2016 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	9.6%	8.5%	2,204	25,823	19.0%	37.4%	2,919	556	1,485	28,742	2,760
Columbia	7.4%	6.0%	1,792	28,730	20.4%	45.4%	3,088	631	1,391	31,818	2,363
Cornell	16.2%	14.5%	4,943	32,203	32.7%	37.1%	3,609	1,180	3,182	37,812	6,123
Dartmouth	9.4%	8.0%	1,715	21,310	25.8%	42.1%	1,800	465	1,105	23,110	2,180
Harvard	5.9%	4.2%	1,260	30,054	18.2%	n/a*	4,231	722	1,661	34,285	2,032
Penn	12.3%	10.1%	2,698	26,690	25.4%	47.4%	4,526	1,148	2,420	31,216	3,846
Princeton	7.9%	5.9%	1,369	23,221	21.1%	n/a*	3,443	726	1,300	26,664	2,095
Yale	6.8%	5.3%	1,300	24,670	15.7%	n/a*	4,304	675	1,355	28,974	1,975

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

The graph below of the 2016 Ivy League admissions statistics shows a comparison between the Early Decision / Early Action acceptance rates and the Regular Decision acceptance rates:

Brown University

Compared to the Class of 2015 with its 2,796 Early Decision applicants, this year’s Early Decision applicant pool of 2,919 was the largest in Brown University’s history. For the Class of 2014, Brown received 2,847 Early Decision applications. But despite the increase in Early Decision applications, Brown accepted 21 fewer students than in the Early round for the Class of 2015.

For the Class of 2016, Brown University received a total 28,742 applications and accepted 2,760 students. In the Regular Decision round, 25,823 students applied and 2,204 candidates were admitted.

This was the first year in Brown University history where there was a decrease in the number of Regular Decision applications and, as a result, there was an increase in the percentage of its Regular Decision admission rate, as well as an increase in the overall acceptance rate. For the Class of 2015, for example, Brown received 30,946 applications (its largest applicant pool in history) and admitted 2,692 candidates. Last year (for the Class of 2015), Brown’s Regular Decision admission rate was 7.5 percent and its overall admission rate was 8.7 percent. This year, the Regular Decision admission rate was 8.5 percent and the overall acceptance rate was 9.6 percent.

The admitted students hail from all 50 states and 80 foreign countries. Ninety-five percent of the accepted students are in the top 10 percent of their high school class, 47 percent are valedictorians or salutatorians, 53.2 percent are female, 46.8 percent are male, and 16.2 percent of the admitted students are the first generation in their families to attend college.

Read the full article: Brown admits 2,760 for Class of 2016

Columbia University

For the Class of 2016, Columbia received 3,088 Early Decision applications and accepted 631 candidates. This was a marked decrease from last year’s Early Decision applications which is most likely attributable to Harvard and Princeton’s reinstatement of their Early policies.

The overall admission rate for both Columbia College and the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) was 7.4 percent, a 0.5 percent increase from the Class of 2015. The total number of candidates for the Class of 2016 who were admitted through both Early Decision and Regular Decision was 2,363 students. For the Class of 2015, the total number of applicants admitted was 2,419.

While last year (the Class of 2015) was the most competitive year in Columbia University’s history with an increase of 8,751 applications from the Class of 2014, this was somewhat of an anomaly attributable to Columbia University joining the Common Application. Up until the 2010-2011 admissions cycle, Columbia University was the only member of the Ivy League that did not subscribe to the Common Application. Thus, the drop in applications for the Class of 2016 is a return to trend following this anomaly, coupled with Harvard and Princeton’s adoption of Single-Choice Early Action policies.

Read the full article: Columbia Engineering Welcomes Class of 2016

Cornell University

In the Early Decision round for the Class of 2016, Cornell received a record number of 3,609 applications and accepted 1,180 students. This resulted in a 32.7 percent Early Decision admission rate. With a targeted first-year class of 3,182, the Early Decision candidates made up 37.1 percent of the Class of 2016. For the Class of 2015, Cornell received 3,456 Early Decision applications.

With 16.2 percent of students accepted through both the Early Decision and Regular Decision rounds, the Class of 2016 proved to be Cornell’s most competitive in the history of the University. For the Class of 2015, the overall admission rate was 18 percent. In both the Early Decision and Regular Decision rounds, Cornell received a total of 37,812 applications and admitted 6,123 candidates. Another 3,120 students were waitlisted. For the Class of 2015, Cornell received a total of 36,392 applications, accepted 6,534 applicants, and waitlisted 2,988 students.

Of the admitted students of the Class of 2016, 52 percent are female and 48 percent are male. In terms of geography, admitted students hail from all 50 states and 68 countries.

Read the full article: Cornell sees rise in applications but is more selective than in past

Dartmouth College

Out of 1,800 Early Decision applications received, Dartmouth accepted 465 applicants. Approximately another 600 students were deferred to Regular Decision while about 700 candidates were rejected. Last year, for the Class of 2015, 444 students were accepted Early Decision out of an applicant pool of 1,759.

Out of a total applicant pool of 23,110, Dartmouth College accepted 2,180 students for the Class of 2016 with a record-low acceptance rate of 9.4 percent. Accepted students hail from all 50 states and 49 countries.

Some highlights of the Class of 2016:

9.3 percent are international students, 46.2 percent are students of color, 48 percent are valedictorians and 12.7 percent are salutatorians of their high school classes, over 11 percent are first generation college students and 8.9 percent are the sons and daughters of Dartmouth College alumni (legacies).

Approximately 10 percent of the applicant pool was waitlisted.

