APPLICATION DEADLINES AND RELATED TERMS

It is critical that you know the application deadlines for the schools to which you are applying. To apply late usually elicits the same response as not applying at all. Below are some important terms used in the application and admission process by most colleges and universities. It is important that you understand them and the differences between them.

Application Deadline: In the application literature for each college you will find a date by which all application materials are due. In some cases, the date will be a postmark date, and in others it will be a date by which all materials must be received. If this is not specified, you should assume that all materials must be received by the date indicated.

Candidate (or Applicant) Notification Date: This is the date by which you will receive a decision, or the date by which the decisions will be mailed from the school. Notification dates for the more competitive schools are usually in late March and early April. Most colleges will not provide acceptance information by phone. Be patient!

Rolling Admissions: Many schools, especially state universities and smaller private schools, will review your application as soon as all supporting materials have been received. You will usually receive your decision within three to six weeks of the receipt of your application materials by the admission office. When a school has a Rolling Admission policy, there may not be a set application deadline; rather, applications are usually accepted within a certain time period (October through March, for example) as long as there are spaces in the freshman class. At some of the more selective colleges with rolling admissions (for example, public universities in the Midwest), it is advisable that you apply by December of your senior year. At some institutions with rolling admissions, Honors Programs and/or scholarship competitions may have earlier deadlines (the University of Maryland is an example).

Candidate's Reply Date: The date of May 1 has been accepted by most colleges and universities in the United States as the date by which all admitted students must inform the school they are planning on attending of their intention to enroll. A non-refundable deposit is usually due by this date. Submitting your reply or deposit after May 1 will jeopardize your acceptance and place in the freshman class. In addition to notifying the school you will attend of your intentions, you are also obligated to notify all other schools to which you have been accepted of your plans not to attend. Sending a deposit to more than one college is not ethical and will jeopardize your acceptances at each of the schools involved. If a school asks you to reply or submit a non-refundable deposit before May 1, you should speak with your school counselor.

The application process for the U.S. Military Academies begins in the spring of your junior year. The application process for the academies is a two-tiered process: you apply to the academies in which you are interested and at the same time apply for the required nominations from Members of Congress or other officials.