Remember when The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and other esteemed news publications reported earlier this month how applications at our nation’s universities are down this fall? And remember when Ivy Coach told you on the pages of this college admissions blog that while applications may be down at the vast majority of America’s 900+ universities, we anticipate applications will be up — and up rather significantly — at the vast majority of our nation’s 25 or so highly selective universities? Well, Ivy Coach’s famously accurate crystal ball, a crystal ball cited on the pages of America’s oldest college newspaper, has struck again. But come on now. Did you ever doubt us?

Early Applications Are Up at Many Highly Selective Universities

While the vast majority of our nation’s highly selective universities have not yet reported Early application tallies, we have already reported that Early applications have soared at Duke University, the University of Virginia, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. We can now report that Boston College has received over 1,950 Early Decision 1 applications. These students all made binding commitments to attend BC if offered admission.

Over 1,950 Students Applied Early Decision 1 to BC’s Class of 2025

As Boston College — a school that changed its Early policy in recent years — states on its admissions website, “Boston College received over 1,950 Early Decision 1 applications and will offer admission to 41% of our candidates. 30% of ED 1 applicants will be deferred to the Regular Decision round. Last year, 15% of deferred students were ultimately admitted during Regular Decision. Additional students were admitted off the waiting list.”

BC’s ED 1 Figure Is Likely Slightly Up

Last year, BC reported its Early Decision figures in a combined tally — one that included both Early Decision 1 and Early Decision 2 applications. So it’s difficult to say whether ED 1 applications are up, down, or about even this fall. But in light of the fact that the combined ED tally for the BC Class of 2024 stood at 2,750 and this year’s ED 1 tally for the BC Class of 2025 is 1,950, our guess is that it’s slightly up.

Stay tuned for Early application figures at our nation’s highly selective universities that are hot off the presses!