When are the main college application deadlines for 2026-2027?
The deadlines fall into three groups.
- October 15: the earliest public university rounds, including UNC Chapel Hill Early Action and Georgia Tech Early Action 1 for Georgia students. Stanford also uses October 15 for restrictive early action applicants who submit an arts portfolio.
- November 1 to November 15: most early rounds. Many selective private universities use November 1; Duke, UChicago, WashU and Tufts use November 2, as does Georgia Tech for Early Action 2; Amherst uses November 9; and Williams, Bowdoin and many other liberal arts colleges use November 15.
- January: Regular Decision and Early Decision II. The Ivies close Regular Decision between January 1 and January 5, 2027, and other colleges run later in January, such as Georgia Tech on January 6 and UNC on January 15. Michigan uses February 1.
The University of California does not fit any group. It runs a filing period for fall applications from October 1 to November 30, with no early round, and one application covers its campuses.
What are the 2026-2027 deadlines at selective colleges?
| College | Early deadline (plan) | Regular Decision deadline | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard | November 1 (REA) | January 1 | Restrictive: no early applications to other private colleges, with listed exceptions |
| Yale | November 1 (SCEA) | January 2 | Single-choice early action |
| Princeton | November 1 (SCEA) | January 1 | Single-choice early action |
| Columbia | November 1, 2026 (ED) | January 1, 2027 | One binding round |
| Penn | November 1, 2026 (ED) | January 5, 2027 | One binding round |
| Brown | November 1 (ED) | January 5 | One binding round |
| Cornell | November 1 (ED) | January 2 | Other materials due November 13 and January 19 |
| Dartmouth | November 1 (ED) | January 1 | One binding round |
| Stanford | November 1 (REA); October 15 with an arts portfolio | January 5; December 5 with an arts portfolio | Restrictive early action |
| MIT | November 1 (EA) | January 4 | Non-binding; apply once per entry year |
| Duke | November 2 (ED) | January 4 | One binding round |
| Georgetown | November 1 (EA) | January 1 | Early Action applicants may not apply to a binding Early Decision program; deferred applicants may later apply ED II elsewhere |
| UChicago | November 2, 2026 (ED I and EA) | January 4, 2027 | ED II also January 4, 2027 |
| Northwestern | November 1, 2026 (ED) | January 4, 2027 | One binding round |
| Notre Dame | November 1 (REA) | January 4 | Allows Early Action elsewhere; bars binding ED I |
| Vanderbilt | November 1, 2026 (ED I) | January 1, 2027 | ED II also January 1, 2027 |
| WashU | November 2 (ED I and EA) | January 4 | ED II also January 4 |
| Tufts | November 2, 2026 (ED I) | January 4, 2027 | ED II also January 4, 2027 |
| Amherst | November 9, 2026 (ED) | January 5, 2027 | One binding round |
| Williams | November 15 (ED) | January 4 | One binding round |
| Bowdoin | November 15 (ED I) | January 5 | ED II also January 5 |
| University of California | No early round | Filing period October 1 to November 30 | One application for all campuses |
| UNC Chapel Hill | October 15 (EA) | January 15 | Supporting materials due November 7 for EA |
| Georgia Tech | October 15 (EA1, Georgia students); November 2 (EA2) | January 6 | Deadlines are 11:59 pm in the applicant’s time zone |
| Michigan | November 1 (ED and EA) | February 1 | Early Decision for first-year applicants only |
Schools sometimes shift a date by a day or two between cycles, and Duke, UChicago, WashU, Tufts and Georgia Tech (Early Action 2) use November 2 this cycle, so check the official page before submitting. For the Ivies on one page, see our Ivy League deadline calendar; for January binding rounds, see our Early Decision II schools list.
Which early plans limit where else a student can apply?
In the view of Oriel Admissions, the plan type matters as much as the date. Restrictive and single-choice plans at Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Stanford bar early applications to other private colleges, with exceptions each college lists; our restrictive early action guide sets them out. Georgetown‘s Early Action is non-binding, but its applicants may not apply to a binding Early Decision program while the Early Action application is pending; applicants deferred to Regular Decision may later apply ED II elsewhere. Notre Dame’s restrictive plan allows Early Action elsewhere and bars only binding Early Decision I. MIT’s Early Action carries no restriction of its own, although Stanford does not allow its REA applicants to apply to MIT early.
What deadline details catch applicants out?
- Time of day. Many colleges close at 11:59 pm in the applicant’s own time zone: Harvard and Georgia Tech say so on their pages. Check each page, because colleges state the cut-off time in different ways, and some name a specific time zone.
- Supporting materials. The application is due on the deadline, but other materials often follow. Cornell takes other required materials until November 13 and January 19, Harvard lets counselors send materials up to a week late, Caltech accepts materials until November 6, and UNC sets November 7 for Early Action materials.
- Financial aid. Aid deadlines run on their own calendar. Cornell sets November 15 as the domestic priority date for Early Decision, Stanford November 15 as the priority date for REA, and UNC December 1 for Early Action. In our experience, missing one can delay an aid offer or reduce the aid available.
- Senior grades. Fall courses still count after submission. Harvard, for example, asks schools to send midyear reports in mid-February.
In the view of Oriel Admissions, the safest habit is to submit a day early. Portals slow down on deadline nights, and an application does not improve in its final hour.
Frequently Asked Questions About 2026-2027 Application Deadlines
November 1, 2026 at many selective private colleges for Early Decision, Early Action and restrictive early action. Duke, UChicago, WashU and Tufts use November 2, as does Georgia Tech for Early Action 2, Amherst uses November 9, and many liberal arts colleges, including Williams and Bowdoin, use November 15.
Columbia, Dartmouth, Harvard and Princeton close Regular Decision on January 1, Cornell and Yale on January 2, and Brown and Penn on January 5, 2027.
UNC Chapel Hill uses October 15 for Early Action, and Georgia Tech uses it for Early Action 1, which is for Georgia students. Stanford uses October 15 for restrictive early action applicants who submit an arts portfolio.
The UC system uses a filing period rather than a single deadline: applications for fall 2027 are accepted from October 1 to November 30, 2026. There is no early round.
Many colleges close at 11:59 pm in the time zone of the applicant, as Harvard and Georgia Tech state on their pages. Oriel Admissions advises submitting a full day early, because portals slow down on deadline nights.
At some colleges, no. Cornell accepts other required materials until November 13 for Early Decision, Caltech accepts materials until November 6, and Harvard lets counselors send their materials up to a week after the deadline. Check the materials deadline on each page.
Between January 1 and January 15, 2027 at the 20 colleges in our ED II list, with decisions mostly by mid-February. Vanderbilt uses January 1, UChicago, WashU and Tufts January 4, Bowdoin January 5, and Tulane January 15.
Yes. Michigan lists Early Decision and Early Action deadlines of November 1 for first-year applicants, and a Regular Decision deadline of February 1.
Sources: Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Penn, Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Stanford, MIT, Caltech, Duke, Georgetown, UChicago, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Georgetown Early Action program, Stanford decision process, Vanderbilt, WashU, Tufts, Amherst, Williams, Bowdoin, University of California, UNC Chapel Hill, Georgia Tech, Michigan. All read October 26, 2026.
About Oriel Admissions
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