When Is The Common App Essay Due

What to focus on each month of your application year to produce high-quality materials ahead of time and boost your odds of getting into your dream schools

Approaching the college application timeline strategically will help your child maximize their odds of getting into their dream school

Introduction to the college application timeline

There's no denying how busy your child's junior and senior years can get. In addition to being two of their toughest academic years, your child will be tasked with maximizing their standardized test scores, continuing to pursue high-impact extracurricular activities, securing recommendation letters, and working on their college applications by writing essay upon essay.

Given their various responsibilities, your child should follow a timeline for what to complete and when. Otherwise, they may have to play catch-up at a later time, which can lead not only to unnecessary stress, but also weaker applications. With all the hard work they've put into setting themselves up for successful college admissions, it's important that your child not fall behind during this critical period.

We developed a recommended college application timeline to help ensure that your child completes all their junior- and senior-year to-dos ahead of time and with little anxiety. Rather than include general advice (e.g., "Put aside time for your applications") or things they have to do as part of their schooling (e.g., "Take your final exams"), our timeline exclusively focuses on when your child should complete various tasks associated with their applications.

Our timeline can be applied flexibly to accommodate your child if they decide to take their standardized tests or begin working on their applications sooner or later than we recommend. If your child is an early bird, they can spread out their work further. On the other hand, if your child is running a bit behind, they'll have to speed up their work. At the end of the day, whether your child begins working on their applications early or late, the key is to always prioritize application quality over speed.

In addition, some of the timeline's bullets may not apply to your child. For instance, if they're not looking to apply to any University of California (UC) schools, feel free to disregard those bullets.

Regardless of the dates we've listed below, we recommend you visit each test company (i.e., ACT or the College Board for the SATs) and university website for up-to-date offerings and application deadlines.

College application timeline (2021–2022)

January–April of your junior year

Meet with your school's college counselor and research college websites to ensure that you're on track to meet all academic and testing requirements for your schools of interest
Prepare for upcoming AP exams in May
Plan ACT or SAT test dates
- (Recommendation: To achieve scores you're happy with by the end of the summer before your senior year)
Develop ideas for your extracurricular capstone project over the summer
- (Recommended reading: Extracurricular Activities for College Admissions: The Ultimate Guide)
- (Recommended reading: The Best Summer Programs for High School Students)
Plan college visits
- (Recommended reading: The Ultimate Guide to College Visits)
- (Recommended reading: How to Show Demonstrated Interest to Colleges)

May of your junior year

Take AP exams
Study for ACT or SAT
Request recommendation letters
- (Recommended reading: How to Get The Best Letters of Recommendation for College (Sample Included))
Finalize extracurricular capstone project details
Finalize college visit details

When is the absolute last date I can take the ACT or SAT and it still be considered on my application?

Schools typically accept standardized test scores from administrations taken up to a month prior their application deadline. For instance, a school with a November 1 early application deadline will accept scores from tests taken through October. However, we strongly recommend that you consult each school's website for specific details on such dates.

COVID-19 Update: Many colleges (including all of the UC schools) have decided to adopt a test-optional policy as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Furthermore, in January 2021, the CollegeBoard announced their decision to eliminate the SAT essay and all SAT subject tests.

(Essential reading: Test-Optional Colleges and Admissions Strategies)

June–August between your junior and senior years

Take final ACT or SAT
Brainstorm, pre-write, and complete 3-4 drafts of your Common App Essay (aka personal statement)
- (Recommended reading: How to Write an Amazing Common App Essay (Examples Included))
- (Recommended reading: The Costco Essay: What Makes It So Good?)
- (Recommended reading: How to Write Amazing Ivy League Essays)
- (Recommended reading: Successful College Essays From Top-25 Universities)
Open all application accounts (e.g., Common App, Coalition App, UC application) and complete demographic information sections
- (Recommended reading: Should I Apply to College as an Undecided Major?)
Open BS/MD application accounts and complete demographic information sections
- (Recommended reading: BS/MD Programs: How to Get In)
Complete your Common App Activities section and modify it for other applications
- (Recommended reading: How to Stand Out on the Common App Activities Section)
Complete Common App Additional Information section (Optional)
- (Recommended reading: How to Use the Common App Additional Information Section)
Complete extracurricular capstone project
Complete college visits
(Note: If you are applying to a UC school and hope to get admitted via the Transfer admission guarantee program [TAG], we advise that you get started on your UC application during this period because it must be submitted by September 30.)

