Early Review Admissions Option
What is Early Decision?
Oberlin Conservatory offers two decision plans for first-year applicants: Early Decision and Regular Decision. Early Decision is a way for students to show us that Oberlin Conservatory is their first choice! Submitting an Early Decision application means that if admitted, you will definitely enroll at Oberlin Conservatory.
Students can only apply to one school via Early Decision, but may still submit Regular Decisions applications to other schools. If you are admitted to Oberlin Conservatory via Early Decision, you will be required to withdraw any other pending applications.
Benefits of Early Decision
Applying to Oberlin Conservatory through Early Decision helps you stand out in the applicant pool. For most programs, Early Decision allows you to skip submitting prescreen materials, bypass the prescreening round, and proceed directly to the final audition. Some exceptions:
Recording Arts and Production, Composition, and TIMARA applicants are required to submit portfolios by November 1. All Early Decision applicants in these areas will pass to the final interview.
Music Theater applicants are required to submit the prescreening materials by November 1 and must pass a screening round to reach the final audition round on December 6, 2025.
Early Decision can also help you complete your college search by the middle of senior year and reduce the stress that often comes with the college selection process.
Other benefits of applying early? Early Decision students get priority housing selection! And to celebrate achieving our goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2025, every student who is admitted via Early Decision for fall 2026 will receive a free Trek bike (plus a helmet and bike lock!) when they enroll.
How to Apply
Early Decision applicants submit the same application materials as all other first-year applicants, along with an Early Decision Agreement form.
| Steps | Early Decision |
|---|---|
| Application Deadline | November 1 |
| Notification By | December 15 |
| Reply/Deposit Due | January 2 |
Need-Based Financial Aid
Oberlin is committed to meeting 100% of demonstrated financial need for every student who is admitted. When you complete a financial aid application, Oberlin automatically considers you for need-based college grants in addition to any state and federal grants, loans, or work-study programs for which you may qualify.
We encourage students who are interested in Early Decision to use our MyinTuition Calculator to quickly estimate their eligibility for need-based financial aid:
Students can also request an official Financial Aid Estimate to receive a more in-depth estimate of need-based financial aid eligibility. To receive an estimate, you must:
- Submit your application (you can wait to submit the binding ED agreement until after you receive your estimate)
- Submit the CSS Profile (Oberlin's code is 1587)
- Submit the Non-Custodial Parent information (if applicable)
Once you have submitted your application and received your Oberlin applicant login credentials, submit your request for a financial aid estimate here. Requests for an estimate must be received by October 15 for Early Decision.
Read more about need-based aid at Oberlin.
Merit Scholarships
Oberlin awards generous merit-based scholarships and automatically reviews all applicants for scholarship eligibility. Admitted students will be notified of their scholarship award when they receive their admission packet.
At minimum, all new students who enroll will be awarded the renewable $10,000 Oberlin Commitment Scholarship. Admitted students from the Midwest are eligible for the $25,o00 Midwest Merit Scholarship.
Learn more about merit scholarships.
Double Degree Applicants
Students who are interested in pursuing degrees in both the Conservatory of Music and the College of Arts and Sciences must apply separately to each division.
There are several application rounds for you to choose from. The College of Arts & Sciences and the Conservatory of Music both offer Early Decision and Regular Decision. In addition, you can apply to the College only via Early Action.
Learn more about the Double Degree program and options for applying Early.