The Ivy Coach Daily
April 11, 2023
With the release of Regular Decision notifications to the Class of 2027, the conclusion of the 2022-2023 admissions cycle is within sight. As waitlisted students continue the fight to earn admission to their dream schools and as all Regular Decision applicants make their college choices by National College Decision Day, let’s look back at the year that was in Ivy League admissions. So what were the trends?
Class of 2027 Ivy League Admissions Cycle Was Not the Most Competitive Year Ever
Ivy League Admissions Rates for the Class of 2027
While, at this time every year, parents and students of the latest round of applicants love to tout that it was the most competitive year ever for Ivy League admissions, based on the overall data, the 2022-2023 admissions cycle for the Class of 2027 was certainlynotthe most competitive year ever in Ivy League admissions history. Rather, it was a mixed bag.
Across the Ivy League, applications dipped at Columbia University and Harvard University, and while Cornell University has yet to report its tally, we project applications were down there, too. Meanwhile, application records were established at Brown University, Dartmouth College, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University. Princeton University has not yet released any admissions statistics for the Class of 2027.
But even for those Ivy League schools that established new application benchmarks for the Class of 2027, it’s not as though these figures smashed previous records. Instead, in all four instances, they were new benchmarks by small margins.
| Ivy League School | Class of 2027 Early Action / Early Decision Applications | Class of 2027 Early Action / Early Decision Acceptances | Class of 2027 Early Action / Early Decision Admission Rates | Class of 2027 Regular Decision Applications | Class of 2027 Regular Decision Acceptances | Class of 2027 Regular Decision Admission Rates | Class of 2027 Total Applications | Class of 2027 Total Acceptances | Class of 2027 Overall Admission Rates |
| Brown University | 6,770 | 879 | 12.98% | 44,532 | 1,730 | 3.88% | 51,302 | 2,609 | 5.09% |
| Columbia University | 5,738 | Not Yet Reported | Not Yet Reported | Not Yet Reported | Not Yet Reported | Not Yet Reported | 57,129 | 2,246 | 3.93% |
| Cornell University | Not Yet Reported | 1,670 | Not Yet Reported | Not Yet Reported | 3,324 | Not Yet Reported | Not Reported | 4,994 | 9.73% |
| Dartmouth College | 3,009 | 578 (+47 through QuestBridge) | 19.2% | 25,832 | 1,173 | 4.54% | 28,841 | 1,798 | 6.23% |
| Harvard University | 9,553 | 722 | 7.56% | 47,384 | 1,220 | 2.57% | 56,937 | 1,942 | 3.41% |
| University of Pennsylvania | 8,000+ | Not Yet Reported | Not Yet Reported | Not Yet Reported | Not Yet Reported | Not Yet Reported | 59,000 Plus | Not Reported | Not Reported |
| Princeton University | Not Yet Reported | Not Yet Reported | Not Yet Reported | Not Yet Reported | Not Yet Reported | Not Yet Reported | Not Reported | Not Reported | Not Reported |
| Yale University | 7,744 | 776 (+66 through QuestBridge) | 10.02% | 44,506 | 1,433 | 3.22% | 52,250 | 2,275 | 4.35% |
Brown University Admissions Statistics
At Brown, applications set an all-time record for the Ivy League school, though not by a large margin (applications were up 1.27% year over year), eclipsing tallies for the Classes of 2026 and 2025. However, the institution’s overall admission rate rose ever so slightly from 5% for the Class of 2026 to 5.09% for the Class of 2027. It marked the second-lowest admission rate in the school’s history.
Columbia University Admissions Statistics
At Columbia, likely due to the school’s dramatic slide in the 2023US News & World Reportannual ranking after its reporting scandal, applications fell by 5.38% from the Class of 2026. Applications were down 5.65% from the Class of 2025. The overall admission rate was also up slightly from the Class of 2026 — to 3.93% from 3.73% for the Class of 2026 and 3.9% for the Class of 2025. 2022-2023 thus wasn’t exactly a banner admissions cycle for Columbia’s admissions office.
