Application Cycle
Early Decision, Early Action, and Regular Decision dates for 112 colleges, for students applying now to enter in fall 2027. Start typing to find a school.
Showing all 112 colleges
| College | Deadlines |
|---|---|
| American University | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Early ActionNov 15, 2026Regular DecisionJan 15, 2027 |
| Amherst College | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Regular DecisionJan 1, 2027 |
| Arizona State University | Regular DecisionFeb 1, 2027 |
| Barnard College | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Regular DecisionJan 1, 2027 |
| Bates College | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Early Decision IIJan 1, 2027Regular DecisionFeb 1, 2027 |
| Boston College | Early ActionNov 1, 2026Regular DecisionJan 1, 2027 |
| Boston University | Early ActionNov 1, 2026Regular DecisionJan 2, 2027 |
| Bowdoin College | Early Decision INov 15, 2026Regular DecisionJan 1, 2027 |
| Brown University | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Regular DecisionJan 1, 2027 |
| Bryn Mawr College | Early Decision INov 15, 2026Regular DecisionJan 15, 2027 |
| Bucknell University | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Early Decision IIJan 15, 2027Regular DecisionJan 15, 2027 |
| Carnegie Mellon University | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Early Decision IIJan 1, 2027Regular DecisionJan 1, 2027 |
| Case Western Reserve University | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Early Decision IIJan 15, 2027Regular DecisionJan 15, 2027 |
| Clemson University | Early ActionOct 15, 2026Regular DecisionMay 1, 2027 |
| Colby College | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Early Decision IIJan 1, 2027Regular DecisionJan 1, 2027 |
| Colgate University | Early Decision INov 15, 2026Early Decision IIJan 15, 2027Regular DecisionJan 15, 2027 |
| Colorado College | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Early Decision IIJan 15, 2027Regular DecisionJan 15, 2027 |
| Columbia University | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Regular DecisionJan 1, 2027 |
| Connecticut College | Early Decision INov 15, 2026Early Decision IIJan 1, 2027Regular DecisionFeb 1, 2027 |
| Cornell University | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Regular DecisionJan 1, 2027 |
| Dartmouth College | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Regular DecisionJan 1, 2027 |
| Davidson College | Early Decision INov 15, 2026Early Decision IIJan 15, 2027Regular DecisionJan 15, 2027 |
| Drexel University | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Regular DecisionMar 1, 2027 |
| Duke University | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Early Decision IIJan 2, 2027Regular DecisionJan 2, 2027 |
| Emory University | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Early Decision IIJan 1, 2027Regular DecisionJan 1, 2027 |
| Florida State University | Early ActionOct 15, 2026Regular DecisionFeb 1, 2027 |
| Fordham University | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Regular DecisionFeb 1, 2027 |
| George Washington University | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Early Decision IIJan 5, 2027Regular DecisionJan 5, 2027 |
| Georgetown University | Early ActionNov 1, 2026Regular DecisionJan 10, 2027 |
| Georgia Tech | Early ActionOct 15, 2026Regular DecisionJan 5, 2027 |
| Grinnell College | Early Decision INov 15, 2026Early Decision IIJan 1, 2027Regular DecisionJan 15, 2027 |
| Hamilton College | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Early Decision IIJan 1, 2027Regular DecisionJan 1, 2027 |
| Harvard University | Restrictive EANov 1, 2026Regular DecisionJan 1, 2027 |
| Harvey Mudd College | Early Decision INov 15, 2026Regular DecisionJan 5, 2027 |
| Haverford College | Early Decision INov 15, 2026Regular DecisionJan 15, 2027 |
| Indiana University | Regular DecisionFeb 1, 2027 |
| Iowa State University | Regular DecisionJul 1, 2027 |
| James Madison University | Early ActionNov 1, 2026Regular DecisionFeb 1, 2027 |
| Kenyon College | Early Decision INov 15, 2026Early Decision IIJan 15, 2027Regular DecisionFeb 1, 2027 |
| Lafayette College | Early Decision INov 15, 2026Early Decision IIJan 15, 2027Regular DecisionFeb 15, 2027 |
| Lehigh University | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Early Decision IIJan 1, 2027Regular DecisionJan 1, 2027 |
