College Application Options

There are a variety of ways for a prospective student to submit his or her application to a college. One can see information about the ways in the admissions policy page of the college. These college application options provide students with a liberty and flexibility in college application so that the students can manage their course of actions as per their plans.

Regardless of the option you choose, it’s best to submit your application by the first week of November while in your senior year. This gives you the best change for admission and the most opportunities for getting scholarships and other financial aid. In the worst-case scenario, if you don’t get into the university of your choice, you’ll know by January, which means you still have time to implement a back-up option (like a school with rolling admissions).

The general application option for undergraduate study in many US Colleges are:

Early Decision (ED)

Under this admissions program, you agree to attend the college if accepted, and you can’t apply to any other college. If you receive an acceptance letter, you must withdraw any other applications to other schools. Since this option is binding, you need to be sure about your choice and realistic about your application. Make sure you get your guidance counselor’s opinion before you submit an application with early decision.

Colleges with Early Action Option
CollegesEarly Action Deadline
Babson College
November 01
Bard College
November 01
Bard College at Simon’s Rock
December 01
Baylor University
November 01
Becker College
November 15
Adelphi University
December 01
Agnes Scott College
November 15
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
November 15
Albion College
December 01
Alfred State College–SUNY
December 01
Alfred University
December 01
Anna Maria College
November 15
Appalachian State University
November 01
Assumption University
November 15
Auburn University
February 15
Augustana College
November 01
Augustana University
November 01
Austin College
December 01
Bennington College
December 01
Berry College
November 01
Binghamton University
November 01
Birmingham Southern College
November 15
Boston College
November 01
Bowling Green State University
February 15
Bryant University
November 15
Butler University
December 01
Caldwell University
December 01
California College of the Arts
November 15
California Institute of Technology
November 01
California Lutheran University
November 15
Canisius University
December 01
Carroll College
November 01
Case Western Reserve University
November 01
The Catholic University of America
November 01
Centenary College of Louisiana
December 01
Centenary University
November 01
Centre College
December 01
Chapman University
November 01
Chatham University
November 01
Christopher Newport University
December 01
Clark Atlanta University
November 01
Clark University
November 15
Coe College
December 10
Colby-Sawyer College
December 01
SUNY College–Old Westbury
November 15
College of Idaho
November 15
College of Mount St. Vincent
November 15
College of St. Benedict
November 01
College of the Atlantic
December 01
The College of Wooster
November 30
Colorado College
November 01
Colorado State University
December 01
Converse University
November 01
Cornell College
December 01
Creighton University
November 01
Culinary Institute of America
November 15
Curry College
December 15
DePaul University
November 15
DePauw University
November 01
Dickinson College
December 01
Drew University
December 01
Drexel University
November 01
Drury University
December 15
Earlham College
November 01
Eastern Connecticut State University
November 15
Eckerd College
November 15
Elmira College
November 15
Emerson College
November 01
Emmanuel College
November 01
Emory & Henry College
November 15
Fairfield University
November 01
Felician University
November 15
Ferris State University
June 15
Fisk University
November 01
Fordham University
November 01
Framingham State University
November 15
Furman University
December 01
George Mason University
November 01
George Washington University
November 01
Georgia College & State University
November 01
Georgia Institute of Technology
October 15
Georgia State University
November 15
Georgian Court University
December 01
Gettysburg College
December 01
Goucher College
November 15
Green Mountain College
November 01
Grinnell College
November 15
Guilford College
December 01
Gustavus Adolphus College
November 01
Hamline University
December 01
Hampden-Sydney College
October 15
Hampshire College
December 01
Hanover College
December 01
Harvard University
November 01
Hawaii Pacific University
November 15
Hendrix College
November 15
High Point University
November 15
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
November 15
Hofstra University
November 15
Hollins University
November 15
Hope College
November 01
Howard University
November 01
Illinois College
December 01
Illinois Institute of Technology
November 15
Illinois Wesleyan University
November 15
Indiana University Bloomington
November 01
Iona University
December 15
Ithaca College
December 15
Johnson & Wales University Providence
November 01
Juniata College
December 01
John Carroll University
November 15
Kalamazoo College
November 01
Kean University
January 01
Kettering University
November 15
King’s College
December 01
Knox College
November 01
Massachusetts College of Art and Design
December 01
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
December 01
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
November 01
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
November 01
McDaniel College
November 15
La Salle University
November 15
Lafayette College
March 01
Lake Erie College
November 10
Lake Forest College
November 01
Lasell University
December 15
Lawrence University
November 01
Le Moyne College
November 15
Lesley University
December 01
Lewis & Clark College
November 01
Linfield University
November 01
Loyola Marymount University
November 01
Loyola University Maryland
November 15
Loyola University New Orleans
November 15
Lycoming College
December 01
Lynn University
November 15
Lyon College
November 15
Macalester College
November 01
Manhattanville College
November 17
Marist College
November 15
Marlboro College
January 15
Marquette University
November 15
Maryland Institute College of Art
December 01
Marymount Manhattan College
December 01
Marymount University
