College Application Deadlines: The Complete Calendar
Missing a deadline is the fastest way to derail your college application process. Between Early Decision, Early Action, Regular Decision, financial aid forms, and scholarship applications, there are dozens of critical dates spread across six months. Here's every major deadline, organized month by month.
Decision Types Explained
Before diving into the calendar, here's what each application type means. These terms come up constantly, and understanding them is critical to your strategy.
Early Decision (EDEarly Decision: a binding early application commitment): A binding commitment: you apply early (usually by November 1) and if accepted, you must attend. Only apply ED to your absolute #1 choice. You can only apply ED to one school. If admitted, you must withdraw all other applications.
Early Decision II (ED2Early Decision II: a second-round binding early application): The same binding commitment as ED but with a later deadline (usually January 1–15). Useful if your first-choice school offers it and you missed the ED deadline or changed your mind after being denied/deferred elsewhere.
Early Action (EAEarly Action: a non-binding early application option): A non-binding early application (usually due November 1–15). You get your decision early (by mid-December) but are not committed to attend. You can apply EA to multiple schools and still wait until May 1 to decide.
Restrictive Early Action (REARestrictive Early Action: non-binding early option limited to one private school) / Single-Choice Early Action (SCEA): Non-binding like EA, but you can only apply early to one private school. You can still apply EA to public universities. Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Stanford use this policy.
Regular Decision (RDRegular Decision: standard application timeline with decisions by spring): The standard timeline with deadlines usually between January 1–15. Decisions arrive by late March or April. No commitment required until May 1 (National Decision Day).
Quick Comparison
| Type | Binding? | Deadline | Decision | Multiple? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ED | Yes | Nov 1 | Mid-Dec | No (one only) |
| ED II | Yes | Jan 1–15 | Mid-Feb | No (one only) |
| EA | No | Nov 1–15 | Mid-Dec–Feb | Yes |
| REA/SCEA | No (restricted) | Nov 1 | Mid-Dec | 1 private + public EAs |
| RD | No | Jan 1–15 | Late Mar–Apr | Yes |
| Rolling | No | Varies | 4–8 wks after | Yes |
The calendar below references these types throughout. When you see "ED," "EA," or "RD," refer back to this section if you're unsure what's binding vs. non-binding.
The Master Calendar
August
| Date | Deadline | Details |
|---|---|---|
| August 1 | Common App opens | Create account, start filling in sections |
| August 1 | Coalition App opens | New cycle begins |
| Mid-August | CSS Profile opens | For schools requiring it (mostly private) |
What to do in August: Create your Common App account. Begin drafting your personal essay. Start your activity list. Request letters of recommendation from teachers.
September
| Date | Deadline | Details |
|---|---|---|
| September 1 | UC TAG application opens | Transfer Admission Guarantee for CCC students |
| September 30 | UC TAG application closes | Submit through UC Transfer Admission Planner |
| Late September | Some EA/ED supplements available | School-specific essays appear after adding schools |
What to do in September: Finalize your college list. Begin supplemental essays for EA/ED schools. If you're a transfer student, submit TAG.
October
| Date | Deadline | Details |
|---|---|---|
| October 1 | FAFSA opens | Free Application for Federal Student Aid |
| October 1 | CSS Profile submissions begin | Required by ~200 schools for institutional aid |
| October 15 | Early Decision/EA deadline (select schools) | UNC Chapel Hill EA, UVA EA, some others |
| Mid-October | Some rolling admission schools begin reviewing | Penn State, Michigan State, others |
What to do in October: File the FAFSA as early as possible. Some state aid is first-come, first-served. Submit the CSS Profile if your schools require it. Finalize EA/ED essays.
November
| Date | Deadline | Details |
|---|---|---|
| November 1 | Early Decision I deadline (most schools) | Binding commitment. Ivies, Stanford, Duke, Northwestern, etc. |
| November 1 | Early Action deadline (most schools) | Non-binding. MIT, Harvard REA, Stanford REA, Georgetown EA, UVA, UNC, Georgia Tech, etc. |
| November 1 | UC application opens | All nine UC campuses |
| November 1 | Cal State application opens | All 23 CSU campuses |
| November 15 | CSS Profile deadline (some ED schools) | Check each school's financial aid deadline |
| November 30 | UC application deadline | All campuses, all applicants |
| November 30 | Cal State application deadline | Priority deadline for most CSU campuses |
This is the busiest month. If you're applying ED or EA, November 1 is your primary target. UC applicants must also submit by November 30.
December
| Date | Deadline | Details |
|---|---|---|
| December 1 | Some RD financial aid deadlines | Check individual schools |
| December 1 | UC application late deadline | Some final processing |
| Mid-December | EA/ED decisions released | Most schools notify by December 15–20 |
| December 15 | Some scholarship deadlines | QuestBridge Match, major national scholarships |
| Late December | ED released students can apply RD | If denied/deferred from ED, you're free to apply elsewhere |
What to do in December: If admitted ED, withdraw all other applications and celebrate. If deferred or denied, pivot to Regular Decision strategy immediately.
