Applying Early Decision II: The Complete List for 2024/25

By Brandie Erickson • November 6, 2024 • College Application Early Admission Press Waitlist

In the frenzied world of college applications, students are best served by making many flexible plans and backup plans. And then making backup plans for their backup plans. Early Decision applications, a binding agreement where accepted students are obligated to attend that school, can play an important role in application strategies. Early Decision applications can decrease both the stress of waiting for decisions and the expenses in time and money of applying. Knowing the difference between Early Decision I (ED I) and Early Decision II (ED II) and planning them both into your application process could mean the difference between a successful application process or not.

Before describing the importance of planning ED II into your application timeline, it’s worth acknowledging the often misunderstood acceptance statistics around early admission processes. 

Surefire Advantage Or Statistical Mirage?

While Early Decision provides what looks like a statistical advantage, experts question whether that’s truly what those numbers indicate. For example, of the 7,921 students who applied early to Harvard’s class of 2028, 692 were accepted–an 11.44% acceptance rate compared to the average rate for the class of 2028 of 3.59%. However, Harvard states that “while admit rates tend to be higher in Restrictive Early Action, this reflects the remarkable strength of the applicant pool rather than a benefit of application timing.” Assuming that a similar concept applies to early decision programs, it’s better to take statistics around early decision rounds with a grain of salt, viewing them as useful tools to applicants rather than a sure-fire way to boost chances of admission. 

Benefits of Early Decision II Planning and Timing

Universities begin releasing ED I results in mid-December, but waiting until then to plan an ED II application might be too late. Most ED II deadlines are early to mid January, so planning them at the same time as the plans for regular decision and ED I would probably be wiser. Because regular decision deadlines are often at the same time as ED II deadlines, students might want to consider applying via ED II to potentially increase their chances, rather than via regular decision. For example, Skidmore College’s ED II deadline is January 15th, the same day as their regular decision application deadline. 

Early Decision II Deadlines

Here is a list of universities that offer ED II dates in the 2024/2025 cycle. 

December Deadlines

December 1: 

  • SUNY—Geneseo
  • Emerson College

December 15: 

  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

December 20: 

  • Reed College

January Deadlines

January 1: 

  • Grinnell College
  • Bates College
  • Boston College
  • Bryn Mawr College
  • College of New Jersey
  • College of William & Mary
  • Emory University
  • New York University
  • Northeastern University
  • Syracuse University
  • Vanderbilt University
  • Wesleyan University
  • Colby College
  • Brandeis University
  • Lehigh University
  • Macalester College
  • Pitzer College
  • Rochester Institute of Technology
  • Smith College
  • University of Miami
  • University of Richmond
  • Wake Forest University
  • Washington and Lee University
  • Wellesley College
  • Worcester Polytechnic Institute

January 2: 

  • Oberlin College
  • Washington University in St. Louis

January 3: 

  • Johns Hopkins University
  • Babson College

January 4: 

  • Boston University
  • Middlebury College
  • Tufts University
  • University of Chicago
  • Davidson College
  • Swarthmore College
  • Vassar College

January 5: 

  • Bowdoin College
  • Hamilton College
  • Haverford College
  • Mount Holyoke College
  • Rollins College
  • University of Rochester
  • George Washington University
  • Harvey Mudd College
  • Scripps College

January 7: 

  • Santa Clara University

January 8: 

  • Tulane University
  • Pomona College

January 10 : 

  • Whitman College

January 11: 

  • Claremont McKenna College

January 15: 

  • Bennington College
  • Bucknell University
  • Clark University
  • Colgate University
  • College of Wooster
  • Denison University
  • DePauw University
  • Drew University
  • Hobart and William Smith Colleges
  • Lafayette College
  • Providence College
  • Sewanee: The University of the South
  • Skidmore College
  • Southern Methodist University
  • St. Olaf College
  • Stevens Institute of Technology
  • The Catholic University of America
  • Trinity College (Hartford)
  • Trinity University
  • American University
  • Case Western Reserve University
  • College of the Holy Cross
  • Colorado College
  • Connecticut College
  • Dickinson College
  • Fairfield University
  • Furman University
  • Gettysburg College
  • Lake Forest College
  • Loyola Marymount University
  • Rhodes College
  • Sarah Lawrence College
  • University of Denver
  • Villanova University
  • Kenyon College
  • Franklin and Marshall College
  • Union College (NY)

February Deadlines

February 1: 

  • Allegheny College
  • Baylor University
  • High Point University
  • Marist College
  • Muhlenberg College
  • Occidental College
  • St. Lawrence University
  • Kalamazoo College
  • Stonehill College

February 15: 

  • Ursinus College