ED, EA, REA, ED2 or RD? The Rules and Commitments of Each US Undergraduate Application Round, Fall 2027 Deadlines at 114 Universities, and How Domestic and International Applicants (Including Students in China) Can Plan

Applying to US universities means choosing not only where to apply but also which round to apply in. ED, EA, REA, ED II and RD differ in deadlines and decision dates, and above all in whether an offer is binding. This guide first explains the rules of each round, using the official websites of Duke, Yale and the University of Chicago (read in November 2026), then uses this site's verified fall 2027 application dates for 114 US universities to show the most common deadlines. It is a companion to our grade 9–12 planning series; see also our application timeline by grade.

1. The five rounds

• ED (Early Decision): binding. Duke states that Early Decision is a binding program for students whose top choice is Duke, and that Regular Decision is for students who want to keep their options open (Duke: Apply). Duke's 2024-25 Early Decision Agreement states that if you are accepted under Early Decision, you must immediately withdraw any applications submitted to other colleges and make no additional applications; Early Decision candidates seeking financial aid do not need to withdraw other applications until they have received notification about financial aid from Duke (Duke Early Decision Agreement). Duke also states that students cannot apply simultaneously to more than one binding program (Duke FAQs).
• EA (Early Action): an earlier deadline and earlier decision, generally without a commitment to attend. At the University of Chicago, for example, the Early Action deadline is November 2, 2026, decisions come in mid-December and the reply date is May 1 (UChicago: Application).
• REA / SCEA (Restrictive or Single-Choice Early Action): non-binding, but it limits early applications elsewhere. Yale states that its Single-Choice Early Action is non-binding, and admitted students may keep active applications at other colleges (Yale: timelines).
• ED II (Early Decision II): binding like ED, with a January deadline. The University of Chicago's ED II deadline is January 4, 2027, with decisions in mid-February and a reply date in mid-March (UChicago: Application).
• RD (Regular Decision): deadlines are mostly in January, decisions come around late March, and admitted students usually reply by May 1. Yale's Regular Decision deadline is January 2, 2027, with decisions in late March and a reply deadline of May 1 (Yale: timelines).

2. Fall 2027 entry: rounds and deadlines at 114 universities

The table counts this site's verified fall 2027 application dates for 114 US universities (one university can offer several rounds). Each university's dates are on its page on this site under "Application dates"; always follow the latest dates on the university's website.

Round	What it is	Universities offering it	Most common deadlines
ED	Early Decision, binding	58	November 1, 2026 (40), November 2, 2026 (10)
EA	Early Action, generally non-binding	68	November 1, 2026 (41), November 2, 2026 (10)
REA	Restrictive Early Action	6	November 1, 2026 (5)
ED2	Early Decision II	39	January 5, 2027 (11), January 15, 2027 (8)
RD	Regular Decision	108	January 15, 2027 (26), January 5, 2027 (15)

• Most common combinations: EA + RD (31 universities), ED + EA + ED II + RD (24), ED + ED II + RD (15), ED + RD (11), RD only (11), REA + RD (6).
• The 6 universities with REA: Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Stanford, Caltech, Notre Dame; 5 of them have a November 1, 2026 deadline.
• Earlier deadlines: 5 universities have an EA deadline of October 15, 2026, and 2 have an ED deadline of October 15.
• University of California: the 8 UC campuses in this site's data all have a November 30, 2026 deadline (UC's single November filing period), with no early rounds.

3. What REA restricts: the Yale example

Yale states that if you apply through Single-Choice Early Action, you may not also apply through Early Action or Early Decision to other colleges, unless the other program is one of the following (Yale: timelines):

• a non-binding rolling admission program;
• a non-binding early program at a public institution;
• an Early Decision or Early Action program that notifies applicants after January 1 (typically titled "Round 2");
• an early program at an institution outside the United States.

Yale's Early Action applicants receive one of three decisions in mid-December: admission, a final denial, or a deferral to Regular Decision; deferred applications are reconsidered with Regular Decision applicants, with final decisions by late March. Applicants denied under Single-Choice Early Action cannot reapply through Regular Decision in the same cycle. Yale also states that it does not give an advantage to applicants who apply through Early Action. REA rules differ by university; check each university's website.

