2009 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	14.9%	12.4%	1,894	14,877	28%	39.5%	2,030	569	1,440	16,907	2,463
Columbia	12.4%	10.5%	1,680	15,964	26.4%	43.3%	2,156	570	1,317	18,120	2,250
Cornell	26.1%	24.3%	5,312	21,872	41.7%	35.1%	2,572	1,072	3,050	24,444	6,384
Dartmouth	16.9%	15.1%	1,753	11,586	33.9%	36.9%	1,171	397	1,075	12,757	2,150
Harvard	9.1%	6.4%	1,189	18,583	21%	n/a*	4,213	885	1,650	22,796	2,074
Penn	20.9%	17.9%	2,743	15,329	34.2%	48.3%	3,420	1,169	2,420	18.749	3,912
Princeton	10.9%	8.4%	1,214	14,477	29.1%	48.6%	2,039	593	1,220	16,516	1,807
Yale	9.7%	7.5%	1,170	15,522	18.1%	n/a*	3,926	710	1,310	19,448	1,880

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

The graph below of the 2009 Ivy League admissions statistics shows a comparison between the Early Decision / Early Action acceptance rates and the Regular Decision acceptance rates:

Brown University

In a record setting year, Brown University received 16,907 applications and accepted 2,463 candidates for its Class of 2009. Of those admitted, 569 applied Early Decision out of an applicant pool of 2,030. The Early Decision admissions rate was 28% and the early applicants filled the class by 39.5%. In the Regular Decision round, Brown received 14,877 applications and admitted 1,894 applicants for an admissions rate of 12.4%. The overall admissions rate was 14.9%.

Columbia University

The Class of 2009 was chosen from 18,120 applicants, and out of the 2,250 candidates admitted, Columbia University saw an overall admissions rate of 12.4%. Columbia College received 15,790 and admitted 1,638 candidates while the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) received 2,330 applications, and accepted 612 candidates. In the Early Decision cycle, Columbia University received 2,156 applications and accepted 570 applicants, an admit rate of 26.4%. The students who were admitted Early Decision filled the class by 43.3%. In the Regular Decision round, the University received 15,964 and accepted 1,680 applicants for an admissions rate of 10.5%.

Cornell University

Cornell University experienced a 17.4% increase in applications for the 2005 to 2006 admissions year. With a total of 24,444 applications, the rise is partly due to Cornell using the Common Application for the first time this year. Accepting a total of 6,384 applicants, Cornell’s overall admit rate dropped from 28.7% from last year (the Class of 2008) to 26.1% this year for the Class of 2009. During the Early Decision cycle, 2,572 candidates applied and 1,072 were accepted. This was 50 fewer students than last year, and an admit rate of 41.7%. In the Regular Decision process, Cornell received 21,872 applications and admitted 5,312 students at an admissions rate of 24.3 percent.

Dartmouth College

This was a record breaking year for Dartmouth College with a 16.9% overall admissions rate. Of the 1,171 candidates who applied Early Decision, 397 were accepted at a 33.9% admit rate. For an anticipated freshman class of 1,075, Early Decision applicants made up 36.9% of the admitted class. In the Regular Decision process, 11,586 students applied, and Dartmouth accepted 1,753 applicants at a 15.1% admit rate. A total of 12,757 students applied and 2,150 were accepted.

Harvard University

The new Harvard Financial Aid Initiative has likely led to the most competitive year ever. With a record breaking applicant pool of 22,796, Harvard College saw an overall 9.1% admissions rate. The admissions rate during Early Action was 21%. Of the 4,213 students who applied Early Action, 885 were accepted, 3,120 were deferred, and 135 were rejected. Another 73 applications were either incomplete or not accounted for. In the Regular Decision process, 18,583 students applied and 1,189 were admitted at a 6.4% admissions rate.

University of Pennsylvania

With a total of 18,749 applications received, Penn admitted 3,912 freshmen for an overall admissions rate of 20.9%. Of the admitted students, 2,455 were accepted to the School of Arts and Sciences, 850 to the School of Engineering and Applied Science, 484 to the Wharton School, and 123 to the School of Nursing. The remaining 123 applications were either incomplete or unaccounted for. In the Early Decision round, 1,169 students were accepted out of a pool of 3,420. The admit rate for Early Decision students was 34.2% and the admitted Early Decision students made up 48.3% of the Class of 2009. In the Regular Decision process, 15,329 applications were received, and Penn admitted 2,743 freshmen. Regular Decision was at an admissions rate of 17.9%.

Princeton University

The increase of 17 percent from the Class of 2008 in overall applications can be partially attributed to Princeton University’s decision to subscribe to the Common Application for the first time this admissions year. Out of a total of 16,516 applications, Princeton accepted 1,807 candidates, an overall admissions rate of 10.9%. In the Early Decision round, 2,039 students applied and 593 were accepted at a 29.1% admissions rate. For an anticipated freshman class of 1,220, Early Decision candidates who were accepted filled the Class of 2009 by 48.6%. In the Regular Decision process, 14,477 students applied and 1,214 were accepted at an 8.4% admit rate.

Yale University

Yale College experienced a record breaking overall acceptance rate (9.7%) again this year with 19,448 applications submitted, and 1,880 applications accepted. While the overall admissions rate was down from the Class of 2008, the number of applications received was actually less for the Class of 2009 than for the Class for the 2008. In last year’s admissions cycle, Yale College received 227 more applications, a total of 19,675, and also accepted 70 more students for the class of 2008 than for the Class of 2009. Out of the 3,926 Single-Choice Early Action (SCEA) applications that were received, Yale admitted 710 applicants making the admit rate 18.1%. Another 1,170 students were admitted through Regular Decision, which made the admissions rate 7.5%. Yale expects to enroll a freshman class of 1,310 with a yield of about 70%. About another 1,000 students were waitlisted this year.