Cornell University Admissions Statistics
Cornell hasn’t yet reported its total applications for the Class of 2027, though we’ll publish them as soon as they become available through either the admissions office or The Common Data Set. The school’s overall admission rate for the Class of 2027 of 9.73% was, however, significantly higher than the Ivy League school’s overall admission rates for the Classes of 2026 and 2025, which stood at 6.91% and 8.7%, respectively. It thus wasn’t exactly a record-setting year for the Ithaca, New York-based institution.
Dartmouth College Admissions Statistics
Applications to Dartmouth’s Class of 2027 set an all-time record. With 28,841 total applications this year, the figure eclipsed the prior record of 28,357 for the Class of 2025 by 1.67%. So it’s not as though Dartmouth blew away its previous benchmark, but it set a new application record tally nonetheless. The school’s admission rate for the Class of 2027 of 6.23% was slightly lower than the 6.24% admission rate for the Class of 2026 but slightly higher than the 6.2% admission rate for the Class of 2025.
Harvard University Admissions Statistics
Applications dropped to Harvard this year for the Class of 2027. With 56,937 total applications, it was well below last year’s benchmark of 61,220. It was also below the figure for the Class of 2025: 57,435. The admission rate for the Class of 2027 was significantly higher than for the Class of 2026 — up to 3.41% from a low of 3.19%.
University of Pennsylvania Admissions Statistics
A record tally of students applied to UPenn’s Class of 2027. With over 59,000 applications, the school eclipsed the 56,332 applicants to the Class of 2026 and the 56,333 applicants to the Class of 2025. And while the school has yet to report its overall admission rate for the Class of 2027, we anticipate it will mark a record low for the Ivy League institution.
Princeton University Admissions Statistics
Princeton has yet to release any data on its Class of 2027, but we’ll update this post as soon as the figures become publicly available — either by the admissions office or through The Common Data Set.
Yale University Admissions Statistics
Applications spiked to the Yale Class of 2027. With 52,250 applications for the Class of 2027, the school set a new application benchmark, eclipsing the 50,015 applications to the Class of 2026. Yale’s overall admission rate for the Class of 2027 also marked an all-time low: 4.35%. This figure stood at 4.47 for the Class of 2026 and 4.6% for the Class of 2025. So it was indeed a record year for the New Haven, Connecticut-based institution.
Most Ivy League Admission Rates Increase for the Class of 2027
Of the six Ivy League schools that have thus far reported their overall admission rates for the Class of 2027 (Princeton and UPenn are the holdouts), the figures only improved at Dartmouth and Yale — and by improved, we mean they got lower. At Brown, Columbia, Cornell, and Harvard, their admission rates rose this year — meaning they accepted a greater percentage of students than they did for the Class of 2026. Cornell’s overall admission rate, in particular, rose significantly: from 6.91% for the Class of 2026 to 9.73% for the Class of 2027.
| Ivy League School | Class of 2027 Total Applications | Class of 2027 Overall Admission Rates | Class of 2026 Total Applications | Class of 2026 Overall Admission Rates | Class of 2025 Total Applications | Class of 2025 Overall Admission Rates |
| Brown University | 51,302 | 5.09% | 50,649 | 5% | 46,568 | 5.4% |
| Columbia University | 57,129 | 3.93% | 60,377 | 3.73% | 60,551 | 3.9% |
| Cornell University | Not Yet Reported | 9.73% | 67,380 | 6.91% | 67,380 | 8.7% |
| Dartmouth College | 28,841 | 6.23% | 28,336 | 6.24% | 28,357 | 6.2% |
| Harvard University | 56,937 | 3.41% | 61,220 | 3.19% | 57,435 | 3.4% |
| University of Pennsylvania | 59,000+ | Not Yet Reported | 56,332 | 5.87% | 56,333 | 5.7% |
| Princeton University | Not Yet Reported | Not Yet Reported | 37,601 | 4.38% | 37,601 | 4.0% |
| Yale University | 52,250 | 4.35% | 50,015 | 4.47% | 46,935 | 4.6% |
A Forecast for the 2023-2024 Ivy League Admissions Cycle
With the United States Supreme Court set to rule on the legality of Affirmative Action, changes could be looming to the elite college admissions process next cycle. In the experience of Ivy Coach, when changes are on the horizon, anxiety surges. And when anxiety surges, applications rise, and admission rates dip. We thus anticipate several record application tallies and record-low admission rates for the Class of 2028 across the Ivy League. Stay tuned!
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