4. Should you apply ED? Three things to check first

1. Is it your clear first choice? If admitted under ED you attend and withdraw your other applications. As Duke puts it, ED is for students whose top choice is Duke, and RD is for those who want to keep their options open.
2. Can you settle the cost question first? Duke lists considerations such as your family being comfortable with the anticipated financial commitment, or wanting to compare financial aid packages; it states there is no financial aid advantage or disadvantage in applying ED, that students who wish to compare packages should apply RD, and that in rare cases students who cannot afford to attend may be released from the ED commitment after discussions among the family, the Financial Support Office and the Admissions Office (Duke FAQs).
3. Will your materials be ready? Most early deadlines are in early November, so tests, essays and recommendations need to be ready by the end of October. Duke also requires first-quarter grades from Early Decision applicants' schools, due November 20 or as soon as they are available (Duke: Apply).

Universities say different things about whether applying early helps. Duke states that applying ED has an advantage: in 2025-2026 it admitted 13.7% of ED applicants and 3.7% of RD applicants (Duke FAQs); Yale states that it gives no advantage to early applicants. Do not carry one university's situation over to another; follow what your target university says.

5. Planning for domestic and international applicants (including students in China)

• Domestic applicants: set your early strategy by target university: ED for a clear first choice, EA or RD to keep options open. In our data, the 5 universities with an EA deadline of October 15, 2026 (UT Austin, UNC-Chapel Hill, Georgia, Florida State, Clemson) are all public, about two weeks earlier than most, so note them separately.
• International applicants: Duke's Early Decision Agreement is one form for all ED applicants (it has a citizenship field), with no separate rules for international students. If you need financial aid, check each university's aid policy for international students before committing to one university; Duke's agreement lets aid applicants wait for its aid notification before withdrawing other applications, and other universities set their own rules.
• Students in China: early deadlines in early November mean tests, transcripts and recommendations must be ready in October; if you use mid-term grades from a Chinese high school, allow time for the school to issue, translate and send them. You can add target universities to your list in our university database and set deadline reminders for the round you choose.

Frequently asked questions

When are early application deadlines for fall 2027 entry at US universities?

In this site's verified data for 114 US universities, 40 of the 58 with ED have a November 1, 2026 deadline and 10 have November 2; 41 of the 68 with EA have a November 1, 2026 deadline and 10 have November 2; the 39 ED II rounds mostly close in January 2027. Always check each university's latest dates.

What is the difference between Early Decision and Early Action at US universities?

Early Decision is binding: Duke's 2024-25 Early Decision Agreement states that if accepted you must immediately withdraw applications to other colleges, and aid applicants may wait until they receive Duke's financial aid notification; Duke also states that students cannot apply to more than one binding program at once. Early Action generally does not require you to attend; at the University of Chicago, for example, the Early Action reply date is May 1.

If I apply to Yale through Single-Choice Early Action, can I apply early to other universities?

Yale states that you generally may not also apply through Early Action or Early Decision elsewhere, unless the other program is a non-binding rolling admission program, a non-binding early program at a public institution, an Early Decision or Early Action program that notifies applicants after January 1, or a program at an institution outside the United States. Yale's Single-Choice Early Action is non-binding, and applicants denied under it cannot reapply through Regular Decision in the same cycle.

What is Early Decision II at US universities, and when is the deadline?

Early Decision II is a second binding early round with a January deadline. Of the 114 US universities in this site's verified data, 39 offer ED II, and the most common deadlines are January 5, 2027 (11) and January 15, 2027 (8). The University of Chicago's ED II deadline is January 4, 2027, with decisions in mid-February and a reply date in mid-March.

References

Duke: Apply; Duke FAQs; Duke Early Decision Agreement (2024-25); Yale: timelines; UChicago: Application; fall 2027 application dates for each university are on its page on this site (data from university websites and application platforms). Pages read in November 2026; rules and dates follow the latest official versions.