College Application Deadlines 2026-27: Early, Regular and Rolling

Last updated: November 6, 2026

College application deadlines come in three main rounds. Early decision and early action deadlines for the 2026–27 cycle were mostly November 1 or 2, 2026, and they have now passed. The University of California's only deadline is November 30, 2026, so it is still open. Early Decision II and regular decision deadlines come next: at 24 of the 28 schools below, regular applications are due between January 1 and January 6, 2027. A few close later, including USC on January 10, UNC on January 15 and Michigan on February 1. On the Common App, a deadline means 11:59 p.m. in your own time zone. Below are the official deadlines for 27 colleges and the UC system, taken from each college's admissions site, plus what you can still apply to today.

Every applicant to your top school meets the same deadline. What sets the admits apart was built months earlier. Send me the insider playbook →

When are college applications due?

Almost every deadline at selective colleges falls into one of these windows:

October 15: the earliest early rounds. UNC's early action, Georgia Tech's Early Action 1 for Georgia students, and Stanford's early round for applicants who add an arts portfolio. The College Board notes that some colleges want applications "as soon as October 15."
November 1 or 2: most early decision (ED I), early action (EA) and restrictive early action (REA) deadlines. November 1, 2026 fell on a Sunday, and Duke, UChicago, Georgia Tech, Boston University and Carnegie Mellon set Monday, November 2.
November 30: the University of California, which has one fall filing period from October 1 to November 30.
December 1: special programs and scholarships, such as USC's performing arts majors and merit scholarships, Michigan's School of Music, Theatre & Dance, Carnegie Mellon's Drama and Music schools and some BU merit scholarships.
January 1 to 6: most regular decision (RD) and Early Decision II (ED II) deadlines.
Later in January and February: a few later regular deadlines, such as USC (January 10), UNC (January 15) and Michigan (February 1).

The College Board says regular deadlines are "typically" between January 1 and March 1. Among the top colleges in this guide, they cluster at the very start of that window.

The November deadlines have passed. What is still open?

As of November 6, 2026, every ED I, EA and REA deadline in the table below has closed. That still leaves a lot open:

The UC system: apply by November 30, 2026.
Early Decision II: NYU, Vanderbilt and Northeastern (January 1), Johns Hopkins (January 2, 2027), UChicago and Rice (January 4) and Boston University (January 5). The College Board explains that ED I and ED II "both work the same way," but the second deadline "gives you more time to decide."
Every regular decision round: all 28 schools below.

ED II also helps if an early answer does not go your way. Harvard and Caltech both say that students deferred in their restrictive early round may apply to another college's Early Decision II program.

College application deadlines 2026–27 by college

A dash (—) means the college does not offer that plan. November dates are 2026; January and February dates are 2027.

College	ED I	ED II	EA / REA	RD
Harvard	—	—	Nov 1 (REA)	Jan 1
Yale	—	—	Nov 1 (SCEA)	Jan 2
Princeton	—	—	Nov 1 (SCEA)	Jan 1
Columbia	Nov 1	—	—	Jan 1
Penn	Nov 1	—	—	Jan 5
Brown	Nov 1	—	—	Jan 5
Dartmouth	Nov 1	—	—	Jan 1*
Cornell	Nov 1	—	—	Jan 2
MIT	—	—	Nov 1 (EA)	Jan 4
Stanford	—	—	Nov 1 (REA)†	Jan 5†
Duke	Nov 2	—	—	Jan 4
UChicago	Nov 2	Jan 4	Nov 2 (EA)	Jan 4
Northwestern	Nov 1	—	—	Jan 4
Johns Hopkins	Nov 1	Jan 2	—	Jan 2
Rice	Nov 1	Jan 4	—	Jan 4
Vanderbilt	Nov 1	Jan 1	—	Jan 1
Georgetown	—	—	Nov 1 (EA)	Jan 1
NYU	Nov 1	Jan 1	—	Jan 5
USC	Nov 1	—	Nov 1 (EA)	Jan 10‡
Northeastern	Nov 1	Jan 1	Nov 1 (EA)	Jan 1
Michigan	Nov 1	—	Nov 1 (EA)	Feb 1
UVA	Nov 1	—	Nov 1 (EA)	Jan 5
UNC	—	—	Oct 15 (EA)	Jan 15
Georgia Tech	—	—	Oct 15 (EA1, Georgia students); Nov 2 (EA2)	Jan 6
Boston University	Nov 2	Jan 5	—	Jan 5
University of California	—	—	—	Nov 30
Caltech	—	—	Nov 1 (REA)	Jan 4
Carnegie Mellon	Nov 2	—	—	Jan 4

* Dartmouth's timeline and glossary say January 1 at 11:59 p.m. your local time. One summary line on the same page says January 2. Submit by January 1. † Stanford's deadlines are October 15 (REA) and December 5 (RD) if you add an optional arts portfolio. ‡ USC's performing arts majors have one deadline, December 1.

Yale and Princeton call their plan single-choice early action (SCEA). It is nonbinding but limits where else you apply early. For the rules of each plan, see early decision vs early action.

Early Decision II gives you a second binding round, and two more months to make your file stronger. Show me what to add before ED II →

Regular decision deadline

The regular decision deadline is the main deadline for nonbinding applications. In the table, 7 of the 28 schools set January 1, and 24 of 28 fall between January 1 and January 6. The exceptions are USC (January 10), UNC (January 15), Michigan (February 1) and the UC system, which closed its only round on November 30.

