When Do Stanford Decisions Come Out? Class of 2031 Notification Dates

Stanford notification dates are mid-December for Restrictive Early Action (REA) and early April for Regular Decision (RD) applicants. Waitlisted and transfer students receive their decisions on other dates.

Knowing when Stanford releases decisions can help you plan your next steps. In this blog, we’ll tell you about Stanford’s decision dates for the 2026-2027 admissions cycle, the decisions you may receive, and what your next steps are.

• When Does Stanford Release Decisions?
• When Do Stanford Waitlist Decisions Come Out?
• When Do Stanford Transfer Decisions Come Out?
• What to Do After Receiving Your Stanford Decision
• Waiting on Stanford’s Decision? Get Expert Guidance
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Takeaways

When Does Stanford Release Decisions?

Stanford releases decisions twice a year for first-year applications:

Source: Stanford Undergraduate Admissions Office

Exact dates for decision notifications can shift slightly from year to year. But for the Class of 2030, Stanford released REA results on December 12, 2025 and RD decisions on March 27, 2026.

When do Stanford Restrictive Early Action decisions come out?

Stanford REA decisions come out in mid-December.

The REA deadline is November 1, and accepted students have until May 1 to decide. Stanford sends applicants an email telling them once the decision letter is ready in your portal. The exact date and time of the release are posted on the Stanford News & Announcements page a few days before.

You’ll see one of three decisions:

• If you’re admitted, you’re offered a place in the incoming class, but you have until May 1 to respond.
• If you’re deferred, your application will get a second review alongside RD applications, and you’ll get your decision at the same time as other RD applicants.
• If you’re denied, your application has been closed for that cycle.

When do Stanford Regular Decision results come out?

Stanford RD results come out by early April.

RD applications must be submitted by January 5, and admitted students have until May 1 to respond. Similar to REA applicants, RD students will receive an email telling them once the decision is ready in the portal. Stanford also announces the exact date and time on their admissions site.

You’ll get one of three decisions:

• If you’re admitted, you’ve been offered a spot in the incoming class but will have until May 1 to decide.
• If you’re waitlisted, you might still be part of the incoming class if admitted students forfeit their spots.
• If you’re denied, your application is closed for that cycle.

Haven’t applied yet? See every Stanford application deadline

Before you worry about when Stanford decisions are released, you should hit the deadlines first. Take a look at our Stanford application deadlines blog for a breakdown of every important date in Stanford’s admissions cycle.

When Do Stanford Waitlist Decisions Come Out?

Stanford waitlist decisions come out by July 1. The school places around 1% of applicants on the waitlist, but they’ll only know how many waitlisted students to accept once they also know the number of admitted students that have accepted their offers.

If you’ve been offered a spot at the waitlist, you’ll have to accept it by submitting the Stanford Waitlist Response Form, which will be linked in your decision letter. You may also mention brief updates in the form, such as an improvement of grades or a new major award.

When Do Stanford Transfer Decisions Come Out?

Stanford transfer decisions come out by mid-May. The application deadline is March 15, both for students who plan to submit an optional arts portfolio and those who don’t. Applicants will be notified of missing documents by April.

Accepted transfer students must reply by June 1.

What to Do After Receiving Your Stanford Decision

First-year Stanford applicants receive one of the following decisions:

If Stanford admits you from the waitlist and you accept the offer, you’ll have to withdraw from the school you sent a deposit to, which is non-refundable. Since Stanford’s waitlist heavily relies on the number of students who accept their spot, the safe move is to deposit to a school where you have already been accepted.

If you don’t get in but still want to attend Stanford, you can still reapply in the next admissions cycle.

Waiting on Stanford’s Decision? Get Expert Guidance

Whether you’ve already submitted your application and are waiting to hear back or you’re still putting together an application, there’s always something to do.

If you need guidance through the whole application process, AdmissionSight’s Standard College Counseling program pairs you with an admissions expert who’ll work you every step of the way, from brainstorming essay topics to keeping track of deadlines.

Our Ad Hoc Consulting option offers one-off support for any specific task you need help with rather than the whole process, whether it’s tips on building a college list or a final look at your activity list.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What time of day do Stanford decisions come out?

Stanford decisions typically come out at 4:00pm PST/PDT. Applicants receive an email once the results are ready in their portals. Stanford also posts the exact date and time of the release on their News & Announcements page a few days before.

2. When does Stanford release Early Action decisions?

Stanford released REA decisions in mid-December. For the Class of 2030, results were released on December 12, 2025.

3. When does Stanford release Regular Decision results?

Stanford releases RD by early April. For the Class of 2030, results were available on March 27.

4. Can I appeal if Stanford rejects my application?

No, you cannot appeal an undergraduate admission rejection from Stanford because they don’t have an appeals process and consider all admission decisions final

5. How does Stanford notify applicants of their decision?

Applicants will receive an email once decisions are ready in their portals. Stanford also posts an announcement on their News & Announcements page a few days before.

Takeaways

• Stanford released REA decisions in mid-December and RD by early April.
• REA applicants will receive an admit, defer, or deny, while RD applicants will receive an admit, waitlist, or deny.
• Waitlist decisions are released by July 1.
• Stanford releases transfer decisions by mid-May. Admitted students must send their confirmation by June 1.
• Whether you’re still building your application or need guidance after being deferred or waitlisted, working with a college admissions expert can help strengthen your profile and improve your chances of acceptance.