To get an admissions or rejection letter from an admissions committee, you have to write a college application and submit it on time. To be clear, every college has their own respective deadline, within which you must submit your application to get a response.
In this guide, we’ll talk about college application deadlines in detail. Keep in mind that you have so submit your application within the specified timeframe, or you risk missing the great opportunity to further your studies in a school of your choice.
College Application Deadlines Explained
College application dates vary from school to school depending on the options available. These options are:
- Early Action
- Restrictive Early Action
- Priority Deadline
- Early Decision
- Regular Decision
- Rolling Admission
We’ll look at each of these application options, so that you have enough information to help you determine which one would be the most appropriate for you.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that no matter what option you choose to apply with, you need to make sure you submit your application on time. Or you risk missing an admission to your desired institution of higher learning.
1. Early Action
Early Action is a decision strategy with an early deadline and decision. A majority of Early Action takes place in November, but some schools have October or December Early Action deadlines.
Early Action is unique because it is non-binding. That means you don’t necessarily have to enroll in the institution that admits you through Early Action. Additionally, you can apply Early Action to several schools and institutions. Additionally, because you apply early than everyone else, you may have a better chance of acceptance.
2. Early Restrictive Action
Restrictive Early Action is similar to Early Action, only you’re not eligible to apply to other institutions using any of the early decision plans. However, it doesn’t restrict you from applying to college via the Regular Decision.
This decision is also non-binding.
3. Priority Deadline
While there are some similarities between Priority Deadline and Early Action, such as deadlines and higher possibilities of admission to a college or university, there is one significant difference. Students who apply through Priority Deadline receive priority consideration.
Also, Priority Decision is non-binding, which means that if you get an approval, you’re still free to enroll elsewhere.
4. Early Decision
Early Decision has an early deadline, but because it is binding, it is a constraining choice plan. This requires you to withdraw your applications to other schools and institutions and then enroll in the institution that admits you.
Only a selective number of colleges provide Early Decision, with a majority of these allowing two rounds of this decision to give students ample time to submit their application.
5. Regular Decision
Regular Decision is the regular admissions procedure for colleges that falls between November and February, but other institutions may have their own timing to submit your application.
Regular Decision applicants benefit from the opportunity to raise their GPA, retake the SAT or ACT, polish their admissions essays, and construct a stronger list of schools and institutions to apply to.
However, this approach may interfere with your final examinations, especially if you want to apply to a large number of institutions.
6. Rolling Admission
Institutions that allow you to apply via Rolling Admissions analyze applications on a rolling admissions basis. Some colleges do not have deadlines for this while others do, albeit frequently late.
Simply because you intend to apply via Rolling Admission does not mean you should delay. That’s because colleges that offer this choice plan continue to operate on the “first come, first served” principle.
In other words, if there are no further spots available, you are likely to get a rejection letter even if your application is remarkable.
Here are some examples of schools and their respective college application deadlines:
| UNIVERSITY | Early Action | Priority Deadline | Regular Decision |
| Indiana University Bloomington | Nov. 1 | – | Feb. 1 |
| Ohio State University | Nov. 1 | – | Feb. 1 |
| Purdue University | Nov. 1 | Mar. 1 | Jan. 15 |
| Rutgers University | Nov. 1 | – | Dec. 1 |
| Texas A&M University | Oct. 15 | – | Dec. 15 |
| University at Buffalo | Nov. 15 | – | Feb. 1 |
| University of Alabama | – | – | Early July |
| University of Alaska Fairbanks | – | – | 15-Jun |
| University of Arizona | – | Mar. 1 | 1-May |
| University of Arkansas | Nov. 1 | – | Nov. 1 |
As previously stated, the timeline for a single decision plan varies from school to school. So it’s important to know the application dates for the institution you wish to join before you write your application.
How Are College Application Deadlines Determined?
Completing your application is only half the task done when it comes to applying to college and university. As we mentioned earlier, the next part of the process is to make sure you submit your application on time.
But how do colleges determine application deadlines?
Consult your high school counselor for the most up-to-date information on college application deadlines. Additionally, you may visit the college’s website, contact the admissions office through email, subscribe to the mailing list, or check admissions leaflets and brochures.
If you submit your application after the deadline, the school will still receive it.
However, the institution has total discretion on whether or not to examine your application or to ignore it altogether.
If there are a large number of exceptional applicants, there is a high chance they will overlook your late application. However, if you have something unique to offer as a student, the institution may give you a consideration.
What are Late Application Deadlines for College?
Simply because a student is seeking for colleges with late application deadlines does not indicate he or she is slothful. There are reasons why some high school students are unable to submit college and university applications on time. Indeed, some of them apply late on purpose.
Some students may delay their application because:
- They want to retake the SAT or ACT to improve their scores.
- They want to improve their academics in the last semester of high school to boost their GPA to get admission to higher universities.
- They prefer to put more institutions on their list, typically because of receiving rejection letters from schools to which they applied via Early Decision.
Certain schools and universities have extended their deadlines for college applications into June, July, and even August, so you can get an exception if you fall into this category.
However, keep in mind that many of the colleges with late application deadlines are often uncompetitive. That notwithstanding, these are still institutions of higher learning, so a potential employer will still value the degree that you get from them.
Note that several prominent colleges, such as Wesleyan College and Hampton University, have late college application deadlines, too.
However, some individuals apply late to schools and universities merely because they are not serious about acquiring a degree. That might be a problem since admissions examiners are likely to inquire as to why they were unable to meet the deadline.
Conclusion
We discussed some of the advantages of late college application deadlines, including a higher SAT or ACT score, a higher GPA, and the addition of additional institutions to the list. However, there are certain disadvantages to applying to an institution considerably later than the rest of the world. Among them are the following:
- It may appear as though you are uninterested in attending college.
- Admission to elite universities is extremely competitive.
- You may not get financial help on a competitive basis.
With a better understanding of the various college application dates, you can concentrate on polishing your application rather than stressing about missing deadlines.