), mid-Dec (EA1) |
| Macalester College | 12/5 (ED1), 12/19 (EA1) |
| Middlebury College | 12/15 |
| Miami University – Oxford | 12/1 (ED1), 12/15 (EA1) |
| MIT | mid-Dec |
| Mount Holyoke College | late Dec |
| New York University | 12/15 |
| North Carolina State | 1/30 |
| Northeastern University | 12/15 (ED1), 2/1 (EA1) |
| Northwestern University | mid-Dec |
| Oberlin College | 12/15 |
| Occidental College | 12/15 |
| Pitzer College | 12/18 |
| Pomona College | 12/15 |
| Princeton University | mid-Dec |
| Providence College | 12/1 (ED1), late Dec (EA1) |
| Purdue University | 1/15 |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | 12/11 (ED1), 1/29 (EA1) |
| Rice University | mid-Dec |
| Santa Clara University | late Dec (ED1), late Dec (EA1) |
| Sarah Lawrence College | late Dec (ED1), late Dec (EA1) |
| Scripps College | mid-Dec |
| Sewanee: The University of the South | early Dec (ED1), late Jan (EA1) |
| Skidmore College | mid-Dec |
| Smith College | mid-Dec |
| Southern Methodist University | mid-Dec (ED1), mid-Dec (EA1) |
| Stanford University | 12/15 |
| Swarthmore College | mid-Dec |
| Texas Christian University | 1/1 (ED1), 1/1 (EA1) |
| Trinity College | mid-Dec |
| Tufts University | mid-Dec |
| Tulane University | 11/22 4pm CT (ED1), 1/15 (EA1) |
| Union College | 12/7 (ED1), 12/18 (EA1) |
| University of Chicago | mid-Dec (ED1), mid-Dec (EA1) |
| University of Michigan | late Jan |
| University of Notre Dame | mid-Dec |
| University of Pennsylvania | mid-Dec |
| University of Richmond | 12/15 (ED1), 1/25 (EA1) |
| University of Vermont | late Dec |
| University of Virginia | mid-Dec (ED1), mid-Feb (EA1) |
| University of Wisconsin | By 1/31 |
| Vanderbilt University | mid-Dec |
| Vassar College | mid-Dec |
| Villanova University | 12/15 (ED1), 1/15 (EA1) |
| Washington and Lee University | late Dec |
| Washington U in St. Louis | 12/17 |
| Wellesley College | mid-Dec |
| Wesleyan University | mid-Dec |
| Willamette University | 12/30 (ED1), 12/30 (EA1) |
| Williams College | 12/15 |
| Yale University | 12/15 |
If you’d like more information on how The College Curators can help you, please feel free to email us at [email protected] or set up a complimentary consultation HERE.
