Waiting for a letter from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a specific kind of torture. It's not just the "will I or won't I" of a standard college application. It is the math. The tradition. The literal, down-to-the-second countdown that the admissions office in Cambridge loves to lean into. If you were looking for the MIT early action decision date 2024, you probably noticed that the school doesn't just pick a random Tuesday and call it a day.
They released the news for the Class of 2029 on Tuesday, December 17, 2024, at 6:28 PM ET.
Why 6:28? Because MIT. It’s a nod to Tau ($2\pi$), which is approximately 6.28. While Regular Action applicants usually get their news on Pi Day (March 14) at 6:28 PM, the Early Action crowd has historically seen a mix of weekend and weekday releases. This past year, the admissions team decided to keep the "Tau Time" tradition alive for the early birds too.
The Numbers Behind the Chaos
MIT is famously non-binding. You apply early, they tell you yes, and you still have until May to decide if you actually want to move to a place where it snows in April. This year, the competition was, quite frankly, brutal.
MIT received 12,053 Early Action applications for the Class of 2029.
Out of that massive pool, they only admitted 721 students.
That puts the early acceptance rate at roughly 6.0%. It’s a slight tick up from the previous year’s 5.26%, but let’s be real—getting in is still like trying to thread a needle while riding a roller coaster. Most people (7,486 applicants, to be exact) found themselves deferred.
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Deferred isn't a "no." It's a "not yet."
Honestly, the deferral rate at MIT is staggering. They defer the vast majority of their early pool because they want to see how the rest of the world looks in the Regular Action round. If you were one of the thousands who got that "we'll check back in March" message, you're in good company. Even some of the most famous MIT bloggers were once deferred.
What the Portal Looked Like
On December 17, the portal didn't just slowly update. At exactly 6:28 PM, the "View Update" button appeared. There are no "congratulations" streamers on the login page. You have to click that button to see your fate.
It’s a high-stakes moment.
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One thing most people get wrong is thinking that the timing of the email notification matters. It doesn't. The email usually lags behind the portal by several minutes or even an hour. If you're waiting for the buzz in your pocket to tell you to check your status, you're already behind the curve of the thousands of kids hitting "refresh" on their browsers.
The 2024 Timeline
- November 1, 2024: The deadline to get everything in.
- Early December: The "announcement of the announcement" on the MIT Admissions blog.
- December 17, 2024: Decision Day at Tau Time.
- Mid-January 2025: The FUN form (February Updates and Notes) opens for deferred students.
What Most People Get Wrong About MIT Early Action
There is a persistent myth that applying Early Action gives you a massive "boost" at MIT. People look at the 6% early rate versus the roughly 3-4% regular rate and think the math is in their favor.
It's not.
The admissions officers, including Dean Stu Schmill, have said repeatedly that the early pool is self-selecting. These are the students who had their 1580 SATs and their national robotics trophies ready to go by October. The bar isn't lower; the applicants are just earlier.
Another weird thing about MIT? They don't care about legacy. Your dad could have won a Nobel Prize at MIT, and it won't buy you an inch of ground in that committee room. They are one of the few elite schools that is truly, aggressively meritocratic in that way.
You Got Deferred: Now What?
If you're reading this because your December 17 didn't go as planned, take a breath. You've basically been moved to the "Regular Action" bucket.
You don't need to send a five-page manifesto about why they made a mistake. You just need to fill out the FUN form.
This is the "February Updates and Notes" form. It’s your chance to tell them about anything cool you’ve done since November. Did you win a competition? Did you finally get that code to compile? Did you start a weird hobby like competitive bread baking? Tell them. But keep it brief. They have to read 29,000 applications in total.
Actionable Next Steps
If you are currently sitting on a deferral or preparing for the next cycle, here is what you actually need to do:
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- Complete the FUN form by mid-February. This is non-negotiable for deferred students. If you don't send it, they assume you've lost interest.
- Don't send extra fluff. No additional letters of recommendation unless they offer a truly new perspective (like a research supervisor).
- Focus on your mid-year grades. MIT is one of the few places where a "B" in Senior Year Calculus actually matters. They want to see that you aren't coasting.
- Keep your "maker" spirit alive. MIT loves people who build things for the sake of building them. If you have a side project, keep working on it and mention it in your update.
The MIT early action decision date 2024 has come and gone, but the process for the Class of 2029 is still very much alive. Whether you're heading to Cambridge in the fall or looking at other brilliant options, remember that a decision from a committee in Massachusetts doesn't define your capacity to do great things. It just defines where you'll be doing them for the next four years.