As you narrow down your list of colleges you plan to apply to, juggling various application dates will become crucial. For some of your top-choice and reach schools, you’ve likely considered or already submitted an Early Decision application. For the rest of the schools on your list, you’ll need to prioritize and plan around various application deadlines for Regular Decision. 

Start Early, Work Often

Remember to start applications early and working on them periodically. This will ensure a polished product when the deadlines approach. You’ll also want to avoid working on all your applications around the same time. This can often lead to silly and avoidable mistakes. Instead, focus and finish one set of applications so you can fully apply yourself to the next one. 

Keep Track of Deadlines

Make sure to check the deadlines for all colleges you have on your list as they vary between schools. With so many varying deadlines for different schools, it’s important to keep track of which college’s applications you’ll need to complete first and leave enough time to complete the rest. The earlier you complete your first applications, the more you’ll be able to pace yourself and complete your later applications. 

For example, if you’re applying to one school with a January 1st deadline, but several schools with a January 15th deadline, you’ll want to complete the earlier application first, then get ahead and try and complete one of the latter applications ahead of time so you’re not scrambling to complete two applications at the same time. 

For colleges and universities that offer rolling admissions, remember that your chances of admission are much higher the sooner you submit your application. You should try and prioritize these applications if you can. 

 

Here are Early Decision Dates for the class of 2026 for some of the top schools in the US:

School Name
RD Application Deadline
University of Florida
November 1
University of California Schools
November 30
Pennsylvania State University
December 1 *
Barnard College
January 1
Boston College
January 1
Columbia University
January 1
Emory University
January 1
Fordham University
January 1
Harvard University
January 1
Northeastern University
January 1
Princeton University
January 1
Swarthmore College
January 1
Syracuse University
January 1
University of Miami
January 1
University of Richmond
January 1
Vanderbilt University
January 1
Wake Forest University
January 1
Washington and Lee University
January 1
Wesleyan University
January 1
Cornell University
January 2
Yale University
January 2
Amherst College
January 3
California Institute of Technology
January 3
Carnegie-Mellon University
January 3
Dartmouth College
January 3
Johns Hopkins University
January 3
Middlebury College
January 3
Northwestern University
January 3
University of Virginia
January 3
Washington University in St. Louis
January 3
William & Mary
January 3
Boston University
January 4
Duke University
January 4
Rice University
January 4
Tufts University
January 4
University of Chicago
January 4
Bowdoin College
January 5
Brown University
January 5
George Washington University
January 5
Georgia Institute of Technology
January 5
Hamilton College
January 5
Harvey Mudd College
January 5
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
January 5
New York University
January 5
Stanford University
January 5
University of Pennsylvania
January 5
University of Rochester
January 5
Santa Clara University
January 7
Wellesley College
January 8
Georgetown University
January 10
Williams College
January 10
American University
January 15
Carleton College
January 15
Colgate University
January 15
Haverford College
January 15
Loyola Marymount University
January 15
Southern Methodist University
January 15
Tulane University
January 15
University of Colorado – Boulder
January 15
University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
January 15
Villanova University
January 15
University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
February 1
University of Wisconsin – Madison
February 1
Florida State University
March 1 *
Clemson University
May 1 *

*These colleges offer rolling admission.

Remember, this list is not exhaustive. Add the relevant application deadlines to your calendar, and good luck! 

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Regular Decision Dates for the Class of 2026

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    As you narrow down your list of colleges you plan to apply to, juggling various application dates will become crucial. For some of your top-choice and reach schools, you’ve likely considered or already submitted an Early Decision application. For the rest of the schools on your list, you’ll need to prioritize and plan around various application deadlines for Regular Decision. 

    Start Early, Work Often

    Remember to start applications early and working on them periodically. This will ensure a polished product when the deadlines approach. You’ll also want to avoid working on all your applications around the same time. This can often lead to silly and avoidable mistakes. Instead, focus and finish one set of applications so you can fully apply yourself to the next one. 

    Keep Track of Deadlines

    Make sure to check the deadlines for all colleges you have on your list as they vary between schools. With so many varying deadlines for different schools, it’s important to keep track of which college’s applications you’ll need to complete first and leave enough time to complete the rest. The earlier you complete your first applications, the more you’ll be able to pace yourself and complete your later applications. 

    For example, if you’re applying to one school with a January 1st deadline, but several schools with a January 15th deadline, you’ll want to complete the earlier application first, then get ahead and try and complete one of the latter applications ahead of time so you’re not scrambling to complete two applications at the same time. 

    For colleges and universities that offer rolling admissions, remember that your chances of admission are much higher the sooner you submit your application. You should try and prioritize these applications if you can. 

     

    Here are Early Decision Dates for the class of 2026 for some of the top schools in the US:

    School Name
    RD Application Deadline
    University of Florida
    November 1
    University of California Schools
    November 30
    Pennsylvania State University
    December 1 *
    Barnard College
    January 1
    Boston College
    January 1
    Columbia University
    January 1
    Emory University
    January 1
    Fordham University
    January 1
    Harvard University
    January 1
    Northeastern University
    January 1
    Princeton University
    January 1
    Swarthmore College
    January 1
    Syracuse University
    January 1
    University of Miami
    January 1
    University of Richmond
    January 1
    Vanderbilt University
    January 1
    Wake Forest University
    January 1
    Washington and Lee University
    January 1
    Wesleyan University
    January 1
    Cornell University
    January 2
    Yale University
    January 2
    Amherst College
    January 3
    California Institute of Technology
    January 3
    Carnegie-Mellon University
    January 3
    Dartmouth College
    January 3
    Johns Hopkins University
    January 3
    Middlebury College
    January 3
    Northwestern University
    January 3
    University of Virginia
    January 3
    Washington University in St. Louis
    January 3
    William & Mary
    January 3
    Boston University
    January 4
    Duke University
    January 4
    Rice University
    January 4
    Tufts University
    January 4
    University of Chicago
    January 4
    Bowdoin College
    January 5
    Brown University
    January 5
    George Washington University
    January 5
    Georgia Institute of Technology
    January 5
    Hamilton College
    January 5
    Harvey Mudd College
    January 5
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    January 5
    New York University
    January 5
    Stanford University
    January 5
    University of Pennsylvania
    January 5
    University of Rochester
    January 5
    Santa Clara University
    January 7
    Wellesley College
    January 8
    Georgetown University
    January 10
    Williams College
    January 10
    American University
    January 15
    Carleton College
    January 15
    Colgate University
    January 15
    Haverford College
    January 15
    Loyola Marymount University
    January 15
    Southern Methodist University
    January 15
    Tulane University
    January 15
    University of Colorado – Boulder
    January 15
    University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
    January 15
    Villanova University
    January 15
    University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
    February 1
    University of Wisconsin – Madison
    February 1
    Florida State University
    March 1 *
    Clemson University
    May 1 *

    *These colleges offer rolling admission.

    Remember, this list is not exhaustive. Add the relevant application deadlines to your calendar, and good luck! 

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