If you would like an admissions decision by mid-December, you may apply under Yale’s Single-Choice Early Action program (otherwise known as Restrictive Early Action). The program is like other non-binding plans in that candidates who are admitted early need not respond to the offer of admission until May 1, and may apply to other schools for Regular Decision. Being admitted to Yale early would, for example, still allow you to compare offers of financial aid in the spring.
Yale’s Early Action plan is unlike many other programs in that if you apply for Single-Choice Early Action at Yale, you may not simultaneously apply for Early Action or Early Decision to any other school with a few exceptions (see “Applying to Other Colleges and Universities” below). If you apply early to Yale, you are indicating that the only Early Action/Early Decision application you intend to file is Yale’s, unless another early application is covered by one of the exceptions listed below.
For Single-Choice Early Action, the deadline to submit the Common Application or Coalition Application, along with the application fee or fee waiver request is November 1. Students will be notified of the admissions committee’s decision in mid-December. Admitted students will have until May 1 to accept an offer of admission.
Applying to Other Colleges and Universities
If you are a Single-Choice Early Action applicant to Yale, you may apply to another institution’s early admission program as follows:
- You may apply to any college’s non-binding rolling admission program.
- You may apply to any public institution at any time, provided that admission is non-binding.
- You may apply to another college’s Early Decision II program, but only if the notification of admission occurs after January 1. If you are admitted through another college’s Early Decision II binding program, you must withdraw your application from Yale.
- You may apply to another college’s Early Action II program.
- You may apply to any institution outside of the United States at any time.
The Single-Choice Early Action Application Process
To take part in this program, check the box for Restrictive Early Action in the Yale-specific questions section of the Common Application or Coalition Application. Then submit those online forms no later than November 1. In mid-December Yale will send you its decision on your application. There are three possibilities:
- An offer of admission to the first-year class
- Denial of admission
- Deferral for consideration in Regular Decision
The last of these, deferral, means that the admissions committee has deferred its decision and will re-consider your application along with the Regular Decision applicants. Deferred applicants will receive a final decision by April 1. Applicants denied admission under Single-Choice Early Action are not eligible for further consideration for admission during that application cycle.
Evaluation of Single-Choice Early Action Applications
Single-Choice Early Action candidates are evaluated in the same way as are those who apply for Regular Decision. Senior grades are not often available for early candidates, so consider the strength of your record at the point of application if you use the Single-Choice Early Action program.