September of your senior year

Seek feedback and finalize Common App Essay
Finalize school list
- (Recommended reading: How to Create Your Perfect College List)
- (Recommended reading: The Best Pre Med Schools in California)
- (Recommended reading: The Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Medical School)
- (Recommended reading: Ivy League Acceptance Rates)
- (Recommended reading: Ivy League Rankings)
- (Recommended reading: The Best UC Schools)
Request that all standardized test scores (e.g., ACT, AP, SAT) be sent to the schools on your list
- (Recommended reading: Every ACT and SAT Question You Have for College Admissions)
Decide whether you'd like to apply to colleges via early action or early decision
- (Recommended reading: Early Action vs. Early Decision: Pros and Cons and What Your Child Should Do)
Complete supplemental essays for early action or early decision schools
- (Recommended reading: The Ultimate Guide to Supplemental College Application Essays (Examples Included))
Check in with recommendation letter writers about the status of their letters

When are college applications due?

College application deadlines are in the fall or winter and vary from school to school. They also vary with regard to early action, early decision, and regular decision. At the end of this guide is a list of application deadlines for a number of well-known colleges and universities.

October of your senior year

Modify your Common App Essay and appropriate supplemental essays to fit UC prompts
Complete UC application essays
- (Recommended reading: (How to Write Great UC Essays (Examples of All Personal Insight Questions Included))
Finalize and submit applications to early action or early decision schools

November of your senior year

Finalize and submit UC application
- (Recommendation: Submit your UC application before Thanksgiving so you can enjoy the holiday stress-free and to avoid any technical difficulties with the application site as the November 30 deadline approaches)
Complete supplemental essays for regular decision schools

December of your senior year

Finalize and submit applications to regular decision schools
Consider early action or early decision school acceptances
- (Note: While early decision acceptances are considered binding, you can request that the admissions committee release you from your obligation to attend there if they do not meet enough of your financial need)

January–March of your senior year

Complete admissions interviews whenever offered
- (Note: Interviews for early action or early decision schools will take place sooner)
- (Recommended reading: 7 Tips for Acing the College Admissions Interview)
- (Recommended reading: What to Wear to a College Interview: The Ultimate Guide)
Search and apply for college scholarships
- (Recommended reading: The Ultimate Guide to Finding and Winning College Scholarships)

March–April of your senior year

Consider regular decision acceptances
Attend second look and admitted student weekends
Submit waitlist letters to schools that placed you on their waitlist
- (Recommended reading: How to Get Off the Waitlist and Into Your Dream College)
Submit appeal letters to schools that rejected you
- (Recommended reading: How to Write an Appeal Letter for College)
- (Recommended reading/listening: How to Successfully Appeal a College Rejection Letter)
Make your final decision about where to attend and submit your deposit by May 1

May of your senior year

Notify your recommenders about the outcomes of your applications and thank them for their support

College application deadlines 2021–2022

Below we've listed dates reflecting 2021–2022 early action, early decision, and regular decision deadlines at various high-ranking institutions.

