Emory University accepted its third group of students to the Class of 2027 on Feb. 1. Of the 2,088 Early Decision II (ED2) students who applied to the Emory College of Arts and Sciences, 245 students were admitted, culminating in a roughly 12% acceptance rate, according to Associate Vice Provost and Dean of Admission John Latting.
The ED2 applicant pool increased by nearly 15% compared to the 1,817 students who applied ED2 to Emory College last year. Additionally, last year Emory accepted 259 ED2 applicants, 14 more than this year.
The first group of students admitted were through the QuestBridge National College Match program, which provides low income students with a free college education. Before Dec. 1, 2022, Emory admitted 61 QuestBridge Scholars to the Class of 2027, five of whom chose to attend Oxford College. The QuestBridge Scholars constitute the most diverse group of the Class of 2027.
Emory admitted its second round of members of the Class of 2027 on Dec. 14. Of the Early Decision I (ED1) applicants to Emory College, the University selected 722, producing a 31% acceptance rate. Additionally, 353 ED1 students were admitted to Oxford.
“We are anticipating a stronger Regular Decision,” Latting said. “We want to capitalize bringing the very best class in the end that we can, so that's why that took place with ED2 this year.”
According to Latting, ED2 gives students who rank Emory as their first choice school the chance to apply early if they did not do so during ED1 without having to go into the Regular Decision round, which consists of an increasingly strong and competitive applicant pool. Like ED1, ED2 is binding, so students are required to matriculate to Emory if they are accepted.
“As Regular Decision gets more and more competitive around the country, it's harder and harder to match students with the institutions,” Latting said. “Early Decision II is sort of another level of refining that. It’s great that what Emory offers is this intermediate step.”
Latting also mentioned that Emory’s ED2 option adds more complexity to the admissions process.
“It’s a puzzle with another piece to it in terms of building the class,” Latting said. “It kind of raises the analytic dimension of enrollment, but on the other hand, it's another opportunity for students who just really, really want to be at Emory to raise their hand and say, ‘This is where I want to be.’”
Latting added that everyone is treated fairly in the admissions process regardless of the admissions round.Regular Decision is the last round of acceptances for the Class of 2027, which had a Jan. 1 application deadline. Regular Decision applicants will receive their admission results by April 1.