January
| Date | Deadline | Details |
|---|---|---|
| January 1 | Regular Decision deadline (some schools) | Caltech, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, MIT, and others |
| January 1 | ED II deadline (some schools) | Binding, second round. Vanderbilt, NYU, Emory, Pomona, etc. |
| January 2 | CSS Profile deadline (many RD schools) | Often tied to RD deadline |
| January 5 | Regular Decision deadline (select schools) | Stanford, Columbia, others |
| January 15 | Regular Decision deadline (many schools) | Duke, Northwestern, WashU, Rice, USC, and many more |
| Late January | Some state university RD deadlines | Check specific schools |
January is crunch time for RD. Most selective private schools have deadlines between January 1–15. Don't leave supplements to the last day.
February
| Date | Deadline | Details |
|---|---|---|
| February 1 | RD deadline (some schools) | University of Michigan, some state flagships |
| February 1 | Many scholarship deadlines | Institutional and external scholarships |
| February 1 | FAFSA priority deadline (many states) | State-specific; California's Cal Grant deadline is March 2 |
| Mid-February | ED II decisions released | Most notify by mid-to-late February |
| February 15 | CSS Profile deadline (select schools) | For RD financial aid consideration |
March
| Date | Deadline | Details |
|---|---|---|
| March 2 | Cal Grant deadline (California) | Must have FAFSA and GPA submitted |
| Mid-March | Ivy League decisions (typically late March) | "Ivy Day" is usually late March/early April |
| March–April | Regular Decision notifications | Most schools release decisions March 15–April 1 |
April
| Date | Deadline | Details |
|---|---|---|
| April 1 | Most RD decisions released | Latest possible for most schools |
| Mid-April | Financial aid packages arrive | Compare net costs, not sticker prices |
| April 15 | Some appeal/waitlist deadlines | If appealing financial aid, do it early |
May
| Date | Deadline | Details |
|---|---|---|
| May 1 | National Decision Day | Commitment deadline. Submit deposit to one school. |
| May 1 | Withdraw from all other schools | Holding multiple spots is unethical and may be rescinded |
| May–June | Waitlist activity | Schools go to waitlists as committed students change plans |
| Late May | AP exams | Scores sent to your committed school |
Decision Type Reference[1]NACAC, 2024–2025
| Type | Binding? | Deadline | Decision | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ED | Yes | Nov 1 | Mid-Dec | Must attend. 1 school only. |
| ED II | Yes | Jan 1 | Mid-Feb | 2nd binding round. |
| EA | No | Nov 1 | Mid-Dec–Feb | Non-binding. |
| REA/SCEA | No (limits) | Nov 1 | Mid-Dec | No other private EA. Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, Yale. |
| RD | No | Jan 1–15 | Late Mar–Apr | Standard. |
| Rolling | No | Varies | 4–8 wks | Apply early. Penn State, Indiana, Arizona, etc. |
Financial Aid Deadlines
Financial aid has its own deadlines that often don't align with application deadlines:
| Form | Opens | Deadlines |
|---|---|---|
| FAFSA | Oct 1 | State-specific (often Feb–Mar). CA Cal Grant: Mar 2. |
| CSS Profile | Early Oct | Often Nov 15 (ED) or Feb 1 (RD). |
| Institutional forms | Varies | School-specific deadlines. |
| Scholarships | Varies | Oct–Feb (peak Dec–Jan). |
FAFSA tip: File as early as possible. Some state aid (like the Cal Grant) is awarded until funds run out. The FAFSA uses tax data from two years prior ("prior-prior year"), so you should have the needed information available on October 1.[2]Federal Student Aid, FAFSA Application, 2024–2025
Major Scholarship Deadlines
| Scholarship | Award | Deadline | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Merit | $2,500+ | Oct (PSAT jr yr) | PSAT score |
| QuestBridge | Full ride | Sep–Oct | High-achieving, low-income |
| Gates | Full COA | Sep | Minority, Pell-eligible |
| Coca-Cola | $20,000 | Oct | Community leadership |
| Elks MVS | Up to $50,000 | Nov | Need + achievement |
| Jack Kent Cooke | Up to $55K/yr | Nov | High-achieving + need |
| Regeneron STS | Up to $250K | Nov | STEM research required |
| Cameron Impact | Full tuition | Sep | Leadership + community |
How to Stay Organized
- Create a spreadsheet with every school, deadline type (EA/ED/RD), application deadline, financial aid deadline, and supplement requirements.
- Set reminders 2 weeks before each deadline. Don't rely on memory.
- Submit 2–3 days early. Servers crash on deadline day. Every year.
- Track your recommenders. They have deadlines too, and they're writing for multiple students.
- Confirm submission. Check your email for confirmation receipts from each platform and school.
The college application calendar is a marathon, not a sprint. Students who map it out in August and work steadily through January have dramatically less stress (and typically stronger applications) than those who scramble at each deadline.
▶Sources
- Building Your College List3 min read
- Coalition vs Common App3 min read
- Common App Walkthrough3 min read
- Researching Colleges3 min read