November 15
Menlo College
November 15
Mercer University
November 01
Meredith College
December 01
Merrimack College
November 15
Miami University
November 01
Mills College
November 15
Mitchell College
November 15
Molloy University
December 01
Monmouth College
November 15
Monmouth University
December 01
Moravian University
November 15
Morehouse College
January 01
Mount St. Mary’s University
November 01
Muhlenberg College
December 01
Nazareth University
December 01
Neumann University
December 01
New College of Florida
November 01
New Jersey Institute of Technology
November 15
North Carolina State University
November 01
Northeastern University
November 01
Northwest Nazarene University
November 15
Notre Dame of Maryland University
November 01
Nova Southeastern University
November 01
Oglethorpe University
December 01
The Ohio State University
November 01
Ohio University
November 15
Ohio Wesleyan University
December 01
Old Dominion University
December 01
Otis College of Art and Design
December 01
Otterbein University
December 15
Pace University
November 15
Paul Smiths College
November 15
Pepperdine University
November 01
Philadelphia University
November 01
Point Loma Nazarene University
November 15
Presbyterian College
December 01
Princeton University
November 01
Principia College
December 01
Providence College
November 01
Purchase College
November 15
Purdue University-Main Campus
November 01
Queens University of Charlotte
November 15
Quinnipiac University
November 15
Ramapo College of New Jersey
December 15
Randolph College
November 15
Reed College
November 15
Regis College
November 15
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
December 04
Rhode Island College
December 15
Rhodes College
November 15
Rider University
November 15
Rivier University
November 15
Roanoke College
October 15
Roberts Wesleyan College
November 15
Roger Williams University
November 15
Sacred Heart University
December 01
Saint Anselm College
December 01
Saint john’s University
December 15
Saint Michael’s College
November 01
Salisbury University
December 01
Salve Regina University
November 01
Santa Clara University
November 01
Sarah Lawrence College
November 01
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
November 15
Seattle Pacific University
November 01
Seton Hall University
November 15
The University of the South
December 01
Simmons University
November 01
Soka University of America
November 01
University of Maryland, College Park
November 01
University of Maryland: Baltimore County
November 01
University of Massachusetts Amherst
November 05
University of Massachusetts Boston
January 11
University of Massachusetts Lowell
November 05
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth
November 15
University of Miami
November 01
University of Michigan
November 01
University of New England
November 15
University of New Hampshire
November 15
University of North Carolina at Asheville
November 15
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
October 15
Southern Methodist University
November 01
Southern New Hampshire University
November 15
Southwestern University
December 06
Spelman College
November 01
St. Bonaventure University
December 10
St. John’s University
December 15
St. Lawrence University
December 01
St. Mary’s College of Maryland
November 01
St. Olaf College
November 01
Stanford University
November 01
SUNY College at Cortland
November 15
Sterling College
November 15
Stetson University
November 15
Stevens Institute of Technology
November 05
Stonehill College
November 01
Stony Brook University
October 15
Suffolk University
November 15
SUNY University at Buffalo
November 15
Susquehanna University
November 01
Sweet Briar College
February 01
Temple University
November 01
Texas A&M University
October 15
Texas Christian University
November 01
Texas Lutheran University
November 15
The College of Idaho
November 16
The College of Saint Rose
December 01
The New School
November 01
Thiel College
December 15
Transylvania University
October 31
Tulane University
November 15
Union College
November 01
University at Albany
November 15
University of Akron
November 01
University of Bridgeport
November 01
University of Chicago
January 11
University of Cincinnati
December 01
University of Colorado Boulder
November 15
University of Dallas
December 01
University of Dayton
November 01
University of Delaware
November 01
University of Denver
November 01
University of Detroit Mercy
November 01
University of Evansville
November 01
University of Great Falls
December 01
University of Hartford
November 15
University of Illinois at Chicago
November 01
University of Kansas
January 11
University of Kentucky
December 01
University of Maine
December 01
University of Maine at Farmington
December 01
University of Maine at Machias
December 15
University of Mary Washington
November 15
University of New Haven
December 15
University of North Carolina at Wilmington
November 01
University of Notre Dame
January 11
University of Portland
December 01
University of Puget Sound
November 01
University of Redlands
November 15
University of Rhode Island
December 01
University of Saint Joseph
November 01
University of San Francisco
November 10
University of Scranton
November 15
University of Southern California
November 01
University of Southern Maine
December 01
University of St. Thomas
November 01
University of Tampa
November 15
University of Tennessee
November 01
University of the Pacific
November 15
University of Tulsa
November 01
University of Vermont
November 01
University of Virginia
November 01
University of Wisconsin Madison
January 11
Ursinus College
November 07
Utica University
November 15
Villanova University
November 01
Wabash College
December 01
Wagner College
December 01
Wake Forest University
November 15
Wartburg College
December 01
Washington College
December 01
Wells College
December 01
Wentworth Institute of Technology
November 01
Western Michigan University
December 15
Western New England University
November 15
Westminster College
December 01
Westmont College
October 15
Whittier College
November 15
Whitworth University
November 15
Willamette University
November 15
William Paterson University
December 01
Williams College
November 15
Wittenberg University
December 01
Wofford College
November 15
Woodbury University
January 03
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
November 01
Yale University
November 01

