The Ivy League may have thought that a global pandemic followed by a highly publicized Supreme Court case against one of its own that ultimately outlawed Affirmative Action would have been the extent of its troubles. But as this past year has indicated, a bad situation can worsen in the blink of an eye! Even though Yale University certainly experienced its fair share of campus antisemitism, this past year hasn’t brought about as much bad press as with some of its Ivy (ahem, Crimson!) counterparts.

So when Yale announced on Tuesday evening that 10.8% of Early Action applicants were accepted in one of the lowest, but not the lowest acceptance rates, in recent years, we’re not left to wonder why. Of 6,729 EA applicants, 728 received the news that they would soon be bonafide Bulldogs, which doesn’t quite beat out last year’s record-low rate of 9.02%, but also isn’t as abysmal of a showing as at a place like Brown, which is likely regretting some of it’s political actions now that it sees how it has adversely impacted its acceptance rate (a college endowment is not a political football!).

Yale Early Action Admissions Statistics Over 8 Years

Yale Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Jeremiah Quinlan told reporters from The Yale Daily News that the decrease in size of the applicant pool as compared with last year “is exactly in line with what we anticipated following the change in our standardized testing policy,” meaning Yale’s new test-flexible policy that requires some, but not all, standardized tests to be submitted. While this is likely a factor in the decreased turnout, students seeking more tolerant campuses with greater ideological diversity are certainly still a factor.

17% of applicants were deferred to the Regular Decision pool, while 71% were denied admission. Prior to 2021, Yale took an approach much like Harvard’s in deferring far more students than it denied. The Class of 2026 Early Action round experienced the first flip-flop of these two data points. The rates have since diverged even further, with the denial rate increasing each year and the deferral rate decreasing yearly. 

Yale Graduating Class	Early Action Acceptance Rate	Early Action Deferral Rate	Early Action Denial Rate
Class of 2029	10.80%	17%	71%
Class of 2028	9.02%	20%	70%
Class of 2027	10.89%	21%	67%
Class of 2026	12.09%	31%	57%
Class of 2025	10.50%	50%	38%
Class of 2024	13.80%	56%	29%
Class of 2023	13.20%	56%	30%
Class of 2022	14.70%	55%	29%

Yale Early Action Acceptance Rates Over 10+ Years

Last year, for the Class of 2028, Yale admitted a record 9.02% of Early Action applicants. For the Class of 2027, Yale admitted 10.89%, and for the Class of 2026, Yale admitted 10.89%. The EA applicant pool experienced record-high numbers during the pandemic, mainly due to Yale’s piloting a test-optional policy. At Ivy Coach, we term the students who try to sneak in without testing “squeakers.” These students were out of luck this year, as Yale implemented a unique “test-flexible” plan that requires one of the four: AP, IB, ACT, or SAT scores.

Below is a breakdown of Yale’s Early Action admission statistics over the last 14 years:

Yale Class Year	Early Action Applications Received	Early Action Acceptances	Early Action Acceptance Rate
Class of 2029	6,729	728	10.80%
Class of 2028	7,856	709	9.02%
Class of 2027	7,744	842	10.89%
Class of 2026	7,288	881	12.09%
Class of 2025	7,939	837	10.50%
Class of 2024	5,777	796	13.20%
Class of 2023	6,016	794	13.19%
Class of 2022	5,733	842	14.70%
Class of 2021	5,086	871	17.13%
Class of 2020	4,669	795	17.10%
Class of 2019	4,693	753	17%
Class of 2018	4,750	735	16%
Class of 2017	4,520	649	15.50%
Class of 2016	4,304	675	14.40%

Breakdown of the Yale Class of 2029 Admits

Yale’s press release on the subject did not exactly show its cards when it comes to the specifics of this incoming cohort beyond the fact that “58% are receiving a Yale need-based financial award with an average scholarship of $74,146.” When this data finally does come out, Ivy Coach’s loyal readers will be the first to know!

In early December, 66 students were notified of their admission to Yale via the QuestBridge College Match program, which connects lower-income students to elite universities. Those QuestBridge admits who choose to enroll will receive full financial aid and a $2,000 start-up grant at the beginning of their first year.

Ivy Coach’s Assistance with Yale Deferral

If you’ve been deferred to Yale’s Class of 2029, all hope is not lost — and a Yale deferral carries more weight than a Harvard deferral since Yale deferred only 17% of candidates this Early Action cycle, denying 71%.

Yet how you approach your deferral can make all the difference. If you’re interested in optimizing your case for admission to Yale’s Class of 2029 post-deferral, fill out Ivy Coach’s complimentary consultation form. We’ll then be in touch to outline our go-forward services, including a PostMortem for denied candidates and a PostMortem followed by assistance in crafting a powerful Letter of Continued Interest for deferred candidates.

And congratulations to Ivy Coach’s students who applied to Yale’s Class of 2029 in the Early Action round. You all got in!