Early Decision

Application Deadlines

Early Decision I- November 15 
Early Decision II- January 15
decisions are mailed within one month of the deadline date

Students who have applied for Regular Decision can convert their application to Early Decision until February 1.

Required Documents for Early Decision Applicants

• Completed Common Application- Apply online or download a paper version 
• Gettysburg Supplement
• Official secondary school records
• Official SAT I or ACT scores (click here for our test optional policy)
• Teacher recommendation
• Counselor recommendation
• $55 application fee (personal checks, Visa, and Mastercard accepted)
• Senior mid-year grades (when available)
• Early Decision Form (only if applying for Early Decision admission)

Why Early Decision?

If Gettysburg is your first choice, you are strongly encouraged to apply for Early Decision (ED) admission.

Gettysburg offers two Early Decision deadline dates; the EDI application deadline is November 15 and the EDII deadline is January 15. Early Decision admissions decisions are mailed within one month of the deadline date. 

Students who are admitted under the ED plan are obligated to enroll at Gettysburg College. Once accepted, ED candidates are expected to validate the offer with a $500 nonrefundable deposit and to withdraw applications submitted to other institutions.

If students and parents have completed the Financial Aid PROFILE by the appropriate deadline, financial aid awards will be sent to accepted Early Decision students shortly after their acceptance letters. Early Decision applicants must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by Feburary 15. 

Academic merit scholarships are awarded under both Early Decision and Regular Decision admission. Notification will be sent with acceptance letters.

In most cases, students applying for ED who are not offered acceptance will automatically be considered for Regular Decision admission upon receipt of subsequent semester grades and test scores from the senior year.

In recent years, about 35-40 percent of Gettysburg's first-year students have been admitted through Early Decision. Typically, Gettysburg receives over 6,100 applications each year, and approximately 500 of the applications received are for Early Decision.

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