Most students apply to college in the fall for admission the following fall. Keep track of the most common college application deadlines with this guide.
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Reviewed by Norma Feriz-Gordon Norma Feriz-Gordon Read Full BioNorma Feriz-Gordon is a bilingual state-certified professional school counselor and aspiring district leader. Norma is a proud member of the College and Career Planning Team in the Office of Student Pathways within New York City Public Schools' centr.
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Most college applications for those planning to start college in fall 2025 — including the Common Application — opened August 1, 2024. That said, you may complete the general application components at any time before this date.
While most schools require similar application components, different admission options allow you to submit your application by different deadlines. The four basic options are early action, early decision, regular decision, and rolling admission.
Regardless of when you apply, you'll likely need to submit a personal essay, 1-3 recommendation letters, official transcripts, and possibly SAT/ACT and AP scores.
The following table summarizes the most common college application deadlines for the four main admissions windows.
| Application Deadline | Admission Decision | |
|---|---|---|
| Early Action | October/November 2024 | December 2024 |
| Early Decision | October/November 2024 | December 2024 |
| Regular Decision | January 2025 | March/April 2025 |
| Rolling Admission | Varies | Usually within 4-6 weeks |
Check out the table below to find the 2024-2025 application deadlines for 50 popular colleges.
| School | Early Action | Early Decision | Regular Decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston College | N/A | November 1 / January 2 | January 2 |
| Boston University | N/A | November 1 / January 6 | January 6 |
| Brandeis University | N/A | November 1 / January 2 | January 2 |
| Brown University | N/A | November 1 | January 3 |
| California Institute of Technology | November 1 (restricted early action) | N/A | January 3 |
| Carnegie Mellon University | N/A | November 1 | January 2 |
| Case Western Reserve University | November 1 | November 1 / January 15 | January 15 |
| Columbia University | N/A | November 1 | January 1 |
| Cornell University | N/A | November 1 | January 2 |
| Dartmouth College | N/A | November 1 | January 2 |
| Duke University | N/A | November 4 | January 2 |
| Emory University | N/A | November 1 / January 1 | January 1 |
| Georgetown University | November 1 | N/A | January 10 |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | October 15 / November 1 | N/A | January 6 |
| Harvard University | November 1 | N/A | January 1 |
| Johns Hopkins University | N/A | November 1 / January 2 | January 2 |
| Lehigh University | N/A | November 1 / January 1 | January 1 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | November 1 | N/A | January 6 |
| New York University | N/A | November 1 / January 1 | January 5 |
| Northeastern University | November 1 | November 1 / January 1 | January 1 |
| Northwestern University | N/A | November 1 | January 2 |
| Princeton University | November 1 (restricted early action) | N/A | January 1 |
| Rice University | N/A | November 1 / January 4 | January 4 |
| Stanford University | November 1 | N/A | January 5 |
| Tufts University | N/A | November 4 / January 6 | January 6 |
| Tulane University | November 15 | November 1 / January 15 | January 15 |
| University of California, Berkeley | N/A | N/A | November 30 |
| University of California, Davis | N/A | N/A | December 2 |
| University of California, Irvine | N/A | N/A | December 2 |
| University of California, Los Angeles | N/A | N/A | December 2 |
| University of California, San Diego | N/A | N/A | November 30 |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | N/A | N/A | December 2 |
| University of Chicago | November 1 | November 1 / January 6 | January 6 |
| University of Florida | November 1 | N/A | January 15 |
| University of Georgia | October 15 | N/A | January 1 |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | November 1 | N/A | January 5 |
| University of Michigan | November 1 | N/A | February 1 |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | October 15 | N/A | January 15 |
| University of Notre Dame | November 1 | N/A | January 3 |
| University of Pennsylvania | N/A | November 1 | January 5 |
| University of Rochester | N/A | November 1 / January 5 | January 5 |
| University of Southern California | November 1 | N/A | January 15 |
| University of Texas at Austin | October 15 | N/A | December 1 |
| University of Virginia | November 1 | November 1 | January 5 |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | November 1 | N/A | January 15 |
| Vanderbilt University | N/A | November 1 / January 1 | January 1 |
| Wake Forest University | November 15 | November 15 / January 1 | January 1 |
| Washington University in St. Louis | N/A | November 1 / January 5 | January 5 |
| William & Mary | N/A | November 1 / January 5 | January 5 |
| Yale University | November 1 (restricted early action) | N/A | January 2 |
Many schools offer early action deadlines, which entail applying early and receiving an early admission decision.
The most common early action deadlines are in early to mid-November. In general, you can expect to receive an admission decision in December.
Early action is a great option if you don't want to be forced to commit to a school. Unlike early decision (see below), early action doesn't require you to commit to attending the school should you get admitted.
You also don't need to respond to early action offers until the national May 1 deadline, giving you plenty of time to compare college offers.
One potential outcome of applying early action is deferment, or when your application gets pushed to the regular decision applicant pool. If this happens to you, reach out to the school and focus on strengthening your application for regular decision admittance.
Similar to early action, early decision means applying to a college and getting an admission decision around mid-December. Some colleges offer two early decision deadlines (usually called Early Decision I and II).
Unlike early action, early decision comes with a binding agreement to enroll. In other words, if you get in, you must pay a nonrefundable deposit and immediately withdraw all of your other college applications. So, if you're applying early decision, you should be completely sure that you want to attend the school.
One caveat of early decision is that you're entering an agreement without seeing your financial aid offer. For those depending on financial aid to cover most or all of their tuition, this could pose serious concerns.
Some schools may help you explore additional aid options, but adjustments aren't guaranteed.
Most students apply during regular decision. These deadlines commonly fall in December or January. Typically, you'll hear back from prospective schools in March or April and must follow up with your decision about whether to enroll no later than May 1 or you risk losing your spot.
As one of the widest application windows, regular decision ensures you'll have ample time to gather materials, prepare your essays, and take any required exams. You'll also have plenty of time to carefully consider all of your college options.
The downside of applying during regular decision is that if you get rejected, you'll have to wait until the following academic term or year to reapply. Alternatively, you could get waitlisted, which means you may or may not get accepted depending on whether any spots open up.
Colleges with rolling admissions evaluate applications as they come in instead of maintaining set deadlines. These schools usually offer several application windows a year. In general, they'll review applications until the upcoming class is filled.
Colleges usually open rolling admissions from early September through spring, depending on available spots. However, some schools might close applications by the May 1 deadline.
Many schools also use a rolling admission policy for transfer applicants. Transfer students should begin the application process well ahead of their prospective school's posted application deadline. Carefully read each school's requirements as they'll maintain different application windows.
Applying to college entails a considerable amount of planning. If you're in high school, try to request recommendation letters and take the SAT or ACT in 11th grade. This is especially important if you're planning to apply early action or early decision.
Early admission works best for students who are prepared to apply early in their senior year. Often resulting in an admission decision by mid-December, these options give you plenty of time to relax and enjoy your final semester of high school.
Additionally, students who apply early may enjoy higher acceptance rates than regular decision applicants.
To meet an early deadline, begin the application process in the summer. Focus your efforts on writing your admissions essay, gathering letters of recommendation, and taking (or retaking) the SAT or ACT.
Most applicants apply during the regular decision window. If you need additional time to compare schools or gather application components, regular decision is most likely your best option. Since teachers might be busy with midterms in late fall, make sure to request recommendation letters by September.
Remember that no student is the same. If you don't feel your application is ready to submit by an earlier deadline, hold off until the regular decision deadline. Regardless of which deadline you choose, make sure you feel confident when you submit your application.