School is out for the summer, and some rising seniors (well, actually, some parents of rising seniors) are chomping at the bit to get started on college applications. Is it too soon? Too late? When are applications due, anyway? To put minds at ease, I have provided a general outline of the college admissions timeline. Please note that deadlines are by no means universal and that some colleges will open applications earlier and close them later than the dates below. Students should always check individual college websites for deadlines at specific institutions.
Beginning of August: Most applications open online, either through the Common Application, ApplyTexas, the Coalition Application, or the college’s website.
Mid-October to mid-November: Early Application and Early Decision deadlines at most colleges. See my blog on Early Application vs. Early Decision to understand the difference.
Early December to mid-February: Regular Application deadlines at most colleges.
Mid-March to early April: Most colleges release admissions decisions.
May 1: Most colleges require decisions from students.
There are a number of other deadlines that occur throughout the process for things like financial aid forms, scholarship applications, applications to honors programs, and the like. Also, many colleges have rolling deadlines, which means they accept applications at just about any point and deliver decisions on a rolling basis.
So when is the best time to begin working on college applications? I believe that the best time to begin is the summer before senior year. How early in the summer depends on a number of factors. For one, you must consider how much time you have to devote to your applications If your summer is chalk full of activities and your fall is fairly quiet, late summer might be the best time for you. Another factor is how many applications you plan to submit. More applications can equal more essays, which, of course, adds up to more time. Finally, think about how early you want to (or, in some cases, need to) submit applications. For instance, though Texas A&M only has a priority — or early — deadline for engineering majors, their College of Business is enrollment-managed and accepts students on a first-come, first-served basis. Students applying to the Mays School of Business are encouraged to submit their applications as close to the opening date of Aug. 1 as possible.
The downside to beginning too early is that many college admissions offices do not finalize their applications until early to mid-August, so students need to be careful not to spin their wheels writing responses to last year’s supplemental essay questions (those are extra essays specific to the university), only to learn that they have changed this year. However, the prompts for the main essay required by most colleges accepting the Common Application, Coalition Application, or ApplyTexas are out now. Students can certainly get started brainstorming that essay, as well as putting together their lists of activities and awards, becoming familiar with the elements of a college application, and mapping out their college application strategy.