Dartmouth College plans on enrolling between 1,100 and 1,110 students in the fall of 2012.

Read the full article: Dartmouth Offers 2,180 Students Acceptance to the Class of 2016

Harvard University

With the reinstatement of the Early Action program that was eliminated four years ago, Harvard University received 4,231 Early Action applications and accepted 772 applicants. Two-thirds (or 2,838) Early Action applicants were deferred to the Regular Decision round, and 621 candidates were rejected.

In total, a record low 5.9 percent of applicants received acceptance offers from Harvard College. With 1,260 students who were accepted during the Regular Decision round and the 772 Early Action applicants who were accepted back in December of 2011, that makes a total of 2,032 offers of admission for Harvard’s Class of 2016. Last year (for the Class of 2015), Harvard admitted a total 2,158 applicants, but because there was no Early Action option, Harvard could not accurately project the yield. When you consider the admit rate for those accepted under Regular Decision, including the 2,838 Early Action candidates who were deferred, the Regular Decision rate was actually 3.8 percent. Last year’s (the Class of 2015’s) overall acceptance rate was 6.2 percent.

The lower acceptance rate for the Class of 2016 may be attributable (according to Dean of Admissions Bill Fitzsimmons) to some good publicity this year such as the Harvard’s basketball team appearing in March Madness as well as with Linsanity exploding at Madison Square Garden (Jeremy Lin is a Harvard grad).

While there were fewer African American (10.2 percent), Hispanic (11.2 percent) and Native American (12.1 percent) students accepted, Harvard accepted more Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians. Ten percent of international students were also accepted.

Read the full article: Regular Admits May See 3% Acceptance Rate

University of Pennsylvania

The number of applicants applying Early Decision to the University of Pennsylvania for the Class of 2016 dropped from the previous year. For the Class of 2015, Penn received 4,571 Early Decision applications and this year the total number of Early Decision application was 4,526. With 1,148 Early Decision applicants accepted for the Class of 2016, this was also a decline from the Class of 2015. Dean of Admissions Eric Furda says that the drop in ED acceptances was intentional so that Penn could save more slots for Regular Decision candidates – especially those who may have hedged their bets on Harvard and Princeton this year because of the reenactment of the Early programs at those institutions.

In the Regular Decision round, the University of Pennsylvania received 26,690 applications and accepted 2,698 candidates resulting in a 10.1 percent admit rate. Of the 886 students who were deferred in the Early Decision round, 97 of those students were later accepted in the Regular Decision round. In overall applications, Penn received 31,216 and accepted 3,846 candidates. Last year, for the Class of 2015, Penn received 31,659 applications and accepted 3,880 students. While Penn received 443 fewer applications than last year, the overall acceptance rate of 12.3 percent remained exactly the same.

A total of 2,017 students were waitlisted. For the Class of 2015, 2,400 candidates were waitlisted.

Penn’s targeted first-year class size of 2,420 is the same as last year. The average SAT score of admitted students was 2,185. For the Class of 2015, the average SAT score was 2,181. Fourteen percent of the admitted students are first generation college students.

Read the full article: Penn admit rates remain steady, against changes in the Ivy League

Princeton University

From 1980 to 1996, Princeton University had an Early Action program and then from 1996 to 2006, there was an Early Decision program. In 2006, Princeton eliminated its Early admission program to offer only Regular Decision admission. Now, for the Class of 2016, with the instatement of a Single-Choice Early Action program, Princeton received 3,443 applications and accepted 726 students (or 21% of its applicant pool). A total of 1,921 applicants were deferred to Regular Decision. While Princeton initially received 3,547 Early Action applications, approximately 100 applicants either withdrew their applications or chose to be deferred to the Regular Decision round.

For the Class of 2016, Princeton University received a total of 26,664 applications (525 fewer applications than for the Class of 2015) and admitted 2,095 students resulting in an overall admissions rate of 7.9 percent — the lowest in Princeton’s history. In addition, a total of 1,472 candidates were waitlisted. For the Class of 2015, the overall admission rate was 8.4 percent.

While the applicant pool for the Class of 2016 was lower than for the Class of 2015 (when 27,189 candidates applied), Princeton has seen a 95 percent increase in applications over the past eight years.

Admitted students of the Class of 2016 hail from all 50 states (New Jersey has the largest representation) as well as 73 countries. Of the admitted class, 12.2 percent are international students, 97 percent are in the top 10 percent of their high school class, 50.6 percent are male, 49.4 percent are female, 47 percent are students of color, 58 percent attend public schools, 12.5 percent are first generation college students and 9.5 percent are legacies – the sons and daughters of Princeton alumni.

Read the full article: Princeton University Accepts 2,095 Students to Class of 2016

Yale University

In the Single-Choice Early Action round, Yale received a total of 4,304 applications. Of those applicants, 675 or 15.7 percent were accepted, 2,394 or 55.6 percent were deferred, 1,180 or 27.4 percent were rejected, and 55 applicants either withdrew their applications or their applications were incomplete.

For the Class of 2016, Yale’s overall acceptance rate was 6.8 percent, which is the lowest in the history of the University. With 28,974 applicants for both the Early Action and Regular Decision rounds, Yale University accepted 1,975 students.

In order to target a freshman class between 1,350 and 1,360 students, Yale waitlisted 1,001 applicants. Last year for the Class of 2015, Yale admitted 7.35 percent or 2,006 of 27,283 applicants, and then after May 1st took an additional 103 students off the waitlist. Yale’s final admission rate for the Class of 2015 was then recalculated at 7.7 percent.

Read the full article: Yale College offers admission to 1,975 students