Regular decision can also show more of your record. UVA says it lets colleges consider "grades from the first term of their senior year." If your work got stronger after junior year, this round lets it show. Michigan's February 1 deadline is the latest in the table; see the University of Michigan acceptance rate. USC's January 10 deadline is the latest among the private colleges; see the USC acceptance rate.

Early decision deadline

For 2026–27, ED I deadlines were November 1 at most colleges and November 2 at Duke, UChicago, Boston University and Carnegie Mellon. Those rounds are closed. Seven schools in this guide offer ED II, and every one of them closes between January 1 and January 5, 2027.

ED II is binding, just like ED I. Choose it only for a true first choice. NYU, for example, releases ED II decisions on February 15; see the NYU acceptance rate. If you are waiting on an early answer, our guide to college decision dates lists when each one arrives.

What time is the deadline? Time zones and late materials

The Common App's rule is simple: "you must submit your application materials by 11:59 pm in your local time zone, not the college's time zone or any other time zone." Common App also records every submission in Eastern Time, so your timestamp can look late even when it is on time.

Many colleges state the same rule in their own words:

Brown: "11:59 p.m. applicant's local time."
Harvard: "11:59pm (your local time)."
Georgia Tech: "All deadlines are 11:59 p.m. in your time zone."

The deadline is for your part. Your school's documents can often come a little later:

Harvard: counselors "may submit supporting materials up to one week later if necessary."
Columbia: accepts school documents after the deadline "without the need for counselors or teachers to request an extension."
MIT: recommendation letters that arrive late "are still accepted."
Cornell: the application is due January 2, and all other required materials by January 19.

At 24 of 28 top schools, regular deadlines fall in the same six days. Your file lands on a crowded desk. Make mine stand out →

Test and financial aid deadlines

Your application deadline is not your only date. Check two more:

Tests. MIT requires regular applicants to take the SAT or ACT before December 31. Caltech says testing must be "completed before December 31, 2026." Harvard accepts December SAT or February ACT scores for regular decision, but recommends the November series or earlier.

Financial aid. The 2027–28 FAFSA has been live since September 23, 2026. The College Board's CSS Profile opens October 1 each year, and the version for fall 2027 is open now. Colleges set their own aid deadlines:

Boston University: January 5 for regular applicants.
Johns Hopkins: January 15, 2027 for ED II and regular decision.
MIT, Columbia and Northeastern: February 15 for regular applicants.
Michigan: a suggested filing date of December 15 and a deadline of March 1.
California's Cal Grant: March 2, 2027.

Rolling admission

Under rolling admission, a college reviews applications as they arrive and sends decisions on a continuing basis. There is often no single deadline, so apply early in the window and check each college's final date. None of the 28 schools in the table uses rolling admission for first-year fall entry. Each sets fixed deadlines. Rolling colleges can still fit an early strategy: Princeton's single-choice early action allows you to apply early to "any college or university with a nonbinding rolling admission process."

Optional supplements: show your research

Some colleges let you send work you did on your own. MIT offers SlideRoom portfolios for "researchers, performing artists, visual artists, and makers," due by your round's deadline. Yale accepts supplementary material that showcases "STEM research." The strongest supplement is finished work you can explain from start to finish.

MIT and Yale will read your research if you send it. Make sure it is worth reading. Send me the mentors' research-supplement checklist →

A 12th-grade application timeline from today

Now to November 30: check every portal for missing documents and finish the UC application if you apply there. The College Board suggests you "complete at least 1 college application by Thanksgiving."
December 1: scholarship and arts deadlines at schools such as USC, Michigan, Carnegie Mellon and Boston University.
December: last test dates for regular decision, and most early decisions.
January 1 to 6: most regular and ED II deadlines. Finish your Common App essay and your activities list well before then.
January and February: mid-year reports and financial aid forms. If you were deferred, see what deferred means.
March and April: regular decisions arrive.
May 1: reply to the college you choose.

Frequently asked questions

What month is too late to apply for college?

For most top colleges, after the first week of January. At 24 of the 28 schools in this guide, the last deadline falls between January 1 and January 6. USC, UNC and Michigan close later, and rolling colleges can stay open longer.

When should a 12th grader apply for college?

Early rounds close in October or November of senior year, and regular rounds mostly in early January. The College Board advises seniors to complete at least one application by Thanksgiving.

What is the deadline for most college applications?

For early decision and early action, November 1. For regular decision at top colleges, early January: January 1 at 7 of the 28 schools here, and between January 1 and 6 at 24 of them.

Which universities are still open for applications?

As of November 6, 2026, all 28 schools in this guide are still open for regular decision, including the UC system until November 30. Seven also have ED II rounds that close in early January.

When is the Common App deadline?

There is no single Common App deadline. Each college sets its own, and the Common App applies it at 11:59 p.m. in your local time zone. You can apply to up to 20 colleges through the Common App.

When is the UC application deadline?

November 30, 2026, for fall 2027. The filing period opened October 1.

What if I miss a deadline?

Contact the admissions office right away. Columbia invites students affected by "natural disasters, community or personal disturbances or other extenuating circumstances" to email if their application will be late. UChicago says it is "as flexible as possible" when a delay is outside your control.

Sources

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