Deadlines
When are college applications due?
College application deadlines are in the fall or winter and vary from school to school. They also vary with regard to early action, early decision, and regular decision. At the end of this guide is a list of application deadlines for a number of well-known colleges and universities.
Fall 2023
Priority Application Filing Period
October 1, 2022 -November 30, 2022
Summer 2023
Priority Application Filing Period
February 1, 2023 - February 28, 2023
Spring 2024
Priority Application Filing Period
August 1, 2023 - August 31, 2023
Winter 2024
Priority Application Filing Period
​
June 1, 2023 -
June 20, 2023
Fall 2023
Priority Application Filing Period
October 1, 2022 -November 30, 2022
Spring 2023
Submit Statement of Intent to Register to their chosen campus
May 1, 2023
Summer 2024
Official transcripts must be submitted to campus admissions
July 1, 2023
Fall 2024
Priority Application Filing Period
​
TBA
Private Universities
Fall 2023
Application Filing Period (may vary by school)
November 1, 2022 -December, 2022
Spring 2024
Applications Typically Not Accepted
Check Specific College for Details
Summer 2024
Applications Typically Not Accepted
Check Specific College for Details
Fall 2024
Application Filing Period (may vary by school)
​
November, 2023 -
December, 2023
What are the Options for College Application Deadlines?
Regular Decision (RD)
-
The majority of students apply to school regular decision. These are the college application deadlines you might have heard all about! Regular decision deadlines usually fall in the beginning of January (January 1) for most universities in California.
-
You will submit a complete application in January and then hear back sometime in March or April.
Early Action (EA)
-
Early Action pushes your deadline and notification earlier by a few months. The most common EA deadlines are November 1 and November 15.
-
There's also a third option unique to early admissions: getting deferred. Getting deferred means that your app is pushed into the regular applicant pool to be evaluated again later.
-
With more and more students applying early each year, early admissions is getting ever more competitive, and deferrals are becoming more common. It is possible that you could get accepted in the next review period. You should call the admissions office and ask for further information if you get deferred. You could also send your mid-year grades or updated test scores to improve your application.
Early Decision (ED)
-
Early Decision refers to a contract that you, including your school counselor, and a parent, sign when you apply ED. With this contract, you agree to enroll in the school if you get accepted.
-
This means that the school is your first choice and that you have no doubt you'll attend if accepted. If you apply ED and receive that happy news, then you'll accept the offer, send in your deposit, and withdraw any other applications you made to other schools.
Rolling Admissions (RA)
-
If your school has rolling admissions, then it gives you a window of time in which to submit your application. This period of time typically ranges from the fall to the spring.
-
Some schools claim to have rolling admissions (RA), but also have a priority deadline in November or December so it is important to stay in contact with the top schools in which you applied for and want RA.