Early Decision Applicants

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Early Decision Applicants

The Benefits of Early Decision

If ΢��ƽ� is your first choice, we encourage you to apply Early Decision. Whether you decide to apply Early Decision I or Early Decision II, you will receive your admission decision months earlier than if you apply Regular Decision, which means you won’t have to wait until the end of your senior year to know where you will be attending college.

The admission rate is also higher for our Early Decision rounds than it is for Regular Decision.

Admission Rate (four-year averages)

Early Decision I and II (combined): 40%
Regular Decision: 11%
Overall admit rate: 13%

The Early Decision program is binding. If you are admitted under either round of Early Decision, you must withdraw your applications to other colleges. You may not apply to more than one institution as an Early Decision candidate. We reserve the right to rescind your admission if we find you are in violation of the terms of this agreement.

All Early Decision applicants must read and sign the Early Decision Agreement found in the Common Application. You must complete the Early Decision Agreement form with your secondary school guidance counselor.

a man wears a black ΢��ƽ� running singlet against a black backdrop

Early Decision for a Student-Athlete

"I chose to apply Early Decision because I knew ΢��ƽ� was the place I wanted to spend four years. I really enjoyed interacting with my future teammates on the cross country team and felt genuinely wanted throughout my application process. ΢��ƽ� felt like the place I could grow and develop academically, creatively, and athletically... and it was!"

— James Snyder '26 (Statesville, NC)

Early Decision for an International Student

“I decided to make ΢��ƽ� my top choice when I saw how the college and the student body as a whole supports and welcomes international students. I've never once regretted that decision, and I'm forever grateful for the people I've met and the things I've learned here.”

— Nam Do '25 (Hanoi, Vietnam)

Haden Horstman smiles for a photo on a river overlook

Early Decision for an Iowan

“As a native Iowan, I felt most at home when visiting ΢��ƽ�. In ΢��ƽ�, I found a chance to experience a level of diversity on all spectrums that most places in Iowa can't offer. Also, I won't lie, it is nice to be driving distance from home. That isn't a priority for some people, but I love being able to take my friends home with me for a weekend. ΢��ƽ� was the only school to check all my boxes, so I decided to apply Early Decision.”

— Haden Horstman '26 (Des Moines, IA)

Early Decision for a First-Generation College Student

"As a first-generation college student, I found the college application process hard to navigate. When I found ΢��ƽ�, I felt an immediate sense of relief. Between the faculty mentorships, vast academic resources, and a large first-generation community on campus, I knew I would succeed at ΢��ƽ�. This made applying Early Decision easy!"

— Tori Thomas '25 (Crystal, MN)

Early Decision for an East-Coaster

"΢��ƽ� students are eager for new people to join their clubs and to befriend new people, and they are also eager to peer read an essay or sit with you while you study. For these reasons and so many more, I feel so lucky I picked ΢��ƽ�!”

— Maddie Hartog '25 (New York, NY)

Early Decision for a West-Coaster

“Coming from a big city, I figured that there are only so many times in one’s life when you can truly pick up and try something new for four years. In reading about the community of ΢��ƽ�, the academic rigor, and all the research opportunities open to any student, I started envisioning the type of person that I would become after four years at ΢��ƽ� and decided to take that leap of faith and apply Early Decision."

— Alyson Won '25 (San Francisco, CA)

Alex Stein stands on a path near the sea. Low cliffs topped with grass and dropping off to the water are visible behind him.

After I visited ΢��ƽ�, the people, facilities, and location made me so excited about the possibility of spending four years here. It was clear that I had a home here. My mind was so sure that I applied Early Decision to ΢��ƽ�.

— Alex Stein '25 (Mansfield, PA)

Early Decision and Financial Aid

Need-Based Aid

While the binding nature of Early Decision means you will not be able to compare financial aid offers among colleges, the aid package you receive under Early Decision at ΢��ƽ� is the same as you would receive if admitted under the Regular Decision plan. Early Decision I candidates must submit their financial aid forms by Nov. 15. Early Decision II candidates must submit their financial aid forms by Jan. 5.

If you apply for financial aid and submit all of the necessary forms on time, you will receive your financial aid package at the same time as your admission notification.

All domestic applicants, regardless of decision deadline, are also encouraged to see the types of need-based aid they may qualify for as incoming first-year students. Complete the to see your early indication. All international applicants are encouraged to request more information by emailing intladmission@grinnell.edu.

Learn more about applying for need-based aid at ΢��ƽ�.

Claire Giannosa, a brunette woman with glasses, wears a pink shirt. She stands on a bridge overlooking a river in a city

Every time I heard about ΢��ƽ� in the college search process, I felt an inexplicable pull toward its kind and supportive tight-knit community, flexible curriculum, and interdisciplinary education. Coming from a big city, I was excited to experience life in Iowa. I applied Early Decision because of this pull I felt toward ΢��ƽ� — and I’m so happy I did!

— Claire Giannosa '26 (Manhattan, NY)

Merit-Based Scholarship

*U.S. citizens and permanent residents admitted Early Decision receive the ΢��ƽ� Choice Scholarship. This is a $20,000 annual scholarship, renewable for a total of eight semesters. Select students may also receive an additional Founder’s Scholarship.

