Key dates of the 2026-27 cycle
The 2026-27 cycle runs from 1 August 2026, when the Common App opens, to 1 May 2027, the deadline to accept an offer. Most selective colleges close early applications on 1 or 2 November 2026 and regular ones between 1 and 5 January 2027.
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1 August 2026 | The 2026-27 Common App opens |
| 15 October 2026 | First early deadlines, at some public universities. At Georgia Tech this date is for Georgia students only |
| 1 and 2 November 2026 | Early deadlines at most selective colleges |
| Mid-December 2026 | Early decisions come out |
| 1 to 5 January 2027 | Regular deadlines at most selective colleges, and Early Decision II |
| 1 February 2027 | Michigan's regular deadline, and the regular-round aid deadline at Harvard and Princeton |
| Mid-February 2027 | Early Decision II results at colleges such as Vanderbilt and Emory |
| Mid-March 2027 | MIT's regular decisions |
| Late March 2027 | Regular decisions at Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Vanderbilt |
| Early April 2027 | Stanford's regular decisions |
| 1 May 2027 | Deadline to accept an offer |
Deadlines by college
For fall 2027 entry, most selective colleges close early applications on 1 or 2 November 2026 and regular applications in early January 2027. Michigan's regular deadline is 1 February, and Pomona, Amherst, Williams, Bowdoin and Swarthmore take Early Decision until 8 to 15 November.
| College | Early deadline | Regular deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Harvard | 1 November (REA) | 1 January |
| Yale | 1 November (SCEA) | 2 January |
| Princeton | 1 November (SCEA) | 1 January |
| Stanford | 1 November (REA) | 5 January |
| Brown | 1 November (ED) | 5 January |
| Columbia, Dartmouth and Cornell | 1 November (ED) | 1 or 2 January |
| Duke, UChicago, Tufts and Carnegie Mellon | 2 November (ED) | Early January |
| NYU | 1 November (ED) and 1 January (ED II) | 5 January |
| University of Michigan | 1 November (EA and ED) | 1 February |
| Georgia Tech | 15 October (EA 1, Georgia students only) and 2 November (EA 2, everyone else) | 6 January |
| Pomona | 8 November (ED) | 8 January |
| Amherst | 9 November (ED) | Early January |
| Williams, Bowdoin and Swarthmore | 15 November (ED) | Early January |
1 November 2026 is a Sunday, and some colleges close on Monday 2 November. These dates are for first-year applicants and come from the Common App grid. Check each college's own page, because aid deadlines are often different.
What to do in each phase
Start about two years before you want to enroll: tests and college research the year before your final year, essays and letters over the summer and early fall, early applications on 1 November and your final answer by 1 May 2027.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Two years before you start | Keep your grades up: they all go on your record. Build one or two activities in depth |
| The year before your final year | Take your first SAT or ACT. Start researching colleges |
| The year before your final year, from abroad | Take your English test if English is not your first language |
| The summer before your final year | Write the first draft of your main essay and a first college list |
| August of your final year | Open your Common App account and ask your teachers for letters |
| September and October | Write the supplemental essays. If you need aid, file the CSS Profile, which opens on 1 October |
| 1 November | Send your early applications. At Harvard, the early aid application is due the same day |
| December | Read your early decisions and finish your regular applications |
| January | Send your regular applications |
| March and April | Compare offers and aid packages |
| By 1 May | Accept one offer |
| After you accept, from abroad | Start your I-20 and your visa |
For early plans, take your last SAT or ACT by October. Brown asks for the October test date; Harvard and MIT accept November scores.
If your school year ends at another time
In many countries the final school year ends months after the US deadlines. Colleges read your record up to the point you apply. IB and A-level students send predicted grades, and students with national board exams send them once they have results. Tell your counselor early, because the School Report and any mid-year report come from them.