When the Supreme Court ruled this past summer that Harvard and UNC’s use of race-based data as an admissions factor was unconstitutional, a shockwave was sent through the Ivy League. Yale University was no exception. On the evening of December 14, 2023, 709 Early Action students were thrilled to learn that they were admitted to one of the most competitive schools in the nation. From a pool of 7,856 applicants, Yale’s EA acceptance rate landed at 9.02%, the lowest in the history of Yale’s Early Action program. Also for the first time in recent history, racial data on the Early Action admits was not collected.

Yale Early Action Admissions Statistics Over 7 Years

1,531 students (20%) were deferred to the Regular Decision pool, while 5,537 students (a whopping 70%) 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 each year. Yale Dean of Undergraduate Admissions Jeremiah Quinlan told reporters from The Yale Daily News that this change in strategy reflected the wishes of “colleagues” at high schools across the country who desire final decisions earlier.

Yale Graduating Class	Early Action Acceptance Rate	Early Action Deferral Rate	Early Action Denial Rate
Class of 2028	9.02%	20%	70%
Class of 2027	10.89%	21%	67%
Class of 2026	12.09%	31%	57%
Class of 2025	10.5%	50%	38%
Class of 2024	13.8%	56%	29%
Class of 2023	13.2%	56%	30%
Class of 2022	14.7%	55%	29%

Yale Early Action Acceptance Rates Over 10+ Years

Last year, for the Class of 2027, Yale admitted 10.89% of Early Action applicants. For the Class of 2026, Yale admitted 12.09%, and for the Class of 2025, Yale admitted 10.5%. The EA applicant pool experienced record high numbers at the height of the pandemic, largely due to Yale’s piloting of a test-optional policy. At Ivy Coach, we term the students who try to sneak in without testing “squeakers.” These students may be out of luck next year, as Yale (along with many other elite colleges) may return to requiring the ACT or SAT next admissions cycle (though we suspect Yale and many elite universities will remain test-optional).

Below is a breakdown of Yale’s Early Action admission statistics over the last 13 years:

Yale Class Year	Early Action Applications Received	Early Action Acceptances	Early Action Acceptance Rate
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	10.5%
Class of 2024	5,777	796	13.2%
Class of 2023	6,016	794	13.19%
Class of 2022	5,733	842	14.7%
Class of 2021	5,086	871	17.13%
Class of 2020	4,669	795	17.1%
Class of 2019	4,693	753	17%
Class of 2018	4,750	735	16%
Class of 2017	4,520	649	15.5%
Class of 2016	4,304	675	14.4%

Breakdown of the Yale Class of 2028 Admits

Yale claimed in a press release about their incoming class that they have data indicating that a large proportion of admits come from under-resourced areas, but they did not release this data. In fact, we know hardly anything about the EA admits — Yale has yet to release any substantial data beyond the rote numbers.

In early December, 72 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 be provided with 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 2028, all hope is not lost — and a Yale deferral carries more weight than a Harvard deferral since Yale deferred only 20% of candidates this Early Action cycle, denying 70%.

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 2028 post-deferral, fill out Ivy Coach’s complimentary consultation form, and we’ll be in touch to outline our go-forward services.