Hey everyone! I'm starting to work on my college applications and I'm planning to apply through regular decision. When do regular decision deadlines usually fall? Are they different for every college or is there a general timeframe I should be aware of?
Hey! Regular decision deadlines can vary slightly between colleges, but in general, they're during the months of December and January. Many schools set their regular decision deadlines between January 1st and January 15th, but it's essential to double-check the deadlines for the specific colleges you plan to apply to.
Some colleges may have deadlines as early as November 30th (all UC schools) or as late as February 1st (University of Michigan), so it's crucial to stay organized and make a list of each college's deadline to ensure you submit your applications on time, while also taking full advantage of the time given to you. It's also a good idea to be mindful of the deadlines for any other required materials, such as letters of recommendation or financial aid documents, which may differ slightly.
Finally, if a college has rolling admissions, you want to apply as soon as you can after the application opens, as the longer you wait, the more spots will fill up. Otherwise, there is no advantage to submitting your application early, although you ideally don't want to wait until the very last minute, as then you run the risk of technological issues popping up, or realizing you forgot something. For non-rolling admissions processes, submitting 3-5 days before the deadline will give you plenty of time to handle any last-minute snags.
Good luck with the application process!
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