College application timeline and countdown

    Typical dates for students starting college in fall 2027: aid forms, early and regular deadlines, decisions and Decision Day.

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

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    Fall 2026 to May 2027Typical national dates
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    1. Common App opens

      New essay prompts and college questions go live. Start your activity list and personal statement.

      MilestoneCommon App

    2. FAFSA and CSS Profile open

      Federal aid form for the next school year opens on or around October 1. File early: some state and college aid is first come, first served.

      Financial aidFAFSACSS ProfileStudent Aid IndexFAFSA on StudentAid.gov

    3. Most Early Decision and Early Action deadlines

      November 1 is the most common early deadline. Early Decision is binding; Early Action is not.

      Application deadlineEarly DecisionEarly ActionRestrictive Early Action

    4. Second wave of early deadlines

      Many colleges use November 15 for Early Action or Early Decision. Check each college.

      Application deadline

    5. Early decisions start arriving

      Most early applicants hear by mid-December: admitted, denied or deferred to the regular round.

      DecisionDeferral

    6. Regular Decision deadlines (first wave) and Early Decision II

      Many selective colleges close Regular Decision on January 1; ED II deadlines also fall here.

      Application deadlineRegular DecisionEarly Decision II

    7. Regular Decision deadlines (second wave)

      January 15 is the other common Regular Decision date. Rolling-admission colleges keep reviewing after this.

      Application deadlineRolling admission

    8. Typical state and college aid priority dates

      Many state grant programs and colleges set aid priority dates between February and early March. Look up your state's date.

      Financial aidPriority deadlineState aid deadlines (StudentAid.gov)

    9. Regular Decision results arrive

      Most regular-round decisions and aid offers arrive from mid-March to early April. Compare award letters line by line.

      DecisionFinancial aid offerNet price

    10. National College Decision Day

      May 1 is the usual deadline to accept an offer and pay a deposit at most four-year colleges.

      DecisionEnrollment depositWaitlist

    What to do, and when

    Tick each task as you finish it. Your ticks are saved in this browser for this application cycle; print it any time.

    Your progress, fall 2026 cycle

    0 of 20 done

    1. Step 1

      Summer before senior year

      0/4

    2. Step 2

      September – October

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    3. Step 3

      November – December

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    4. Step 4

      January – March

      0/4
      • State aid deadlines (StudentAid.gov)

    5. Step 5

      April – May 1

      0/4

    Check a college's own dates

    Each admissions tab has the college's admit rate, test ranges and a link to its official admissions site.

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    Guides that use this tool

    Step-by-step explanations of the figures, written from the same federal data.

    Frequently asked questions

    Short answers about how the numbers work.

    Are these the exact deadlines for my colleges?

    No. They are the most common national dates. Each college sets its own deadlines, and some differ by program or by early round. Confirm every date on the college's admissions website before you rely on it.

    When does the FAFSA open?

    By law the FAFSA for the next school year opens on or around October 1. File as early as you can: some state grants and college aid are limited and awarded first come, first served.

    What is the difference between Early Decision and Early Action?

    Both have early deadlines, usually November 1 or 15. Early Decision is binding: if admitted with enough aid, you must attend. Early Action is not binding, so you can wait until May 1 to decide.

    When should seniors start their college applications?

    Over the summer before senior year: draft the main essay, finalize a balanced list and ask two teachers for recommendations in early fall. That leaves September and October for supplements and the FAFSA before the November early deadlines.

    What happens on May 1?

    May 1 is National College Decision Day, the usual deadline at most four-year colleges to accept an offer of admission and pay an enrollment deposit.

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