Application Deadlines for Top Universities and Colleges

Application Deadlines for Top Universities and Colleges For regular admission, youre going to need to have most applications for highly selective colleges done by January 1st. Less selective colleges often have later deadlines, but applying earlier can improve your chances of getting financial aid and ensure that spaces in specific programs havent filled. When Are College Applications Due? Application deadlines vary significantly from college to college. Typically, the countrys most selective colleges and universities have regular admission deadlines between January 1st and January 15th. Be sure to keep track of the specific deadlines for the schools on your application list, for some will be earlier. The University of California system, for example, has a November 30th deadline. Youll find that less selective schools often have later deadlines- in February in many cases, although some schools have rolling admission and  never really close the application process until no more spaces are available. In the tables below, youll find application deadline information and notification dates for top colleges and universities. Youll see that the deadlines are all within a couple weeks of each other, ranging between January 1st and January 15th (be sure to check each schools admissions website for the most up-to-date information, since application deadlines and notification dates can change from year to year). All information below is from the individual schools websites for the 2018–2019 admissions cycle. Application Deadlines for Top Universities College Application Deadline Notification Date Brown January 1 Late March Columbia January 1 Late March Cornell January 2 Early April Dartmouth January 2 On or before April 1 Duke January 2 By April 1 Harvard January 1 Late March Princeton January 1 Late March Stanford January 2 By April 1 University of Pennsylvania January 5 By April 1 Yale January 2 By April 1 Compare ACT scores for the Ivy League Compare SAT scores for the Ivy League Application Deadlines for Top Liberal Arts Colleges College Application Deadline Notification Date Amherst January 1 On or around April 1 Carleton January 15 By April 1 Grinnell January 15 Late March Haverford January 15 Early April Middlebury January 1 March 24 Pomona January 1 By April 1 Swarthmore January 1 By Mid-March Wellesley January 15 Late March Wesleyan January 1 Late March Williams January 1 By April 1 Compare ACT scores for these schools Compare SAT scores for these schools Reasons to Apply to Colleges Ahead of the Deadline Keep in mind that you will be better off applying well before these application deadlines. Admissions offices get swamped in early January. If you submit your application a month or more ahead of the deadline, the admissions officers will be less harried when reviewing your materials.  Also, keep in mind that youll be demonstrating less-than-ideal organizational skills if your application arrives at the last possible minute. Applying well ahead of the deadline demonstrates that you work ahead of deadlines, and it can also help demonstrate your eagerness, something that plays into  demonstrated interest. Also, if you happen to be missing application materials, youll have plenty of time to take care of such issues. When Will You Receive an Admissions Decision? Decisions for regular admission applicants tend to arrive in mid- to late-March. MIT famously releases their admissions decisions on Pi Day, March 14th. At all schools, students need to decide whether or not they will attend by May 1st. This means youll have at least a month to visit the campuses of schools that have admitted you, and even do an overnight visit to make sure the school is a good match for your personal and academic goals. Its also worth noting that top schools often communicate with their top candidates before the March notification date in the form of a likely letter. These letters essentially tell an applicant that they are very likely to receive good news when decisions are released in March.   What about Early Action and Early Decision? Realize that the above deadlines are for regular admission. Deadlines for Early Action and Early Decision are often in the first half of November with decision dates before the new year. If you have a clear top-choice college, applying through Early Action or Early Decision can significantly improve your chances of being admitted. Keep in mind that Early Decision is binding, so you should use this option only if you are 100 percent sure a school is your top choice. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the pros and cons of applying to college early before doing so.