Do early action applicants face rejection?

I've always thought that applying early action was a safer bet, but can early action applicants be rejected completely? Wondering how often this happens and what it means for regular decision chances.

Yes, you're correct, early action applicants can indeed be outright rejected. While it's true that a significant number of EA applications are deferred to the regular decision pool, it's not a guarantee. As with many facets of college admissions, the outcome can depend a lot on the specifics of the institution and the individual student's application.

Rejection rates in the early action round can vary depending on the selectivity of the college or university. Elite institutions, for example, may reject a higher percentage of EA applicants because the applicant pool is often extremely competitive, and there are a limited number of spots available. When a student is rejected during early action, it typically means that the university does not see them as a competitive applicant in the larger applicant pool.

Therefore, an outright denial in the early action round does mean that regular decision chances are eliminated—at least for that specific school. However, it's important to remember that this does not necessarily portend anything about an individual's chances at other institutions during the regular decision round. Every university has its own unique evaluation process and criteria. The key is to not get too disheartened and to apply to a well-rounded list of safety, target, and reach schools.

For example, if you were to apply Early Action to a highly selective school like Harvard and get rejected, that doesn't mean you wouldn't have a chance at similarly prestigious institutions. Other peer institutions might have differing priorities or see value in aspects of your application that Harvard on that occasion did not. Thus, continue to apply broadly and optimistically!