The 30 Top College Application Deadlines

High school seniors and parents are overwhelmed with the college admissions process in the Fall term. For this reason, it’s always a good idea to understand the college application deadlines of private and public universities and to get started  in a timely manner.

5 Reasons to Start Your College Applications Early

1. Less stress during the Fall semester of the senior year.
2. Meet the EA (Early Action) and ED (Early Decision) deadlines to qualify for maximum scholarships and increase admission chances.
3. Be able to apply to more of your dream or reach colleges without overwhelming yourself.
4. Balance your personal, academic, and extra-curricular life.
5. Finish before the Christmas/ winter break so that you can enjoy the holidays!

College Application Deadlines for Fall 2020

Private College Admissions Deadlines

Most private universities use either the Common Application or the Coalition Application and have a college application deadline of January 1-3. However, the EA/ED deadline is usually November 1 or November 15. Some have a December 1 scholarship deadline such as the University of Southern California.

Here is a sample list of private university college application deadlines:

EA=Early Action, REA=Restrictive Early Action, ED=Early Decision, R=Regular

1. Carnegie Mellon University: Nov. 1 (EA)
2. Case Western Reserve University: Nov. 1 (EA); Jan. 15 (R)
3. Columbia University: Nov. 1 (EA)
4. Emory University: Nov. 1 (EA); Jan. 1 (R)
5. Johns Hopkins University: Nov. 1 (EA)
6. MIT: Jan. 01 (R)
7. New York University: Nov. 1 (EA); Jan. 1 (R)
8. Northeastern University: Nov. 1 (EA/ED); Jan. 01 (R) (ED II)
9. Princeton University: Nov. 1 (Restrictive EA); Jan. 1 (R)
10. Santa Clara University: Nov. 1 (EA); Jan. 7 (R)
11. Stanford University: Nov. 1 (EA)
12. University of Chicago: Nov. 1 (EA/ED); Jan. 2 (R) (ED II)
13. University of Southern California: Dec. 1 (Scholarship); Jan. 15 (R)
14. University of San Francisco: Nov. 1 (EA/ED); Jan. 15 (R)
15. Yale University: Nov. 1 (Restrictive EA); Jan. 2 (R)

Public College Admissions Deadlines

Some public universities have an EA deadlines of November 1 or November 15 (for example, Arizona State University and Penn State University). The University of California system and the California State University System is due November 30. Most public universities have a regular deadline of January or February.

Here is a sample list of public university college application deadlines:

1. Arizona State University: Nov. 1 (EA); June 27 (Rolling)
2. California State University (all): Nov. 30 (R)
3. Ohio State University: Nov. 1 (EA); Feb. 1 (R)
4. Penn State University of California – College Park: Nov. 1 (EA); Nov. 30 (R)
5. Purdue University: Nov. 1 (EA); Jan. 15 (R)
6. Texas A&M University: Dec. 1 (R)
7. University of Arizona: May 1 (Rolling)
8. University of California (all): Nov. 30 (R)
9. University of Colorado-Boulder:
10. University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign: Dec. 12 (R)
11. University of Texas – Austin: Dec. 1 (R)
12. University of Michigan: Nov. 1 (EA); Feb. 1 (R)
13. University of Washington – Seattle: Dec. 1 (R)
14. University of Washington – St. Louis: Nov. 1 (ED I); Jan. 1 (ED II) (R)

Need assistance with the college application process and to better understand the college application deadlines? Schedule a free consultation by clicking here.