Early Action deadlines

Caltech early action deadline: November 1
- (Learn: How to Get Into Caltech)
Georgetown early application deadline: November 1
Harvard early application deadline: November 1
- (Learn: How to Get Into Harvard)
MIT early application deadline: November 1
- (Learn: How to Get Into MIT)
Princeton early application deadline: November 1
- (Learn: How to Get Into Princeton)
Stanford early application deadline: November 1
- (Learn: How to Get Into Stanford)
University of Chicago early application deadline: November 1
- (Learn: How to Get Into the University of Chicago)
University of Michigan early application deadline: November 1
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill early application deadline: October 15
University of Notre Dame early application deadline: November 1
University of Virginia early application deadline: November 1
Yale early application deadline: November 1
- (Learn: How to Get Into Yale)

Early Decision deadlines

Amherst early decision deadline: November 1
Boston College early decision deadline: November 11 (ED II deadline: January 1)
Boston University early decision deadline: November 1 (ED II deadline: January 4)
- (Learn: How to Get Into Boston University)
Bowdoin early decision deadline: November 15 (ED II deadline: January 5)
Brown early decision deadline: November 1
- (Learn: How to Get Into Brown)
Columbia early decision deadline: November 1
- (Learn: How to Get Into Columbia)
Cornell early decision deadline: November 1
- (Learn: How to Get Into Cornell)
Dartmouth early decision deadline: November 1
- (Learn: How to Get Into Dartmouth)
Duke early decision deadline: November 1
- (Learn: How to Get Into Duke)
Emory early decision deadline: November 1 (ED II deadline: January 1)
Johns Hopkins early decision deadline: November 1 (ED II Deadline: January 3)
- (Learn: How to Get Into Johns Hopkins)
NYU early decision deadline: November 1 (ED II deadline: January 1)
- (Learn: How to Get Into NYU)
Northwestern early decision deadline: November 1
Pomona early decision deadline: November 15 (ED II deadline: January 8)
Smith early decision deadline: November 15 (ED II deadline: January 1)
Swarthmore early decision deadline: November 15 (ED II deadline: January 4)
Tufts early decision deadline: November 1 (ED II deadline: January 4)
University of Chicago early decision deadline: November 1 (ED II deadline: January 4)
UPenn early decision deadline: November 1
- (Learn: How to Get Into UPenn)
Vanderbilt early decision deadline: November 1 (ED II deadline: January 1)
Wellesley early decision deadline: November 1 (ED II deadline: January 1)
Williams early decision deadline: November 15

Regular Decision deadlines

Amherst regular decision deadline: January 3
Boston College regular decision deadline: January 1
Boston University regular decision deadline: January 4
Bowdoin regular decision deadline: January 5
Brown regular decision deadline: January 5
Caltech regular decision deadline: January 3
Columbia regular decision deadline: January 1
Cornell regular decision deadline: January 2
Dartmouth regular decision deadline: January 3
Duke regular decision deadline: January 4
Emory regular decision deadline: January 1
Georgetown regular decision deadline: January 10
Harvard regular decision deadline: January 1
Johns Hopkins regular decision deadline: January 3
MIT regular decision deadline: January 5
NYU regular decision deadline: January 5
Northwestern regular decision deadline: January 3
Pomona regular decision deadline: January 8
Princeton regular decision deadline: January 1
Smith regular decision deadline: January 15
Stanford regular decision deadline: January 5
Swarthmore regular decision deadline: January 4
Tufts regular decision deadline: January 4
University of Chicago regular decision deadline: January 4
University of Michigan regular decision deadline: February 1
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill regular decision deadline: January 1
University of Notre Dame regular decision deadline: January 1
UPenn regular decision deadline: January 5
USC regular decision deadline: January 15
- (Learn: How to Get Into USC)
University of Virginia regular decision deadline: January 3
Vanderbilt regular decision deadline: January 1
Wellesley regular decision deadline: January 8
Williams regular decision deadline: January 10
Yale regular decision deadline: January 2

UC Application deadlines & dates 2021–2022

UC Application opens: August 1
UC Application submission: November 1–30
UC Application deadline: November 30
- (Learn: How to Get Into UCSD)
- (Learn: How to Get Into UCI)
- (Learn: How to Get into UC Berkeley)
- (Learn: How to Get Into UCLA Undergrad)