2008 Ivy League Admissions Statistics

Ivy League Colleges	Overall Accept. Rate	Regular Decision Accept. Rate	Regular Decision Apps Accepted	Regular Decision Apps Received	Early Decision / Action Accept. Rate	Percent of Class Filled by Early Apps	Early Decision / Action Apps Received	Early Decision / Action Apps Accepted	Expected Number of Students to Enroll	Total Apps Received	Total Apps Accepted
Brown	15.8%	14%	1,872	13,361	28.3%	37.8%	1,907	540	1,428	15,268	2,412
Columbia	12.8%	10.8%	1,654	15,322	28.9%	42.1%	1,939	560	1,330	17,261	2,214
Cornell	28.7%	26.6%	4,856	18,270	43.9%	36%	2,550	1,119	3,105	20,820	5,975
Dartmouth	18.3%	16.8%	1,759	10,455	30%	35.4%	1,278	384	1,085	11,733	2,143
Harvard	10.3%	7.1%	1,123	15,861	23.3%	n/a*	3,889	906	1,650	19,750	2,029
Penn	21%	18.3%	2,726	14,891	33.1%	45%	3,387	1,120	2,490	18.278	3,846
Princeton	11.9%	8.8%	1,050	11,875	32%	50%	1,815	581	1,162	13,695	1,631
Yale	9.9%	8.2%	1,280	15,628	16.6%	n/a*	4,046	670	1,300	19,674	1,950

* n/a = not applicable since an Early Action policy was in place

The graph below of the 2008 Ivy League admissions statistics shows a comparison between the Early Decision / Early Action acceptance rates and the Regular Decision acceptance rates:

Brown University

Brown University received a total of 15,268 applications for the Class of 2008 and accepted 2,412 applicants. This is an overall admissions rate of 15.8 percent. In the Early Decision round, 1,907 candidates applied and 540 were accepted, making the Early Decision admit rate at 28.3 percent. For a projected class of 1,428 freshmen, the Early Decision candidates filled the class by 37.8 percent. In the Regular Decision process, 13,361 applications were received and 1,872 applicants were admitted at an admit rate of 14 percent.

Columbia University

Out of a total of 17,261 applications, Columbia University accepted 2,214 candidates. This was an overall admit rate of 12.8 percent. With 1,939 Early Decision applications received, 560 were accepted. This was a 28.9 percent admit rate, and the Class of 2008 was filled by 42.1 percent. In the Regular Decision round, 15,322 applications were received and 1,654 candidates were accepted at a 10.8 percent admissions rate.

Cornell University

For the Class of 2008, Cornell University admitted a total of 5,975 applicants from an applicant pool of 20,820. In the Early Decision cycle, 1,119 students were accepted out of an applicant pool of 2,550. The targeted number of freshmen was 3,105. For Regular Decision, Cornell University received 18.270 applications and accepted 4,856 students. The overall admissions rate was 28 percent, the Regular Decision rate was 26.6 percent and the Early Decision admit rate was 43.9 percent. In addition, Cornell filled its incoming freshman class by 36 percent with Early Decision applicants.

Dartmouth College

With an overall admit rate of 18.3 percent, Dartmouth College accepted a total of 11,733 applications and admitted 2,143 freshmen. In the Early Decision round, 384 candidates were admitted of the 1278 applicants who applied, an admit rate of 30 percent. For the Early Decision cycle, approximately one third of the students who applied were accepted, one third were deferred, and another one third were rejected. The accepted students for Early Decision represent 35.4 percent of the incoming freshman class. In the Regular Decision round, Dartmouth accepted 1,759 applicants out of the 10,455 students who applied, a 16.8 percent admissions rate.

Harvard University

While the overall admissions rate was 10.3 percent, the Regular Decision rate was 7.1 percent. Out of the 3,889 students who applied Single Choice Early Action (SCEA) to Harvard College this year, 906 were accepted, at an admit rate of 23.3 percent. Approximately 72.4 percent of the SCEA applicants were deferred and another 4.2 percent were rejected. For Regular Decision, 15,861 students applied and 1,123 were accepted. In total, 19,750 applications were received, and Harvard accepted 2,029 applicants. The College expects to enroll a freshman class of 1,650.

University of Pennsylvania

Out of 18,272 total applications received to Penn this year, 3,846 candidates were accepted for an overall admissions rate of 21 percent. For early decision 3,387 students applied and Penn accepted 1,120 applicants at an admit rate of 33.1 percent. Penn filled its Class of 2008 by 45 percent with students who applied early decision. In the regular decision round, 14,891 applications were received and 2,726 were accepted, making it an 18.3 percent admit rate.

Princeton University

With half of the incoming Class of 2008 filled with Early Decision candidates, that left only 581 seats available for the 11,875 students who applied Regular Decision. Princeton’s Early Decision acceptance rate was 32 percent, the Regular Decision rate was 8.8 percent and the overall acceptance rate was 11.9 percent. While Princeton expected to enroll a class of 1,162 freshmen, 1,175 actually accepted Princeton’s offer.

Of the admitted class, 51 percent were given financial aid, 53.4 percent were male while 46.6 percent were female, 27.3 percent were students of color, 9.2 percent were international, and 14 percent were legacies – the sons and daughters of Princeton alumni.

Yale University

Out of a total of 19,674 applications submitted, Yale accepted 1,950 students. This was an overall admit rate of 9.9 percent. In the Early Action round, Yale received 4,046 applications and accepted 670 students, a 16.6 percent admit rate. For Regular Decision 15,628 candidates applied and 1,280 were accepted at an admit rate of 8.2 percent.