Early Action (EA)

Like early decision, you are applying only to your top-choice school. However, unlike early decision, you are not bound to attend if accepted and you can apply early action to more than one university. You can accept an offer as soon as you receive it or wait to make your final selection in the spring after you’ve found out where else you’ve been accepted.

Colleges with Early Decision Option
CollegesEarly Decision Deadline
Babson College
November 01
Bard College
November 01
Barnard College
November 01
Bates College
November 15
Baylor University
November 01
Becker College
November 15
Agnes Scott College
November 01
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
November 01
Alfred University
December 01
American University
November 15
Amherst College
November 01
Assumption University
November 01
Augustana College
November 01
Augustana University
November 01
Austin College
November 01
Bennington College
November 15
Bentley University
November 15
Berry College
November 01
Birmingham Southern College
November 01
Boston University
November 01
Bowdoin College
November 15
Brandeis University
November 01
Brown University
November 01
Bryant University
November 01
Bryn Mawr College
November 15
Bucknell University
November 15
Carleton College
November 15
Carnegie Mellon University
November 01
Case Western Reserve University
November 01
The Catholic University of America
November 01
Centre College
November 15
Champlain College
November 15
Chapman University
November 01
Christopher Newport University
November 15
Claremont McKenna College
November 01
Clark University
November 15
Clarkson University
December 01
Coe College
November 15
Colby College
November 15
Colgate University
November 15
College of the Atlantic
November 15
College of the Holy Cross
November 15
College of William and Mary
November 01
The College of Wooster
November 01
Colorado College
November 01
Columbia College Hollywood
January 04
Columbia University New York
November 01
Connecticut College
November 15
Cooper Union for Advancement of Science and Art
November 01
Cornell College
November 01
Cornell University
November 01
Daemen University
November 01
Dartmouth College
November 01
Davidson College
November 15
Denison University
November 15
DePauw University
November 01
Dickinson College
November 15
Drew University
November 01
Drexel University
November 01
Duke University
November 01
Earlham College
November 01
Emerson College
November 01
Emmanuel College
November 01
Emory & Henry College
November 15
Emory University
November 01
Fairfield University
November 15
Flagler College
November 01
Florida Southern College
November 01
Fordham University
November 01
Franklin & Marshall College
November 15
Furman University
November 15
George Mason University
November 01
George Washington University
November 01
Georgia College & State University
October 15
Gettysburg College
November 15
Grinnell College
November 15
Guilford College
December 01
Gustavus Adolphus College
November 01
Hamilton College
November 15
Hamline University
November 01
Hampden-Sydney College
November 01
Hampshire College
November 15
Hanover College
November 01
Harvey Mudd College
November 15
Haverford College
November 15
High Point University
November 01
Hillsdale College
November 01
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
November 15
Hollins University
November 01
Howard University
November 01
Illinois Institute of Technology
November 01
Iona University
December 01
Ithaca College
November 01
Johns Hopkins University
November 01
Juniata College
November 15
Kalamazoo College
November 01
Kenyon College
November 15
King’s College
December 01
Knox College
November 01
McDaniel College
November 01
Lafayette College
November 15
Lake Forest College
November 01
Lawrence University
November 01
Lebanon Valley College
November 01
Lehigh University
November 01
Lewis & Clark College
November 01
Loyola Marymount University
November 01
Loyola University Maryland
November 15
Lycoming College
November 15
University of Lynchburg
November 15
Macalester College
November 01
Manhattan College
November 15
Marist College
December 01
Marlboro College
November 15
Maryland Institute College of Art
November 15
Marymount Manhattan College
November 01
Meredith College
October 30
Merrimack College
November 15
Miami University
