I'm stressing about missing a college application deadline. Does anyone know if colleges give any leniency for late submissions, or am I out of luck? Would love to hear if anyone's been through this and what happened!
While it's important to try your best to submit college applications before the deadline, some universities may offer a degree of flexibility. However, this is at the discretion of the individual college and highly variable, so it's always best to check with the respective admissions office.
Some schools may have a grace period for technical difficulties, or if there's an extenuating circumstance beyond your control, they may allow your application to be considered. But remember, this is certainly not guaranteed, and colleges tend to be pretty strict with their deadlines.
If you're applying to a school with a rolling admissions policy, you might be in luck as these schools review applications as they come in and continue to accept applications until all spots are filled. However, even in this case, earlier applications are seen more favorably.
In the future, to avoid this stressful situation, try to start your applications well ahead of time. This way you have buffer time to deal with unexpected setbacks or technical issues. Also, as some colleges evaluate applications on a rolling basis, there might even be an advantage to submitting early!
Again, I strongly urge you to reach out to the college's admissions office directly for the most accurate information.
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