| Louisiana State University | Early ActionOct 15, 2026Regular DecisionApr 15, 2027 |
| MIT | Early ActionNov 1, 2026Regular DecisionJan 1, 2027 |
| Macalester College | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Early Decision IIJan 1, 2027Regular DecisionJan 15, 2027 |
| McGill University | Regular DecisionJan 15, 2027 |
| Michigan State University | Regular DecisionNov 1, 2026 |
| Middlebury College | Early Decision INov 15, 2026Early Decision IIJan 1, 2027Regular DecisionFeb 1, 2027 |
| NYU | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Early Decision IIJan 1, 2027Regular DecisionJan 1, 2027 |
| Northeastern University | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Early Decision IIJan 1, 2027Regular DecisionJan 1, 2027 |
| Notre Dame | Restrictive EANov 1, 2026Regular DecisionJan 1, 2027 |
| Oberlin College | Early Decision INov 15, 2026Early Decision IIJan 2, 2027Regular DecisionJan 15, 2027 |
| Ohio State University | Early ActionNov 1, 2026Regular DecisionFeb 1, 2027 |
| Penn State University | Regular DecisionNov 30, 2026 |
| Pomona College | Early Decision INov 15, 2026Regular DecisionJan 8, 2027 |
| Princeton University | Restrictive EANov 1, 2026Regular DecisionJan 1, 2027 |
| Purdue University | Early ActionNov 1, 2026Regular DecisionAug 1, 2027 |
| Rice University | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Regular DecisionJan 1, 2027 |
| Rutgers University | Early ActionNov 1, 2026Regular DecisionDec 1, 2026 |
| Skidmore College | Early Decision INov 15, 2026Early Decision IIJan 15, 2027Regular DecisionFeb 1, 2027 |
| Smith College | Early Decision INov 15, 2026Regular DecisionJan 15, 2027 |
| Stanford University | Restrictive EANov 1, 2026Regular DecisionJan 2, 2027 |
| Swarthmore College | Early Decision INov 15, 2026Regular DecisionJan 1, 2027 |
| Syracuse University | Early ActionNov 15, 2026Regular DecisionJan 1, 2027 |
| Trinity College | Early Decision INov 15, 2026Early Decision IIJan 15, 2027Regular DecisionFeb 1, 2027 |
| Tufts University | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Early Decision IIJan 1, 2027Regular DecisionJan 1, 2027 |
| Tulane University | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Early Decision IIJan 15, 2027Regular DecisionJan 15, 2027 |
| UC Davis | Regular DecisionNov 30, 2026 |
| UC Irvine | Regular DecisionNov 30, 2026 |
| UC San Diego | Regular DecisionNov 30, 2026 |
| UC Santa Barbara | Regular DecisionNov 30, 2026 |
| UCLA | Regular DecisionNov 30, 2026 |
| University of Alabama | Early ActionOct 15, 2026Regular DecisionFeb 1, 2027 |
| University of Arizona | Early ActionNov 1, 2026Regular DecisionMay 1, 2027 |
| University of California, Berkeley | Regular DecisionNov 30, 2026 |
| University of Colorado Boulder | Early ActionNov 15, 2026Regular DecisionJan 15, 2027 |
| University of Connecticut | Early ActionDec 1, 2026Regular DecisionFeb 1, 2027 |
| University of Delaware | Early ActionNov 1, 2026Regular DecisionMar 1, 2027 |
| University of Denver | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Early ActionNov 1, 2026Regular DecisionJan 15, 2027 |
| University of Florida | Early ActionNov 1, 2026Regular DecisionMar 1, 2027 |
| University of Georgia | Early ActionOct 15, 2026Regular DecisionJan 15, 2027 |
| University of Illinois | Early ActionNov 1, 2026Regular DecisionDec 1, 2026 |
| University of Iowa | Early ActionOct 15, 2026Regular DecisionMay 1, 2027 |
| University of Kansas | Regular DecisionApr 1, 2027 |
| University of Kentucky | Regular DecisionFeb 15, 2027 |
| University of Maryland | Early ActionNov 1, 2026Regular DecisionJan 20, 2027 |
| University of Miami | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Early ActionNov 1, 2026Regular DecisionFeb 1, 2027 |
| University of Michigan | Early ActionNov 1, 2026Regular DecisionFeb 1, 2027 |
| University of Minnesota | Early ActionNov 1, 2026Regular DecisionJan 15, 2027 |
| University of Missouri | Regular DecisionMay 1, 2027 |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Early ActionOct 15, 2026Regular DecisionJan 15, 2027 |
| University of Notre Dame | Restrictive EANov 1, 2026Regular DecisionJan 1, 2027 |
| University of Oregon | Early ActionNov 1, 2026Regular DecisionJan 15, 2027 |
| University of Pennsylvania | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Regular DecisionJan 1, 2027 |
| University of Rochester | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Early Decision IIJan 1, 2027Regular DecisionJan 5, 2027 |
