ED2 Deadlines for January 2027: When Your Second Binding Shot Is Due
Early Decision II gives students a second binding round after December results. Deadlines range from January 1 to February 15, 2027, and the earliest ones leave very little time after an ED1 decision.
Most students hear about Early Decision in November. Fewer know that many colleges offer a second round. Early Decision II (ED2) is just as binding as the first round, but it comes later, so students get a second chance to commit to a top choice after December decisions come out.
How ED2 works
ED2 works like regular Early Decision (ED1): you apply to one school, and if you’re admitted, you’re committed to attending. What’s different is the timing. ED2 deadlines usually fall in early-to-mid January, and decisions typically come back by mid-February.
That makes ED2 useful in two situations:
- Your ED1 school said no. If you’re rejected, or released from your ED1 commitment, in December, you can make a binding commitment to another school.
- Your first choice changed. Some students realize over the fall that a different school is their real favorite but miss the November deadlines.
The deadlines
These are the January 2027 ED2 dates for the schools CollegeIntel researched:
| Deadline | Schools |
|---|---|
| Jan 1 | Vanderbilt, NYU, Northeastern, Emory, Wake Forest, Wesleyan, Vassar, Lehigh, Brandeis |
| Jan 2 | Johns Hopkins |
| Jan 4 | UChicago, Swarthmore, Rice, Tufts, WashU, Davidson, Boston College |
| Jan 5 | Bowdoin, Haverford, Harvey Mudd, Wellesley, Smith, Oberlin, BU, Washington and Lee, Rochester, Syracuse |
| Jan 15 | Villanova, Case Western, Kenyon, American, Colgate, Tulane, Franklin and Marshall, Connecticut College, UVM, SMU, College of Charleston |
| Feb 1 | TCU, High Point, Catholic University, Ursinus, Trinity (TX), St. Lawrence |
| Feb 15 | Marist |
January 15 is the most common ED2 deadline on the list, but many of the most selective schools close well before it. Twenty-seven schools on this list are due by January 5.
The timing problem
This is the part that catches students off guard. Many ED1 decisions come out in mid-December. If your ED2 school’s deadline is January 1, you’ll have about two weeks, over the holidays, to finish and submit a complete application.
So don’t wait for your December result to start. If you might apply ED2, write that school’s supplemental essays in November and December. If your ED1 school admits you, you’ve lost a few evenings. If it doesn’t, you’re ready.
Key takeaways
- ED2 is binding. Only apply to a school you’d actually attend, and talk through the cost with your family first, since you can’t compare financial aid offers.
- Check each school’s date yourself. Deadlines range from January 1 to February 15. Don’t assume January 15 applies.
- Start early for early deadlines. The January 1–5 schools leave almost no time after December decisions.
- A deferral is different from a rejection. If your ED1 school defers you, you’ll need to decide whether to stay in its pool or commit somewhere else through ED2.
- This list isn’t complete. More than 100 colleges offer ED2, and a school missing from the table may still have a second round.
For the full list and links to related guides, read CollegeIntel’s ED2 deadlines by school. Look it up now so you know your dates before December decisions arrive.