UPenn Acceptance Rate ED vs RD?

I've been doing some research on UPenn and I noticed there's an Early Decision (ED) option. Does anyone know if the acceptance rate for ED is significantly different from the Regular Decision (RD) acceptance rate?

Yes, there is a noticeable difference in acceptance rates between Early Decision (ED) and Regular Decision (RD) at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn). Typically, the ED acceptance rate is higher than the RD rate due to several factors, but most especially the binding aspect of Early Decision, which both demonstrates your genuine enthusiasm about the school and helps UPenn's yield rate (the percentage of accepted students that ultimately enroll).

For example, in recent years, UPenn's ED acceptance rate has been around 15%, while the RD rate has been between 6-8%. Keep in mind that these numbers vary slightly from year to year, and both RD and ED acceptance rates at UPenn have been going down in recent years, but clearly the difference between the two rounds is significant.

While applying ED may improve your chances of acceptance, it's crucial to carefully consider whether the binding agreement aligns with your preferences, and whether your application is truly ready to be submitted. If you're unsure whether UPenn is truly your top choice, or think your application would benefit from, for example, the addition of a higher SAT or ACT score, RD may be a better choice for you despite the increased competition. But if you're confident about UPenn and think your application is ready to go, then the admissions boost during ED is just one more reason to go for it!

Ultimately, what matters most is that you feel comfortable and confident with your choices during your college process, so choose the round that will be most conducive to that. Best of luck!