| University of Tennessee | Early ActionNov 1, 2026Regular DecisionDec 15, 2026 |
| University of Texas at Austin | Early ActionNov 1, 2026Regular DecisionDec 1, 2026 |
| University of Toronto | Regular DecisionJan 14, 2027 |
| University of Vermont | Early ActionNov 1, 2026Regular DecisionFeb 1, 2027 |
| University of Virginia | Early ActionNov 1, 2026Regular DecisionJan 1, 2027 |
| University of Washington | Regular DecisionNov 30, 2026 |
| University of Wisconsin | Early ActionNov 1, 2026Regular DecisionFeb 1, 2027 |
| Vanderbilt University | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Early Decision IIJan 1, 2027Regular DecisionJan 1, 2027 |
| Vassar College | Early Decision INov 15, 2026Early Decision IIJan 1, 2027Regular DecisionJan 1, 2027 |
| Villanova University | Early ActionNov 1, 2026Regular DecisionJan 15, 2027 |
| Virginia Tech | Early ActionNov 1, 2026Regular DecisionJan 15, 2027 |
| Wake Forest University | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Regular DecisionJan 1, 2027 |
| Washington University in St. Louis | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Early Decision IIJan 2, 2027Regular DecisionJan 2, 2027 |
| Wellesley College | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Regular DecisionJan 15, 2027 |
| Wesleyan University | Early Decision INov 15, 2026Early Decision IIJan 1, 2027Regular DecisionJan 1, 2027 |
| William & Mary | Early Decision INov 1, 2026Early ActionDec 1, 2026Regular DecisionFeb 1, 2027 |
| Williams College | Early Decision INov 15, 2026Regular DecisionJan 1, 2027 |
| Yale University | Restrictive EANov 1, 2026Regular DecisionJan 2, 2027 |
No colleges match that search.
Early Decision is binding. If you are admitted, you withdraw your other applications and attend. Apply this way only when a school is a clear first choice and you do not need to compare financial aid offers.
Early Action is not binding. You apply early, hear early, and still have until May to decide. There is little downside beyond having your application ready sooner.
Restrictive Early Action, used by Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Stanford among others, is non-binding but limits where else you may apply early. Read each school's restrictions carefully, since they differ.
Early Decision II is a second binding round, usually due in early January. It exists for students deferred or denied in an earlier round, or who only settled on a first choice after November.
Early Decision admit rates are usually higher than Regular Decision at the same school, and that gap is real but overstated. The early pool includes recruited athletes and other institutional priorities, so a typical applicant sees less of an edge than the headline numbers suggest.
The stronger argument for applying early is different: it forces your application to be finished in October, when you have time to do it well, rather than in the last week of December alongside everything else.
Most are 11:59 p.m. in your own local time zone, though some schools use theirs instead. Check the admissions page rather than assuming, and do not plan to submit on the final evening. Application portals are slowest on deadline night, every year.
No. Early Decision is a binding commitment and you may only make it once. You can generally pair one ED application with non-restrictive Early Action applications elsewhere, but restrictive programs limit even that. Check each school's policy.
Your application moves into the Regular Decision pool and gets read again. A deferral is not a rejection. Most schools accept a brief letter of continued interest, and some will take an updated transcript or new test scores.
Usually yes, though many schools accept them shortly after. That is not a reason to ask late. Give teachers at least a month, and ask before the fall gets busy, since they are writing for many students at once.
This covers 112 colleges, weighted toward schools DC-area families apply to most. For anything else, the admissions page is the authority, and the Common App shows deadlines for every member school once you add it to your list.
The College Guide portal pulls deadlines automatically for the schools on your list, tracks what you have submitted, and keeps essays and test scores in the same place.
Create a free accountFree to start. No credit card. Works for any high school grade level.