JUNIORS

• If you haven't done so already, now is the time to make a preliminary list of colleges to research. Make sure you include a broad variety of schools so that you can learn about different colleges.

• Are you planning to visit college campuses over Spring Break? Start planning trips, checking the calendars, and signing up for in-person tours and information sessions. The spots can fill up quickly.

• Reach out to alumni from your high school who attend colleges that you’re interested in. Ask them for the inside scoop on academics, extracurriculars, and campus life.

SENIORS

• Be sure to set up portals at every college you've applied to. This is where updates and admissions decisions will be posted.

• Get ready for college interviews by reviewing your application to that school. Be prepared to give short descriptions of your important academic or extracurricular activities. Also, remember that you need to answer why you want to go to that specific college.

Class of 2030
Early Decision Trends

. Here are some early trends in this year’s admissions cycle.

• Some majors, including business, engineering, and computer science are becoming even more competitive. If a student wants to pursue these majors, it is important to show a commitment to these academic interests in their extracurricular activities.

• This year, submitting strong standardized test is becoming more important at many selective colleges. Many have returned to requiring ACT or SAT scores, including Brown, MIT, Stanford, Cornell, Penn, and UT Austin. Even some colleges that are “test optional” are admitting a higher percentage of students who submit test scores. For example, last year Emory 63% of admitted students submitted test scores (which is likely to be even higher this year).

• Prominent state universities are becoming as selective for out-of-state students as the many ivy league colleges. For example, UT Austin’s acceptance rate for out-of-state students in 2025 was below 12%. At UNC Chapel Hill the admission rate for out-of-state applicants was around 8%. These universities often consider whether the student’s record reflects a commitment to the major they indicate on their application. If a student wants to attend a large state university, they should consider universities within their home state and be willing to consider universities that have higher admit rates for students applying from outside the state. Students should also review their classes and extracurricular activities to determine whether they support a fit to a specific major.

• Several colleges are giving students the opportunity to submit a video to introduce themselves. Applicants should be sure to submit these or request interviews to give the college a chance to learn more information about them.

Ivy League Universities

Many Ivy League universities do not release admissions date from the ED round. Here are the details for those that do.

Brown

• Admitted 890 students Early Decision out of 5,406 applicants for an 16.5% admission rate (down from 18% in 2024).

• 16% of admitted ED students are the first in their families to attend college.

• New York, California, and Massachusetts were the states with the highest numbers of ED applicants. Read more here.

Dartmouth

• Did not release its Early Decision acceptance rate but did provide the following information.

  • 93% of accepted students submitted standardized tests scores that were in the top 25% of test-takers at their high school.

  • 98% of the admitted students were ranked in the top 10% of their high school class, with 33% projected as class valedictorians. Read details here.

Yale

• Admitted 779 students under its Single Choice Early Action plan out of 7,140 applicants for an acceptance rate of 10.9%.

• Yale deferred 18% of early applicants to the regular decision round and denied 70%, showing Yale’s continuing trend of rejecting a high percentage of early applicants. Read the press release here.

Other Notable Early Decision Results

Duke

• Duke admitted 847 Early Decision students out of 6,159 applications, with a 7% drop in ED applications.

• The ED admission rate is 13.8%. Read the full release here.

MIT

• Admitted 655 Early Action students out of 11,883 applicants for a 6% admittance rate.

• MIT deferred 7,738 applicants and rejected 2,703. Read the full article here.

UVA

• UVA saw an increase in Early Decision applications from last year for a total of 5,108 (3,077 in-state and 2,031 OOS). 

• 1,225 students were admitted (766 in-state and 459 OOS). The acceptance rates for ED are 25% (in-state) and 23% (OOS). Residency continues to be a major part of UVA’s application process. Read the blog here. 

Some Early Action Acceptance Rates

Many universities do not release Early Action decisions (which are not binding) until late January or February. Here is the data from the schools with December release dates.

University of Georgia

• 60% of its EA applications came from out-of-state and international applicants. Georgia admitted 4,600 of those for a 22% admit rate. As a comparison, Georgia’s EA acceptance rate is around 44% for in-state applicants. Read article here.

Tulane

• Tulane received approximately 14,000 EA applications and admitted 2,000 students EA for a 14% acceptance rate. In the ED1 round, Tulane received 1,600 applications and admitted 840 students for a 53% admit rate. If Tulane is a student’s first choice for college, it is clearly an advantage to apply ED.

Juniors: It’s Time to Focus on College

Many juniors and their families will have their first meetings with their school college counselors in the next few months. Here are some things to do to get organized.

• If you receive a questionnaire from your school counselor, take the time to fill it out as thoughtfully as possible. Counselors use these forms to help find colleges that match your priorities. They also use them to write their letters of recommendation and the more details you can provide them, the stronger the letter will be.

• Try to put together an initial list of colleges before you meet with your school counselor as a way to start the conversation. Make sure you listen to their input especially if they tell you the list is unbalanced.

• Book in person tours for upcoming long weekends or days off of school. Don’t only visit reach colleges!

• Attend virtual information sessions for colleges that you are unsure about visiting. See if you like their programs and other factors before you travel to visit in person.

• When booking in person or virtual visits, use the email that you plan to use for your applications. Colleges that track demonstrated interest will use your email to see how often you have interacted with them.

• Have a plan for standardized testing. Book additional test dates, if necessary, and spend time preparing for the tests.

• Start thinking about your summer plans.

What Seniors Should Do After Submitting Applications

Seniors should take a step back from thinking about college after submitting their applications and try to enjoy their last few months of high school. However, whether they have been accepted EA, ED, or are still waiting for admissions decisions, here are some important things to keep in mind for the second half of senior year.

• Keep your grades up. Colleges will get both semester and year end grades. For students waiting to hear, these grades can be very important in admissions decisions. For those who are already accepted, most (if not all) admissions offers are contingent on the student maintaining their academic performance.

• Make sure social media accounts are appropriate. Students should delete any questionable photos or posts. Ask your friends not to tag you if they post anything you are not comfortable with.

• Stay connected with colleges. If you have been admitted to a college, join the official Facebook or other groups of that college. Follow colleges that you have applied to on social media to keep up with things happening on campus (this could help inform your decision in the spring). Once your child commits to attending a college, parents should join that school’s parents’ Facebook group for Class of 2030.

• Send emails or letters to thank teachers and others who helped with the process.

News About Colleges

• Without Affirmative Action, Elite Colleges are Prioritizing Economic Diversity in Admissions. Read article here.

• Virginia Tech and Caltech are among the growing number of colleges utilizing AI in the admissions process. Despite public pushback, colleges are starting to reply on AI to review applications as admissions numbers rise. Read more here.

• Faculty across Texas A&M are frustrated with the university's decision to bar material on gender or race-related content. Excerpts from Plato have been removed from a philosophy class. Read the full article here.

About Karen Handler Ryan

At Excelsior Admissions Consulting, Karen uses her expertise to take the stress out of the college application process for students and their families.

Born and raised in New York City, Karen is an alumna of Trinity School in Manhattan and received her B.A. in Psychology with Honors from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. She received her J.D. from Columbia University Law School and went on to practice law at a major international firm. She has completed the University of California Irvine Independent Educational Consultant Certificate Program and Columbia University Teachers College Advising Program.

As a volunteer college consultant for ScholarMatch and a member of the Yonkers Partners in Education, Karen is a staunch advocate for equity in education. Believing that first-hand knowledge of colleges and universities facilitates the ability to create a successful match between a student and a school, she travels across the country visiting different colleges.