Dartmouth, Brown and the University of Pennsylvania have all released their early application numbers for the Class of 2017.

The University of Pennsylvania saw its early applicant pool reach an all-time high, with 4,780 students applying, up 5.6 percent from last year. Brown’s early applicant pool rose about 1 percent, reaching a record number of 2,957 applications. Dartmouth received 1,526 applications, a sharp 12.5 percent decrease from the number of early applications it received last year.

According to The Daily Pennsylvanian, Penn will still accept the same number of early decision applications as in the past despite its increase in applications.

Eric Furda, dean of admissions at Penn, said he was not expecting the rise of applications, though he added that he was pleasantly surprised by the high turnout. Penn changed its application this year by adding a new essay question.

The Brown Daily Herald reported that Brown’s number of applications is consistent with the steady rise in applications over the years. But according to Dean of Admissions Jim Miller, there will likely be a leveling-off in the near future.

Dartmouth’s decline in early applications represents a move in the opposite direction of the school’s recent trends, according to The Dartmouth. Since the Class of 2011, early applications had been on the rise.

Dartmouth Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Maria Laskaris said this year’s pool also includes increased numbers of applicants with higher overall standardized test scores, applicants from diverse backgrounds and international applicants.

All three schools extended their traditional early application deadlines of Nov. 1 by several days this year, in the wake of power outages and school closings caused by Hurricane Sandy.

Early application counts for Cornell, Columbia, Princeton, Harvard and Yale have not yet been released.