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Application Deadlines
Application Deadlines
We recommend that all college-bound seniors submit 3 applications by November 1st to maximize scholarship and acceptance chances.
For more guidance on which type of deadline to select, review this College Essay Guy blog post
Early Action
Nov. 1 or 15
Not binding, can do at multiple colleges
Better chance of scholarships and admission
Find out decision in Dec/Jan
Not offered by every school
Early Decision
ED 1: Nov 1 or 15
ED 2: Jan 1 or 15
Binding commitment to a school. You must attend if accepted
Can only do ED to one school per round
You are tied to the financial aid offered in ED
Regular Decision
Mid October to Late Winter
Can apply to as many schools regular decision as you want. We recommend between 8 and 10 schools total
Usually you find out your decision in March
Rolling
No firm deadline
Colleges review applications as they are completed.
You can find out acceptances within a few weeks or months.
Apply early because spots fill up continually
Click here for an interactive chart to review how acceptance rate varies by application deadline at various colleges
Parts of your Application
Parts of your Application
Not every college reviews applications the same way. When building your list, keep in mind these three primary review types:
Open Enrollment (Community Colleges): These institutions accept all applicants regardless of high school GPA, offering a direct and affordable path to an Associate Degree or trade certificate.
Minimal/Selective Admission: These colleges primarily admit students based on a minimum GPA threshold. The application is usually brief, focusing almost entirely on your academic stats rather than extra materials.
Holistic Review: This is practiced by highly competitive and mid-selective universities. They look at the whole student, taking into account your GPA, course rigor (IB/AP/Dual Credit), college essays, counselor recommendations, and extracurricular involvement.
What gets considered as part of holistic review?
What gets considered as part of holistic review?
Transcripts (Grades & Curriculum)
Transcripts (Grades & Curriculum)
Transcripts help answer questions like:
Are you ready for college level classes?
Are there positive trends in your grades that might continue when you get to college?
Have you challenged yourself?
Activities
Activities
Your interests outside of class help answer questions like:
Are you going to be a leader on campus?
Have you had significant responsiblities?
Have you demonstrated commitment to the things you care about?
Letters of Recommendation
Letters of Recommendation
Letters from a teacher or counselor answer questions like:
Does what you say about yourself align with what other people say?
What kind of student will you be in the classroom?
Essays
Essays
Your essays can answer questions like:
Who are you as a person? What experiences have shaped you?
How will you contribute to your college community?
What information can you share that's not already in your application?
Are you self-aware?
Can you get creative?
Test Scores
Test Scores
The results of the ACT or SAT can help understand:
In theory: a standardized way to assess academic preparation
In practice: a way to assess how much you studied for a very specific test that doesn't actually capture everything that matters for success in college.
What matters most in my application?
What matters most in my application?
A 2023 NACAC survey of nearly 200 colleges found that the most important factors in admission are:
high school grades
strength of curriculum (how many honors, AP, IB classes you take) are.
Factors of considerable importance are:
positive character attributes
essay/writing samples.
Wondering which "positive character attributes" actually stand out? Check out College Essay Guy's post on College Admission Nutrients. He did a deep dive on 100s of college websites to find what they're looking for in students, and most commonly colleges admitted students who demonstrated:
Intellectual curiosity
Service to others / Community impact
Leadership or initiative
Collaboration
Consistent engagement
Read his blog post for tips on how you can showcase these nutrients in different parts of your application.
Demonstrated Interest or "Students Interest in Attending" is ranked 6th on this list! Above extracurriculars, test scores, and class rank. No idea what demonstrated interest is? Visit that section of our website to learn more about the secret power that can boost your chances of admission.
Read the full NACAC report and study here.
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