Key Admissions Dates You Need to Know

Key Admissions Dates You Need to Know

Summer is in full swing. And though it might not feel like it, your college admissions process is already revving toward its climax. Before the first semester of your senior year is over, chances are strong that you will already have a sense of many of the colleges to where you’ve been accepted.Successful applicants use the summer wisely to create specific, compelling essays, activity lists, and other components of the process. Backwards planning makes it easier to make mini deadlines that keep you progressing forward on all those fronts. Even if you don’t know your entire college list yet, it’s a great idea to start placing target deadlines on your calendar to keep you on pace. Below are a few of the most important dates to remember:

November 1

The first early decision and early action due date – make sure you’re aware of November 1. It will be here before you know it! If you have a top choice school or several colleges you’re really excited about, you should strongly consider planning to be ready to submit where possible by this deadline. At virtually every school you apply, early decision will give you a statistical advantage in the process over students who apply regular decision. Early action isn’t always so clear-cut; but still, knowing your results early can take loads of stress out of your process and reduce the total number of applications you may need to submit.

November 15

This is the second major EA/ED deadline. Some colleges give their applicants an extra two weeks to submit. If you are planning on submitting multiple early action applications, chances are high that you’ll have deadlines set for both November dates. This is also the only deadline for the University of Washington, which exclusively uses the Coalition App. If this excellent school is on your radar, take note.

November 30

This is the deadline for the University of California and California State University system. Each has its own application and does not use the Common App. Because of the high volume of applicants, it’s wise to aim to beat this deadline by a couple days at least if possible.

December 1 

The University of Southern California has a priority deadline of December 1. All students must apply by this deadline to receive consideration for merit scholarships. As you’re applying pay attention to see if any of your other colleges have priority deadlines or special dates for scholarship consideration. Generally speaking, it is to your advantage to adhere to priority deadlines. Similarly, if a school offers an optional essay, it is almost always in your best interest to answer it and demonstrate your interest in the college.

January 1 and Beyond

January 1 is the regular decision deadline for the majority of American colleges and universities, though some will also have January 15 and February 1 deadlines as well. There are other schools that operate with rolling admission, meaning they will evaluate your application as soon as it’s complete and make decisions continually rather than holding a formal committee process. With just over four months to go, the January 1 deadline will be upon you sooner than you think. Make good use of your time now to allow yourself to enjoy the holiday season with your loved ones and still produce high quality work.

May 1

This is the standard deadline for students to accept an admissions offer. By now you will have heard back from all of your schools and the power is in your hands to decide your future. You’ve put in a lot of hard work and this is the pay off!

COVID-19-related Changes

The dates above represent a “normal” admissions cycle, and by now I’m sure you’ve felt how abnormal this cycle will be. The class of 2025 will face some unusual circumstances to which we will all have to be flexible and diligent to deal with. It is possible that colleges may shift their application deadlines around in response to new information, just as many have shifted their testing requirements and other criteria. Stay in regular contact with the admissions office at schools of interest for you to have the latest information. We at Wise World Prep will continue to monitor the climate and advise our students accordingly.The expert admissions consultants at Wise World Prep have helped hundreds of students maximize their potential of being admitted to their top choice colleges and universities. Over 20 years, we have successfully guided students through each stage of the application process – from choosing competitive high school courses to building an appropriate college list to drafting winning essays to writing persuasive update and appeals letters. We would be happy to answer your questions and partner with you to create a successful admissions roadmap.Ready to get started? Schedule a complimentary 20-minute conversation today!Want to stay informed? Subscribe to our newsletter.See what others are saying about us