Brown University has yet to release Early Decision notifications for the Class of 2026 — which go out at 7 PM ET on 12/16 — but we at Ivy Coach have the early word on the admissions figures for the latest incoming Brown class. In all, we’ve heard word that Brown has received approximately 6,100 Early Decision applications — an 11% increase from last year’s 5,540 Early Decision applicants for the Class of 2025. If that math holds up, the Early Decision pool for the Brown Class of 2026 would be the largest in the university’s history. And what percentage of the approximate 6,100 ED applicants got in? About 900 — or 14.7% of Early Decision applicants. Additionally, about 25% of Early Decision applicants will receive deferral letters. By our arithmetic, this means that about 60.25% of applicants will be denied outright on Thursday.

Brown’s Record-Breaking Class of 2026 Early Decision Cycle in Historical Perspective

To put Brown’s Early Decision admissions figures in historical perspective, the Early Decision admission rate for the Class of 2025 stood at 15.9%. This same ED admission figure stood at 17.5%, 18.2%, 21%, and 21.9% for the Classes of 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, respectively. So this year will mark the first time in Brown’s history that the Early Decision admission rate fell below 15%. It’s also the first time total Early Decision applicants will eclipse 6,000. Prior to the 5,540 Early Decision applications for the Class of 2025, Brown received 4,562 ED applications for the Class of 2024, 4,230 for the Class of 2023, 3,502 for the Class of 2022, and 3,170 for the Class of 2021. If you’re interested in checking out Brown’s Early Decision admissions figures from more than the last few years, do peruse our extensive breakdown of these statistics dating back to the Class of 2007.

Deferred or Denied to Brown’s Class of 2026? Enter Ivy Coach!

And if you happen to be one of the 25% of Brown Early Decision applicants whose admission is deferred, don’t cut bait. With the right approach — with Ivy Coach’s approach — you still have a genuine shot of admission. And through our approach, you’ll also dramatically improve your positioning for other elite universities in the Regular Decision round. Alternatively, if you were among the 60.25% of applicants who were denied admission, we urge you not to put forward the same strategy for all Regular Decision schools. After all, you know what they say about making the same mistake over and over again. For deferred and denied Brown Class of 2026 Early Decision applicants, we encourage you to complete our free consultation form, indicate whether you or your child was deferred or denied, and we’ll then be in touch to discuss Ivy Coach’s Postmortem Strategy Session for denied students and Postmortem Strategy Session followed by assistance with crafting a compelling Letter of Enthusiasm for deferred students. Submitting an ordinary letter won’t do. It’s all about what goes in the letter and — no — it should not consist of brags and updates on all a student has done since they first applied all of six weeks ago.