UVA has three admission cycles that cater to different situations. This can get confusing, but that’s okay! Below is a primer on early decision, early action, and regular decision at UVA.
| Application Type | Student Deadline | Teacher/Counselor Deadline | Notification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Decision | November 1 | November 8 | By December 15 |
| Early Action | November 1 | November 8 | By February 15 |
| Regular Decision | January 5 | January 10 | By April 1 |
| Spring Transfer | October 1 | Not applicable | By November 30 |
| Fall Transfer | March 1 | Not applicable | By May 1 |
Early Decision (ED)
What is early decision?
In ED, students may be admitted, denied or deferred. If admitted, students must submit their enrollment deposit by January 1. If denied, there is no appeal process. Deferral means that the application will be reviewed again during the Regular Decision phase of the admission process. If deferred, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions asks that the student or counselor send updated midyear grades at soon as they are available. All students applying to UVA will be held to the same admission standards regardless of which application plan they choose.
How many students apply for early decision?
UVA’s 2020 admission cycle (for the UVA Class of 2024) was the first process in which the University offered early decision, early action, and regular decision. In the 2025 admission cycle, UVA received 4,971 ED applications (56% from Virginia, 44% from out of state). Overall, there were 1,282 offers made (25.7%) with Virginia offers at 29.5% and out of state offers at 21%.*
When should I submit for early decision?
Students applying ED should feel strongest when they submit their application by November 1, and they should keep in mind that the binding commitment expressed in this process means they cannot weigh options (scholarship, financial aid, etc.) prior to committing. While UVA will see a student’s senior year course selection, they will not consider any senior year performance in the ED review unless deferred.
Early Action (EA)
What is early action?
This process enables students to apply earlier to receive their admission decision earlier without the pressure of their commitment being binding. In EA, students may be admitted, denied or deferred. If admitted, they have until May 1 to choose to commit. If denied, there is no appeal process. Deferral means that the application will be reviewed again during the Regular Decision phase of the admission process. If deferred, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions asks that the student or counselor send updated midyear grades at soon as they are available.
How many students apply for early action?
In the 2025 admission cycle, UVA received 41,885 EA applications (27% from Virginia, 73% from out of state). Overall, there were 6,746 offers made (16.1%) with Virginia offers at 25% and out of state offers at 13%.*
When should I submit for early action?
Students applying EA should feel strongest when they submit their application by November 1. While UVA will see a student’s senior year course selection, they will not consider any senior year performance in the EA review unless deferred.
Regular Decision (RD)
What is regular decision?
This process gives candidates the most time to build their strongest application. In RD, students may be admitted, denied or waitlisted. If admitted, they have until May 1 to choose to commit. If denied, there is no appeal process. The waitlist at UVA is not ranked, and there is no telling year-to-year how many students may be on the waitlist. A student’s chances of receiving an offer from the waitlist have everything to do with the makeup of the entering class, which is typically not determined until after the May 1 commitment deadline.
How many students apply for regular decision?
In the 2025- admission cycle, UVA reviewed 17,568 RD applications (this includes new RD applicants and ED and EA deferred applicants); 20% from Virginia and 80% from out of state. The Virginia RD acceptance rate was 11%, the out of state RD acceptance rate was 9% and the deferral acceptance rate was 3%. *
When should I submit for regular decision?
There is no disadvantage to applying RD as this process gives students the most time to build their strongest application by January 1. In the RD process, the deans will review a student’s senior year course selection and will also consider senior year mid-year grades before a student receives an admission outcome by April 1. .How does the waitlist work?
The waitlist activity is solely depending on the number of admitted students who commit by the May 1 deadline. Should the deans be below their target of number of students after the commitment deadline, they will move to the waitlist. Depending on the yield, or the number of students accepting an offer, the deans may make movement on the waitlist based on a student’s residency (Virginia or out of state) and the program to which they applied. UVA’s enrollment targets are two-thirds Virginia and one-third out of state for each of the five programs (Architecture, College of Arts & Sciences, Engineering, Kinesiology and Nursing).
In the overall 2024-25 admission cycle, UVA reviewed 64,463 applications in total, with 17, 608 (27%) from Virginia and 46, 855 (73%) from out of state. The total Virginia offers were 23% and out of state offers 12.5%.*
For more information on the UVA admission cycle, check out, Notes from Peabody, a blog from Dean J of the UVA Office of Undergraduate Admission, and the admission deadlines provided by the Office of Undergraduate Admission.
* Please note that all admission statistics are the most updated at the time of publishing and unofficial.