Most college applications — including the Common Application and the Coalition for College — are open now, for those who plan to start college in fall 2023. Here are the Early Action, Early Decision, and Regular Decision application deadlines for 2023 (Class of 2027) for undergraduate admissions at the top US colleges. Additionally, we have also laid out the test-requirement policies of those colleges.
Early Action, Early Decision, and Regular Decision Application Deadlines for 2023 (Class of 2027)
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Early Action vs Early Decision vs Restrictive Early Action – What should you do?
- ED1 (EDI): Applying in ED I round is the most compelling way for applicants to demonstrate their interest in a top-choice school because an ED acceptance is binding. It means that students agree that if they are accepted they will enroll.
- EA: If you’re a strong student and ready to apply early but don’t want the commitment of an ED option – consider applying for the EA round. The EA round is a good choice for applicants who wish to leverage their legacy status in order to have the best chance of admission without the commitment of an ED decision.
- SEA: SCEA students can only apply Regular Decisions to other institutions; they must wait until they get their SCEA decision before applying for EA or EDII elsewhere unless it’s a public university.
- ED2 (EDII): Maybe you have a top-choice school in mind but you’re not quite ready to apply in the ED I round with the November deadline. Maybe you applied for ED or EA to your top-choice school and you were deferred or denied, or you were accepted to your EA school but now you’re not sure if it’s right for you and you want to pursue your ED chances at another institution that offers a later ED II deadline.
Application Tips for EA, EDI, EDII, and REA Rounds
- Apply Restrictive Early Action to your top school or when the restrictions don’t inhibit your ability to take advantage of early admission programs at higher-ranked schools
- Opt for Early Decision I when you are strongly committed to attending your top choice school and have no concerns about affordability
- Apply Early Decision II if you have been denied admission to your top choice school, you’re strongly committed to attending this ED II school as your next best option and have no concerns about affordability
- Take full advantage of Early Action for all the schools on your list
Related Articles:
How to Write Common App Essay Prompts for 2022 – 2023
How to Make a Balanced College List
When Should You Apply for Regular Decision Round?
Regular Decision is the regular application deadline, usually January 1 (or January’s first week). Apply Regular Decision means you are not applying in the early round, and you will receive your admission decision around late March into early April.
The Regular Decision pool tends to be larger as this is the general applicant pool for the upcoming year, and often the admit rate is lower in the Regular Decision round compared to the Early Decision or Early Action round because of the volume of applications being considered.
You should consider applying to the Regular round if
- Your Grades are not up to the mark
- Maybe you need to re-appear for SAT/ACT
- You are not sure about your college preferences
- You are late with the applications