There is no separate application for merit scholarships, and you will learn if you have received a merit scholarship when you receive your admission notification.

*Students eligible for Staff Tuition Remission, ACM Tuition Remission, or GLCA Tuition Remission are not eligible for merit-based scholarships, including the ΢��ƽ� Choice and Founder’s Scholarships.

Learn more about merit scholarships at ΢��ƽ�.

Early Decision Deadlines

If you decide that ΢��ƽ� is your first choice and that Early Decision makes sense for you, please note our Early Decision deadlines.

Early Decision Deadlines, 2025–26
	Early Decision I	Early Decision II
Application Deadline	Nov. 15	Jan. 5
Admission Notification	mid-December	early February
Deposit Due	Jan. 6	Feb. 14

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Rigorous academics, a campus emphasis on social justice and genuine diversity, and robust undergraduate research and study abroad opportunities were the non-negotiables of my college search, and in ΢��ƽ�, they were all met. Given my excitement to attend ΢��ƽ�, I was interested in applying Early Decision, and that interest became a reality for me when I learned how holistic and comprehensive its financial aid packages are.

— Sage Gladstone '26 (Syosset, NY)

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Does applying in Early Decision increase my odds of being admitted?

Historically, yes. Over the past four years, our Early Decision admission rate has been around 40%, while our Regular Decision admission rate has been around 11%.

Why would I choose to apply through Early Decision?

You should consider applying Early Decision if ΢��ƽ� is your first-choice school. Hopefully, you’ve had a chance to visit campus and/or attend some of our virtual offerings and you feel like ΢��ƽ� would be a good fit for you.

There is also a strategic advantage to applying Early Decision. Typically, the admission rate is higher in Early Decision than in Regular Decision. We want to admit students who truly want to be at ΢��ƽ�, and Early Decision provides us with that opportunity.

Regardless of whether you apply Early Decision or Regular Decision, ΢��ƽ� will meet your full demonstrated financial need without loans. Additionally, domestic students are guaranteed at least $20,000 in merit scholarship per year when they apply through Early Decision; this is not a guarantee in Regular Decision. Finally, applying through Early Decision means you receive your admission decision months before Regular Decision applicants do, so you can wrap up your college search much sooner.

If I already submitted a Regular Decision application to ΢��ƽ�, can I switch it to Early Decision?

Yes. You can switch to Early Decision any time before the Early Decision deadlines (November 15 for ED1 and January 5 for ED2). Please email the Office of Admission to request this change. You will then be asked to complete an Early Decision Agreement Form, which requires signatures from you, a parent/guardian, and your school counselor.

Why can I only apply to one school through Early Decision?

Early Decision is a binding agreement. If you are admitted, you are committing to attending (as long as you are comfortable with the financial commitment, of course), so applying to multiple schools via Early Decision is not an option.

Do I have to enroll if I’m admitted but the financial package is insufficient?

No. We would never expect you to commit to an investment that you and your family are not comfortable with. However, we offer a to estimate your need-based financial aid eligibility in advance, and we strongly recommend you use this tool and feel comfortable with the results if you are planning to apply Early Decision. Follow the instructions carefully, and email the Office of Financial Aid if you have questions about your results.

΢��ƽ� meets the full demonstrated financial need for all students without loans. If your family has special circumstances or experiences a change in circumstances, email the Office of Financial Aid to inquire about the reconsideration request process. If your financial aid is reconsidered and you still find ΢��ƽ� to be unattainable financially, you may decline your acceptance.

Do all my application materials need to be submitted by the deadline? Can test scores or other materials be submitted later?

You must submit your Common Application or QuestBridge application by the listed deadlines. We may offer an extra day or two for you to submit additional materials after that, but this is not a guarantee, and you should certainly plan to have everything turned in by the deadline.

What are the possible outcomes of Early Decision?

There are two possible outcomes: Early Decision applicants will either be offered admission or denied admission. Admitted students will then be expected to pay their tuition deposit and withdraw all other college applications. Denied students will be free to continue navigating their college search and application processes elsewhere.

We do not defer Early Decision applicants to Regular Decision; if a student was not selected for admission in Early Decision, they will not be considered for admission in Regular Decision.

I am interested in applying Early Decision, but I am worried about the financial commitment. How can I learn more about how much ΢��ƽ� will cost if I am admitted?

Students who apply Early Decision are eligible for the same need-based financial aid as students who apply Regular Decision. We are committed to meeting the full demonstrated financial need of all admitted students without the use of loans. Additionally, all domestic Early Decision admits are guaranteed a $20,000 annual award. All Early Decision applicants will also be considered for additional merit scholarships.

To receive an estimate of the need-based financial aid you might receive at ΢��ƽ�, we encourage you to complete one of our estimated cost calculators. These tools only estimate need-based aid, not merit scholarship eligibility. Please remember that merit scholarships, including the ΢��ƽ� Choice Scholarship, are used to meet your demonstrated need (the difference between the cost of attending ΢��ƽ� and your family’s contribution as determined by the Office of Financial Aid). In other words, merit scholarships reduce the amount of need-based aid provided. And, of course, if you have any questions about financial aid at ΢��ƽ�, please email the Office of Financial Aid.

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