College Regular Decision Deadlines Align with Holiday Season
You’ve gorged on Turkey, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie, cheered through Thanksgiving day football games, and shopped Black Friday /Cyber Monday deals. Now with the days of Advent counting down, Yuletide season is officially upon us – – and while It’s not a traditional holiday pastime, Regular Decision deadlines for college applications make these submissions seasonal as well.
Who is submitting for College Regular Decision deadlines?
The answer is YOU, unless you’ve received an acceptance from Fall Early Decision rounds. Early Decision acceptance is binding and once received your college considerations have morphed from dream to reality. If you remain pending Early decision results, you should still take advantage of College Regular Decision deadlines for alternate schools. This provides a potential back-up plan if not accepted Early Decision. If you haven’t applied to any schools Early Decision or Early Action, then college regular decision deadlines are the default submissions process.
When are Regular Decision Applications due?
Typically, the period from early January through mid-February marks the Regular Decision applications window. Decisions can be expected in the mid-March to early April timeframe. This means that unless Santa left your completed application under the tree, Winter Break time from school is the final runway for completing and submitting according to College Regular Decision deadlines.
Advantage combining Regular Decision and Early Action
Similar to Early Decision, deadlines for Early Action submission fall into early to mid-November range. A critical difference between the two: unlike Early Decision, an Early Action acceptance is non-binding. Earning an Early Decision acceptance gives students the security of knowing they definitively have a spot at school they targeted as a top choice. Bonus! The student remains free to entertain other potential acceptances and weigh additional factors including financial aid and scholarship options.
Advantages for College Regular Decision
Although there are significant advantages to applying Early Decision and/or Early Action, don’t despair if College Regular Decision deadlines remain your only option at this point. Not only does Regular Decision offer a back-up plan in the event Early Decision/Early Action doesn’t deliver, Regular decision acceptance is non-binding. Apply to as many schools as you wish and feel free to accept or reject offers. This contrasts with Early Decision, which is binding and requires applicants to enroll once accepted. Additional Regular Decision advantages include:
- Maximum amount of time for preparing and perfecting all submission materials
- Elongate timelines for completing meaningful extracurricular projects and strengthening academic profiles as well as standardized test scores
- Students have ample time and remain free to fully compare financial aid packages and scholarship opportunities
Rolling Admissions
As if all the above mentioned timeframes and deadlines aren’t enough, another factor to be aware of is the Rolling Admissions process offered by a number of schools. In this timeline, windows generally run from September through Spring, or until all slots in the upcoming enrollment are filled. Of all the submissions deadline options, Rolling Admissions obviously provides the most generous timeframe. At the same time, since acceptance is also on a rolling basis, opportunity can disappear for those submitting Rolling Admissions applications farther out into that calendar. Specific parameters for this type of admissions process may vary somewhat by school. Check guidelines before applying.
Considerations for Your Applications Approach
If you’ve submitted Early Decision and/or Early Action studies indicate you’ve likely given yourself some degree of advantage in the overall process. Understanding all the rules, restrictions, pros and cons of each application option – Early Decision, Early Action, Rolling Admissions, Regular Decision – gives you the power to make the right choice for all the factors affecting your future at college and beyond.
Keep in mind Key Advantages of College Regular Decision Deadlines
- Competitiveness – Swimming in the Regular Decision pool removes some of the highest level of competitiveness more closely associated with the Early Decision/Early Action pools.
- Application Deadlines – Regular Decision provides more time to perfect all the elements and extracurriculars that go into an application
- Decision Deadlines – while waiting farther out until Spring for a Regular Decision results may make for added anxious months, it also allows a cushion of time for submitting more applications and evaluating all potential options
For college-bound seniors, holiday time is also application time. Enjoy all the good tidings of the season, and look forward to a bright New Year with college on the horizon.
