College of William & Mary students know that the most successful way to gain admission was to apply Early Decision via either the Early Decision I or Early Decision II rounds. The advantage given to ED applicants derives from the fact that these students are highly motivated and have effectively demonstrated their interest in attending said school. Admissions officers at elite colleges go nuts for Early Round applicants because these students hit the ground running once on campus and take advantage of everything the campus has to offer.

Don’t believe the hype about Early Decision? The proof is in the pudding. Look at the Early Decision versus Regular Decision admissions rates for the Class of 2029 below. It’s almost 15% higher! Then go down the two rows of data; that ratio stays pretty much the same all the way down.

College of William & Mary Early Decision Acceptance Rate Over 30 Years

William & Mary has yet to publish any data on the Class of 2030 because we’re in the midst of the cycle, but let’s review the rest of the data William & Mary has reported:

Admissions Cycle	William & Mary Class Year	Early Decision I and II Admission Rate	Regular Decision Admission Rate
2025-2026	Class of 2030	Not Reported	Not Reported
2024-2025	Class of 2029	49.22%	36.96%
2023-2024	Class of 2028	47.03%	32.72%
2022-2023	Class of 2027	45.48%	33.50%
2021-2022	Class of 2026	49.72%	37.00%
2020-2021	Class of 2025	49.07%	42.16%
2019-2020	Class of 2024	50.80%	37.68%
2018-2019	Class of 2023	49.22%	36.92%
2017-2018	Class of 2022	58.24%	35.92%
2016-2017	Class of 2021	51.91%	36.52%
2015-2016	Class of 2020	51.74%	34.46%
2014-2015	Class of 2019	50.47%	33.02%
2013-2014	Class of 2018	49.92%	33.21%
2012-2013	Class of 2017	47.18%	32.17%
2011-2012	Class of 2016	48.33%	34.57%
2010-2011	Class of 2015	49.72%	31.73%
2009-2010	Class of 2014	49.49%	33.51%
2008-2009	Class of 2013	53.42%	34.08%
2007-2008	Class of 2012	53.89%	33.68%
2006-2007	Class of 2011	45.55%	32.34%
2005-2006	Class of 2010	45.41%	31.03%
2004-2005	Class of 2009	50.16%	35.04%
2003-2004	Class of 2008	51.07%	34.33%
2002-2003	Class of 2007	47.71%	34.64%
2001-2002	Class of 2006	54.33%	37.42%
2000-2001	Class of 2005	53.60%	40.62%
1999-2000	Class of 2004	62.50%	44.93%
1998-1999	Class of 2003	57.29%	45.15%
1997-1998	Class of 2002	60.38%	45.15%
1996-1997	Class of 2001	67.85%	46.02%

Breakdown of the William & Mary’s Class of 2029 Early Decision Admits

Taking a look at the combined ED I and ED II acceptance rate over the almost 30 years, it’s clear that Early applicants have an admissions advantage. You don’t need to be planning to major in math to see that. 

Of the 16,895 applicants to the Class of 2029, only 6,245 were admitted. However, 727 out of the 1,477 students who applied Early Decision I or Early Decision II were admitted. Get the picture? 

Ivy Coach’s Assistance with a William & Mary Deferral or Rejection

Should you have been deferred or rejected by College of William & Mary for admission to the Class of 2030, have faith that your journey won’t end here. But! It is incumbent upon you to act quickly and enlist Ivy Coach’s assistance to make the most out of this setback.

The first step we recommend is to complete our complimentary consultation form. For deferred candidates, we offer a PostMortem application review and assistance in crafting a powerful Letter of Continued Interest. For rejected candidates, we provide a PostMortem application review. We’ll even help you pivot to strengthening your Regular Decision applications, but not before we develop a definitive understanding of what went wrong initially.

Our team of former elite college admissions officers will work with you to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your William & Mary application before equipping you with a compelling singular hook.