For the Class of 2027, the Emory acceptance rate was a mere 10% (compared to 11% for the Class of 2026 and 13% for the Class of 2025). Like most selective U.S. colleges, Emory University in Atlanta experienced a surge in interest in the past few test-optional admissions cycles, receiving 33,534 applications for the Class of 2027 and 33,517 applications for the Class of 2026, compared to 17,489 applications in 2012. Here’s a breakdown of Emory’s acceptance rates for the Class of 2027:
- Early Decision I acceptance rate = 31%
- Early Decision II acceptance rate = 12%
- Overall acceptance rate (from EDI, EDII, and Regular Decision) = 10%
Noting the clear advantage in the early round, it’s clear to see that it pays to apply ED. And applicants are catching on to this trend: Emory’s EDII pool alone grew by 15% since last year.
WHO GOT INTO EMORY THIS YEAR?
“Diversification has been a theme of the applicant pool, and there’s been a real march forward to broaden who applies to school here,” says John Latting, associate vice provost for enrollment and dean of admission. “There are more women, students of color, and more students from developing economies around the world applying here. It’s a fascinating and vibrant applicant pool that we have.” For the Class of 2027:
- Emory increased its QuestBridge Match Scholars this year, admitting 61 students from the program in the early round. An additional 241 students not initially matched with Emory were admitted in the regular round. The university typically has one of the largest cohorts in the country from this nonprofit organization that helps low-income students gain admission and full scholarships to some of the most selective colleges.
- The first-year class contains 19.5% (852) students who are the first in their family to attend college and 33.4% of admitted students are from historically under-represented backgrounds.
- Collectively, Emory’s Class of 2027 speak 83 different languages, hail from 77 different nations, and 50 U.S. states.
THE LOW-DOWN ON TESTING
The numbers speak for themselves: 64% of students admitted to Emory’s Class of 2027 reported SAT or ACT scores, slightly down from the 69% who submitted scores for the Class of 2026. And of the 36% who didn’t, more than half still supplied AP exam scores, which were factored into admissions decisions.
WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH OXFORD COLLEGE?
With similar admitted student profiles, it’s clear that Oxford College is not a “backdoor” into Emory University. In an increasingly popular move, 61% of Emory hopefuls submitted applications to both campuses this year. With Oxford receiving its largest applicant pool ever, Emory admitted a total of 5,445 students to the Class of 2027, with 3,428 admitted to Emory College and 3,335 admitted to Oxford College. From this total, 1,376 students were admitted to both colleges.
It all depends on whether you prefer to start your college experience in a small liberal arts setting or in a larger research university. The Oxford campus is the original 1836 site of Emory College, roughly 40 miles east of today’s Atlanta university campus. Oxford students, fewer than 1,000 in total, study for two years in small classes—fewer than 30 students each—before transferring to the larger university in their third year. The alternative to starting at Oxford is starting at Emory College, the two-year liberal arts track within the main university. In their third year, Oxford and Emory students can choose to spend their next two years pursuing a BS/BA at Emory College, a BBA in the Gozeuta Business School, or a BSN at the School of Nursing.
No matter how you dice it, Emory students get the best of both worlds: an intimate liberal arts experience within a larger research university. With its requirement for all students to spend their first two years in a liberal arts core curriculum, Emory is suited for those who are intellectually curious and love making interdisciplinary connections, rather than those who are narrowly focused on one subject or skillset.
HOW CAN I OPTIMIZE MY CHANCES OF GETTING INTO EMORY?
All applicants should follow this advice, but especially those who, like most of us, are mere mortals with no admissions hook (underrepresented minority, legacy applicant, institutional VIP, development interest, recruited athlete):
- Apply Early Decision to nearly double your odds.
- Maintain a strong GPA of at least 3.8 unweighted.
- Prioritize SAT/ACT prep, aiming to score at the high end of the middle 50% range: 770+ on each section of the SAT or 34+ on the ACT. Since 64% of admitted students submitted test scores this year and 69% submitted scores last year, you’ll be at a disadvantage if you don’t.
- Noting that national AP participation is on the rise, you’ll want to keep up with the pack by taking as many AP exams as you can, ideally scoring a 4-5 on each. The most compelling applicants self-study for APs, even if their schools don’t offer the courses.
- Seeking tips on how to ace your AP exams? Look no further!
- Familiarize yourself with Emory’s breadth of unique majors (Ancient Mediterranean Studies, Playwriting), minors (Neuroethics, Persian Literature, Community Building and Social Change), and joint majors (Economics and Human Health; Philosophy and Religion). By working with a Top Tier Admissions private counselor, you can begin the process of identifying and carving out an academic niche that resonates with their offerings—through college courses, independent research, and self-guided initiatives—so that you are poised to portray yourself in your application as an intellectual match for Emory.
- In the activities you pursue and the essays you write about them, align with Emory’s mission:
“to create, preserve, teach, and apply knowledge in the service of humanity.”
LEVERAGING A LOVE OF LEARNING
Emory looks for students who not only demonstrate a love of learning above and beyond their schoolwork, but who also leverage this love of learning to help their communities. One TTA alum admitted to Emory’s Class of 2026 had applied his economics and marketing knowledge to help develop a special needs school for his hometown—a meaningful civic engagement effort inspired by his academic interests which also served as the topic of his main essay.
Anita holds a BA in Philosophy from Princeton, where she is an alumni class officer and former interviewer, and an MA in English from Middlebury. At Princeton she also contributed her drive and competitiveness to the women’s lacrosse team, winning an NCAA Division I National Championship and three Ivy League Championships while earning national scholar-athlete academic distinction and the Connie McAllister athletic department award for “effort, selfless dedication, enthusiasm and heart.” She brings these qualities to her relationships with students as she helps to bring out the best in them.
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