Do Early Decision applicants ever receive likely letters?

So I just sent in my Early Decision application and I'm super nervy-wervy. Just wondering if ED applicants ever get 'likely letters', or is that just a Regular Decision thing? It would be really cool to have some indication before the official letter arrives!

Hey there, it's totally understandable to be feeling on edge after submitting your ED application – it's a big step in the college admissions process! The concept of 'likely letters' is actually more common during the Regular Decision cycle. They're often sent out by some schools to top-notch candidates as a way of signaling a strong interest in them, but these are typically not associated with Early Decision candidates.

In the ED process, universities tend to just send out the acceptance, deferral, or rejection notifications on their announced notification date rather than sending out indicators beforehand. This is because the ED pool is quite competitive and decisions are made on a relatively tight timeline. However, there have been extremely rare instances where students may receive some form of early positive communication, but it’s not something that you should necessarily expect or count on!

I remember when my own kiddo was biting their nails waiting for an ED decision – hang in there, and before you know it, the official letter will be in your hands!