November 15
Middlebury College
November 01
Monmouth University
November 15
Moravian University
November 15
Morehouse College
November 01
Mount Holyoke College
November 15
Muhlenberg College
November 15
Nazareth University
November 15
New York University
November 01
Northeastern University
November 01
Northwestern University
November 01
Nova Southeastern University
November 01
Oberlin College
November 15
Occidental College
November 15
Ohio Wesleyan University
November 15
Pace University
November 01
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
November 15
Pitzer College
November 15
Pomona College
November 05
Providence College
November 15
Queens University of Charlotte
November 15
Quinnipiac University
November 01
Ramapo College of New Jersey
November 01
Reed College
November 15
Regis University
October 01
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
November 01
Rhodes College
November 01
Rice University
November 01
Roanoke College
November 15
Rochester Institute of Technology
November 01
Rollins College
November 15
Sacred Heart University
December 01
Saint Anselm College
December 01
Saint john’s University
November 15
Saint Mary’s College
November 15
Salisbury University
November 15
Salve Regina University
November 01
Santa Clara University
November 01
Sarah Lawrence College
November 01
Scripps College
November 15
The University of the South
November 15
Siena College
December 01
Skidmore College
November 15
Smith College
November 15
University of Miami
November 01
Southern Methodist University
November 01
Southwestern University
November 01
Spelman College
November 01
Springfield College
December 01
St. John Fisher College
December 01
St. John’s College
November 01
St. John’s University
December 15
St. Lawrence University
November 01
St. Mary’s College of Maryland
November 01
St. Olaf College
November 01
Stephens College
December 31
Sterling College
November 15
Stetson University
November 01
Stevens Institute of Technology
November 15
Stonehill College
December 01
Susquehanna University
November 15
Swarthmore College
November 15
Sweet Briar College
January 15
Syracuse University
November 15
Texas Christian University
November 01
The College of New Jersey
November 01
Trinity College
November 15
Tufts University
November 01
Tulane University
November 01
Union College
November 15
University of Central Arkansas
March 27
University of Chicago
November 01
University of Denver
November 01
University of Mary Washington
November 01
University of New Haven
December 01
University of Pennsylvania
November 01
University of Puget Sound
November 01
University of Rochester
November 01
University of San Francisco
November 01
University of Tampa
November 01
University of Vermont
January 15
University of Virginia
November 01
Ursinus College
December 01
Utica University
November 01
Vanderbilt University
November 01
Vassar College
November 15
Villanova University
November 01
Wabash College
November 15
Wake Forest University
November 15
Washington & Jefferson College
December 15
Washington and Lee University
January 11
Washington College
November 15
Washington University in St. Louis
November 01
Wayne State University
December 15
Wellesley College
January 11
Wesleyan University
November 15
Whitman College
November 15
Wilkes University
November 15
Willamette University
November 15
Williams College
November 15
Wittenberg University
November 01
Wofford College
November 01
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
November 01

Regular Admissions

This is the most common option for four-year colleges and universities. All students must submit their applications by a specific date, usually between November and January. The admissions board then reviews all the applications and sends out acceptances and rejection letters on the same date.

Rolling Admissions

Common at large state universities, schools that provide rolling admissions allow students to apply at any time during their admissions period; typically, September through July. The school then evaluates each college application as it’s received and sends acceptance letters to students who meet their requirements. Since admission is granted on a first-come, first-serve basis, you’ll want to submit your application as early as possible.

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