When was Ivy Day 2026?
Thursday, March 26, 2026. Ivy Day is the informal name for the evening in late March when the Ivy League schools release regular decision results. On March 26, Columbia said admitted students “were notified of their decision via secure online access today at 7:00 p.m. (Eastern)” (Columbia announcement), and Yale, Brown and Cornell announced their admitted classes the same day (Yale News; Brown; Cornell Chronicle). The Class of 2030 entered college in fall 2026. Students applying now are applying for fall 2027 entry, the Class of 2031.
What did each Ivy League school announce on Ivy Day 2026?
Only three of the eight published an applicant count and an admit count on decision day. The table shows what each university released on decision day, what it published later, and the Class of 2030 rate from its latest figures.
| University | Announced on or near decision day | Published later | Class of 2030 rate (latest figures) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yale | 2,328 admits of 54,919 applicants (4.2%), March 26 | Class profile, September 2026: 4.4% of 54,956 applicants, as Yale states it | 4.4% |
| Columbia | 2,581 admits of 61,031 applicants (4.2%), March 26 | Class of 2030 Profile, as of August 22, 2026: 2,585 admits | 4.2% |
| Brown | 2,564 admits of 47,937 applicants (5.3%), March 26 | Admission numbers page, September 2026: 2,687 admits of 47,944 | 5.6% |
| Cornell | 5,776 admits, no applicant count, March 26 | University Factbook, updated September 1, 2026: 6,040 admits of 65,514 | 9.2% |
| Dartmouth | 1,687 admits of 28,863 applicants (5.8%), March 30 | No later count found | 5.8% |
| Harvard | No figures | Admissions statistics, posted by late October 2026: 2,037 admits of 55,104 | 3.7% |
| Princeton | No figures | Profile, as of August 18, 2026: 1,892 admits of 46,618 | 4.1% |
| Penn | No figures | Incoming class profile: 61,264 applications; no admit count | Not posted by Penn (about 5.8% by our calculation from a reported admit count) |
We found no Class of 2030 admit count on any official Penn page. Penn’s Almanac records that the dean of admissions “reported on the incoming the class of 2030” at the trustees meeting of June 12, 2026, without giving figures (Penn Almanac). According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, the dean reported 3,575 admits, which would be about 5.8% of Penn’s 61,264 applications, by our calculation. Our guide to Ivy League acceptance rates compares these figures with the Class of 2029.
Why did some Ivy League schools release no numbers on Ivy Day?
Two of them have said why. Princeton decided in 2022 “not to release admission data during the early action, regular decision and transfer admission cycles,” and said it would continue to report aggregate data “in the Common Data Set and to the state and federal government” (Princeton admission announcement). Harvard says: “Beginning with the Class of 2029, Harvard will share annual admissions data in the October/November timeframe” (Harvard admissions statistics). We found no statement from Penn explaining why it has not posted its admit count, or from Cornell explaining why its decision-day announcement gave no applicant count.
Did Ivy League acceptance rates fall for the Class of 2030?
At six of the eight, yes, though the two years come from different kinds of source: the Class of 2029 figures below are from each university’s Common Data Set for 2025-26 (Cornell’s from its Factbook), which counts admits at the end of the cycle, and the Class of 2030 figures are the latest each admissions office has published. On that basis, the rate fell at Harvard (4.2% to 3.7%), Princeton (4.4% to 4.1%), Columbia (4.9% to 4.2%), Yale (4.7% to 4.4%), Brown (6.3% to 5.6%) and Dartmouth (6.0% to 5.8%), and rose at Cornell (8.4% to 9.2%) and, using the reported Penn count, at Penn (4.9% to about 5.8%). Comparing decision day with decision day, Brown went from 2,418 admits of 42,765 applicants in March 2025 (Brown, March 27, 2025) to 2,564 of 47,937 in March 2026, or 5.7% to 5.3%, by our calculation. Separately, applications fell at Cornell (72,523 to 65,514) and Penn (72,544 to 61,264). These figures describe the counts, not their causes. Our guide to Ivy League acceptance rates has the full table.
Do deferred early applicants hear back on Ivy Day?
Generally, yes. A deferred early applicant is reviewed again with the regular pool and receives a decision (admit, deny or waitlist) when regular decisions are released. Princeton, for example, says an early action outcome can be to “defer a final decision on the application and review it again in the regular decision process” (Princeton application dates and deadlines). In our experience, a deferred student should send any update the college invites, such as midyear grades, before the regular decision review begins.
