2012 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	13.3%	12.0%	2,182	18,170	22.7%	37.6%	2,460	558	1,485	20,630	2,740
Columbia	10.0%	8.4%	1,672	19,997	23.1%	44.2%	2,582	597	1,350	22,597	2,269
Cornell	20.4%	18.7%	5,591	29,916	36.8%	37.3%	3,095	1,139	3,050	33,011	6,730
Dartmouth	13.2%	11.8%	1,790	15,108	28.0%	36.7%	1,428	400	1,090	16,536	2,190
Harvard	7.1%	7.1%	1,948	27,462	n/a*	n/a*	n/a*	n/a*	1,675	27,462	1,948
Penn	16.4%	13.8%	2,622	18,993	29.2%	47.8%	3,929	1,147	2,400	22,922	3,769
Princeton	9.3%	9.3%	1,976	21,262	n/a*	n/a*	n/a*	n/a*	1,245	21,262	1,976
Yale	8.3%	5.6%	1,007	17,925	18.1%	n/a*	4,888	885	1,320	22,813	1,892

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

The graph below of the 2012 Ivy League admissions statistics shows a comparison between the Early Decision / Early Action acceptance rates and the Regular Decision acceptance rates:

Brown University

For the Class of 2012, Brown received a total of 20,630 applications and accepted 2,740 for an overall admit rate of 13.3%. In the Early Decision round, there was an applicant pool of 2,460 and Brown accepted 558 Early Decision candidates. Although Brown projected a freshman class of 1,485, 52 additional students accepted Brown’s offer, making the freshman class about 3% larger than expected. About 55% of admitted students chose to matriculate to Brown.

Columbia University

Out of 22,597 applications received for both Columbia College and The School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS), 2,269 candidates were accepted. This was an overall admissions rate of 10%. In the Early Decision round, Columbia University received 2,582 applications and accepted 597 freshmen for an Early Decision admit rate of 23.1%. For a targeted freshmen class of 1,350 candidates, 44.2% were admitted under the Early Decision plan.

Cornell University

With a total applicant pool of 33,011 for all 7 colleges – College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), College of Architecture, Art, and Planning, College of Arts and Sciences, College of Engineering, School of Hotel Administration, College of Human Ecology, and the School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) – Cornell University accepted 6,730 candidates for an overall admissions rate of 20.4%. In the Early Decision round, Cornell admitted 1,139 applicants out of the 3,095 who applied, making the Early Decision acceptance rate 36.8%. For an anticipated freshmen class of 3,050, Cornell filled its class with Early Decision applicants at the rate of 37.3%

Dartmouth College

Out of the 1,428 Early Decision applicants, Dartmouth admitted 400 candidates – 201 men and 199 women – at an admit rate of 28%. Early admitted students represent 36.7% of the expected Class of 2012. Of the 1,428 Early Decision applicants, 526 were deferred and 471 were denied admission. Other applications were either incomplete or not accounted for. About 10% of deferred students were admitted through the Regular Decision round, and the other 905 were rejected. In total, Dartmouth received 16,536 applications and accepted 2,190 candidates at an admit rate of 13.2%. Another 1,500 students were offered a space on the waiting list.

Harvard University

With Harvard College eliminating its Early Action round, it received 27,462 applications and accepted 1,948 candidates. The admissions rate was 7.1%. Harvard expects that 1,675 students will enroll. Without students applying Single-Choice Early Action and because of dormitory space limitations, Harvard used some caution in trying to figure out its yield and therefore admitted 110 less students than it did for the Class of 2011. Earlier this year, the College suspended transfer admissions for two years. They then admitted a little more than 200 students from the waiting list.

University of Pennsylvania

For the Class of 2012, the University of Pennsylvania received 22,922 applications and admitted a total of 3,769 candidates. In the Early Decision round, Penn admitted 1,147 applicants out of the 3,929 students who applied. The Early Decision admit rate was 29.2% and the Regular Decision admit rate was 13.8% with an overall admissions rate of 16.4%. With an expected student enrollment of 2400, the admitted Early Decision candidates filled the class by 47.8%.

Princeton University

Since Princeton eliminated its Early Decision policy this year, the university admitted 185 more students than it did for the Class of 2011. In total, Princeton received 21,262 applications and accepted 1,976 candidates, an admit rate of 9.3%. The expected number of students to matriculate is 1,245, the same as for the Class of 2011.

Yale University

For the Class of 2012, Yale received 22,813 applications and accepted 1,892 candidates. This resulted in an overall admissions rate of 8.3%. In the Single-Choice Early Action round (SCEA), 885 students were admitted from an applicant pool of 4,888 which led to an 18.1% early admit rate. The regular decision admit rate was 5.6% – 17,925 students applied and 1,007 were admitted. Because of Harvard and Princeton eliminating their Early Action / Early Decision policies, this created much uncertainty with regard to yield and so, as a result, Yale sent out more waitlist letters for the Class of 2012. Yale’s freshmen class was exactly its targeted number (1,320), which means that the waitlist made up the difference.