As the school year begins throughout the US, college application season is in full swing! If you are wondering when you should submit those applications and what deadlines are right for you, we’ve got you covered.
Read on for what to know about admissions deadlines to plan for a smooth,  low-stress, and successful college application process –
Application season has begun!
The official opening of the college application season is August 1st. This means students beginning their 12th grade year should be actively working on applications and essays now in preparation for upcoming deadlines.
College applications are now open for students to enter information, and prepare essays. If you haven’t yet, this is the time to request teacher letters of recommendation, reach out to your school counselor to make sure you understand all the steps to have required transcripts and counselor letters sent to your colleges, and schedule any final testing dates for the ACT or SAT in September or October of your senior year.
Most deadlines for application submission fall between October and February six to ten months before a student will enroll and begin their first semester of college. No matter when your deadline is, we recommend completing, reviewing, and submitting your application at least several days ahead of the official deadline to avoid technical and last minute issues that can arise.
Even if you haven’t finalized your college list, you can and should move forward with writing your essay and preparing your Common Application. In the month of September you want to finalize your college list as much as possible to be able to review the additional requirements and essays for the colleges you choose. This will help you plan for upcoming deadlines and prioritize your workload.
College decisions will be shared with applicants between December and April, and a final deposit to secure your spot at a college is due by May 1st.
When should I apply?
Colleges offer several types of submission deadlines, and they can have varying benefits to you as an applicant. Here are the most common types, timelines, and what to consider about each option:
Rolling Admission: (RA)
○ What it means: Applications are reviewed and decisions are made as they are  received. In most cases, you can expect to hear back from a college several weeks after they have received all of your materials and reviewed your application, rather than waiting for a single notification date to notify all applicants of decisions at the same time.
○ What to know: If you can prepare a strong application, it may be to your benefit to submit as soon as you are ready at a Rolling Admission school. Colleges may fill spots, or distribute scholarships as they go, so it can be helpful to be earlier in their review process. This can be especially true if you are an out of state applicant to a public university in a different state. At a Rolling Admission college, applying in August-October will also give you the peace of mind of having a college decision sooner rather than later.
Early Action: (EA)
○ What it means: Early Action is a deadline on a specific date that is earlier than a  college’s Regular Decision deadline. It is non-binding. This means you apply and will hear a decision earlier in the process, but you are not committed to attending or enrolling to that college. These deadlines typically fall between October 15th November 15th. Early Action Decisions are most commonly received between December 1st-February 15th. For this reason, students should move forward with preparing all of their other applications before hearing back from an Early Action college.
○ What to know: Applying early action can be a way of communicating your interest to a college. It shows you took the time to prepare your application and put yourself forward for this college ahead of some others, which can be useful. But note, early action admission pools do not typically have a higher acceptance rate than regular decision pools. If you are an out of state applicant to a popular public university, it can be essential to apply in their early action round, as they may accept nearly all of their out of state students from this pool.
Single Choice or Restrictive Early Action: (SCEA or REA)
○ What it means: Similar to Early Action, Restrictive or Single Choice admission  plans are non-binding; however, they place restrictions on where else an  applicant can submit applications. Typically SCEA or REA admission plans require students to refrain from applying to other restrictive early admission programs. In some cases, they even place limitations on a student’s options for applying non-binding early action to other colleges. Deadlines are typically in early November, and applicants will usually hear decisions back in December-January.
○ What to know: Applying SCEA or REA is a way of communicating a strong investment in a top-choice college, without committing to attending that institution. Many colleges that offer these plans are among the most selective schools, and students who are offered admission in these pools usually share the academic profile and credentials of the typical admitted student profile. It is important to carefully read a college’s policy on their early admissions plan to understand what restrictions are placed on submitting other applications.
Early Decision I and II: (ED)
○ What it means: Early Decision is a binding commitment to enroll in the college if  admitted. Early Decision applicants, their parent, and their school counselor will all sign an agreement committing to these terms. If admitted, a student will pay the deposit, complete the enrollment steps, and conclude their admissions process. Students admitted through Early Decision will withdraw any applications that have been submitted to other colleges. Some colleges offer two rounds of Early Decision often called ED I and ED II. The policies are the same for both rounds, only the timing is different. ED and ED I Applications are typically due in November, and decisions are received in December. If a college offers ED II it is often due about the same time as the Regular Decision application in January or early February.
○ What to know: Because early decision includes a binding commitment to attend the college, admission rates in early decision pools tend to be higher than those in regular or early action pools. College admissions offices want the certainty of meeting their enrollment targets, and ED admission provides a great way to secure the candidates they wish to enroll. While a family can opt out of the ED commitment if the final costs of attendance are not feasible, this is not a situation any student or parent wants to experience. Instead, it is important for families to discuss the costs of college, complete a Net Price Calculator to estimate the cost of attendance, and reach out to the financial aid office to clarify any questions ahead of committing to ED. Like EA, SCEA and REA admissions, because decisions will be released close to other colleges’ deadlines, it is important for ED candidates to prepare all of their other essays and applications so that you are ready to submit applications if needed.
Regular Decision: (RD)
○ What it means: Regular Decision is the standard application plan. Applications are most commonly due in early January and, less commonly, as early as the end of November or as late as early February. An applicant who applies Regular Decision will typically receive a college decision in March to early April, though some colleges may notify students earlier.
○ What to know: Applying Regular Decision is probably what parents and grandparents are most familiar with, however as early action and early decision admissions have become more commonplace, a student may not always be best positioned with a regular decision application when other admission plans are available. It is good to know that some colleges, especially large university systems, often have only one application plan. These include the University of California and Cal State University systems which have applications that can be submitted anytime in the month of November, with a hard cut off at the end of the month. In 2024, that date is December 2nd, due to November 30th falling on a weekend. The University of Washington has a single application deadline of November 15th
Priority Deadlines:
○ What it means: When a college lists a Priority Deadline, this means that they  will give priority to applications received before this date, and will offer admissions to applicants who submit after this date only if space remains available.
○ What to know: Carefully review the information a college posts to their website about priority deadlines. These can come up for both admissions and financial aid, and sometimes eligibility for certain merit scholarships, honors colleges, or other special programs may be tied to submitting by this deadline.
TBU Advisors are experienced in supporting students to navigate their college choices and personal best fit, and TBU Essay & Application specialists are experts at supporting students to craft their most compelling, authentic work. If you’d like to explore working with a TBU Advisor, now is the time. Get in touch here and we will look forward to connecting with you.
Looking for more insights like these? Join us on our Membership Platform for exclusive content, live webinars, and the resources and tools to unstick your college process. Not yet a member? Use code TBUWELCOME at checkout to receive your first month of TBU Membership free. Click here to join us