When is Ivy Day 2027?
The date has not been announced. For students applying for fall 2027 entry, Harvard says regular decision candidates “receive notification by the end of March” (Harvard first-year applicants), Yale and Princeton list late March (Yale timelines; Princeton), and Brown lists decisions by early April (Brown first-year applicants). Regular decision applications are due between January 1 and January 5, 2027, depending on the school. Princeton and Yale give admitted students until May 1 to reply.
How many students get off Ivy League waitlists?
Few, where the size of the list is known. Harvard admitted 103 students from its waiting list for the Class of 2030 but does not report how many were offered a place. For the class that entered in fall 2025 (the Class of 2029), Princeton admitted 36 of the 1,086 students who accepted a waitlist place, Yale 32 of 738 and Penn 60 of 2,566, according to their Common Data Sets for 2025-26 (Princeton; Yale; Penn). That is 3.3%, 4.3% and 2.3%, by our calculation. In our view, a waitlisted student should accept the place if still interested, confirm a place at another college by May 1, and treat a later offer as a bonus rather than a plan. Our guide to the Princeton waitlist covers one school in detail.
What should applicants for fall 2027 take from Ivy Day 2026?
The view of Oriel Admissions is that the most useful lessons from Ivy Day 2026 are about timing and information, not about the headline rates. Several Ivies now publish their numbers months after decisions, so a rate quoted in March can change by the fall, and estimates that circulate on decision day should be treated with caution. The four most selective Ivies were within less than one percentage point of one another, so in our view the order among them should not drive a college list. For fall 2027 entry, Princeton and Columbia remain test optional, with both requiring tests from the 2027-28 cycle (Princeton; Columbia), and the other six require the SAT or ACT, and every early deadline has passed, so any Ivy application not yet submitted will be a regular decision application. Our guide to the easiest Ivy League school to get into covers early rates, waitlists and aid.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ivy Day 2026
Ivy Day 2026 was Thursday, March 26, 2026. Columbia notified admitted students at 7:00 p.m. Eastern that day, and Yale, Brown and Cornell announced their admitted classes the same day.
It has not been announced. Harvard says regular decision candidates hear by the end of March, Yale and Princeton list late March, and Brown lists early April for fall 2027 entry.
Yale, Columbia and Brown published applicant and admit counts on March 26. Cornell gave an admit count only, Dartmouth followed on March 30, and Harvard, Princeton and Penn published nothing that day.
From the latest figures each university has published: Harvard 3.7%, Princeton 4.1%, Columbia 4.2%, Yale 4.4%, Brown 5.6%, Dartmouth 5.8% and Cornell 9.2%. Penn has not posted an admit count.
Harvard says that beginning with the Class of 2029 it shares annual admissions data in the October and November timeframe. It had posted Class of 2030 figures by late October 2026.
Generally, yes. Deferred early applicants are reviewed again with the regular pool and receive a decision, which can be an admission, a denial or a waitlist offer, when regular decisions are released.
Few. Harvard admitted 103 students from its waiting list for the Class of 2030. For the class that entered in fall 2025 (the Class of 2029), Princeton admitted 36 of 1,086 students who accepted a waitlist place and Yale 32 of 738.
Oriel Admissions suggests submitting every regular decision application by the January deadlines, keeping portal logins ready for late March, and planning a confirmed college choice by May 1.
Sources: Columbia announcement, March 26, 2026, Columbia Class of 2030 Profile, Yale News, March 26, 2026, Yale College Class Profile, Fall 2026, Yale timelines, Yale Common Data Set 2025-2026, Brown, March 26, 2026, Brown admission numbers, Brown first-year applicants, Brown Common Data Set 2025-2026, Cornell Chronicle, March 26, 2026, Cornell University Factbook, Dartmouth News, March 30, 2026, Dartmouth Common Data Set 2025-2026, Harvard admissions statistics, Harvard Common Data Set 2025-2026, Harvard first-year applicants, Princeton profile, Princeton Common Data Set 2025-2026, Princeton admission announcement, Princeton application dates and deadlines, Penn incoming class profile, Penn Common Data Set 2025-2026, Penn Almanac, June trustees meeting, The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 12, 2026, Brown, March 27, 2025, Columbia College and Columbia Engineering CDS 2025-2026, Princeton standardized testing, Columbia testing. Read October 26 and 27, 2026; Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, Cornell and the fall 2027 date pages re-read November 3, 2026.
About Oriel Admissions
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