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Colleges with Late Application Deadlines
By
Gabriel Jimenez-Ekman
Gabriel Jimenez-Ekman is a content editor and writer at Scholarships360. He has managed communications and written content for a diverse array of organizations, including a farmer’s market, a concert venue, a student farm, an environmental NGO, and a PR agency. Gabriel graduated from Kenyon College with a degree in sociology.
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Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.
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The college application process can come with many surprises, and most people are only figuring it out as they go along. This is why colleges with late application deadlines can be so useful. You might find that your college preferences change after the major deadline has already passed. Or, you might realize that you need to apply to more safety schools, or need to find a school closer to home. Either way, you’ll want to keep track of colleges with late application deadlines.
In this article, we’ll go over some basic information about what college deadlines mean and how they impact you. We’ll also provide some resources for students who might be scrambling to ensure that they find a good college fit. If you’d rather skip straight to the list of colleges with late application deadlines, you can click here.
Also see: An insider’s view of what happens inside a college admissions office
When are most college deadlines?
College deadlines tend to have some variation, but the majority of Regular Decision deadlines are between January 1 and January 15 of the school year that the application is for. So, most students have completed their applications by January 1 of their senior year of high school. Many schools also have Early Action or Early Decision deadlines, which are typically in November. These provide options for students to hear back from their school early, and potentially receive an advantage in admissions chances.
Most students start their application long in advance of these deadlines. Between the essays you’ll have to write, the letters of recommendation you’ll have to solicit, and the test scores and transcripts you’ll have to send, college applications are a lengthy and complicated process. So, if you didn’t start your applications far in advance of these deadlines, there’s a good chance you might want to consider colleges with late application deadlines.
Don’t miss: 10 tips for successful college applications
Reasons to investigate colleges with late application deadlines
There are many reasons why a student might want to investigate some colleges with late application deadlines. Here are a few possible scenarios where late application deadlines would come in handy:
- You have a change of heart in your college preferences after the deadline has closed. These late deadlines allow you to apply to a school that is more in line with your preferences, even after the main deadlines have passed.
- Your financial situation changes, and you want to apply to some schools with more generous financial aid
- You are rejected from every college you applied to
- You started assembling your application materials late and were unable to put the amount of effort you’d like into your initial round of applications.
Related:Â Missed a college deadline? Here are your options
Resources for students looking for more college options
If you’re looking for late college deadlines, there’s a good chance your application process hasn’t gone exactly as you planned it to. Don’t fret – there are many students in your situation, and you have a lot of options still. In addition to these schools with late deadlines, you can investigate a few different routes to take. One of these is to start at a community college this year and transfer into a four-year school. This gives you an affordable start to your education that can keep you on track to graduate within four years.
Another option is to explore other college alternatives. Options such as bootcamps, apprenticeships, and certificate programs offer similar earning potential to a four-year degree for a fraction of the time and cost. While there is no perfect substitute for a four-year college education, it’s good to remember that there are other ways to earn the qualifications for a living wage. Coding bootcamps typically do not require any college education and can provide you a certificate with little to no up-front cost.
Top 20 list of colleges with late application deadlines
In this list, we’ll post some examples of colleges that have application deadlines from February to August.  As always, it’s a good idea to double-check this information before you start your application. Always look on the college website for the most up-to-date information. All of the colleges on the list are from the Scholarships360 list of top colleges. Our methodology for choosing “top colleges” focuses on the most important student outcomes, which are graduate income, student debt, and completion rates.
February deadlines
- Brigham Young University-Hawaii
- City University of New York: Baruch College
- Dickinson College
- Stevens Institute of Technology
- University of Maryland-Baltimore County
- University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
- University of Portland
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Virginia Military Institute
- Worcester Polytechnic Institute
March deadlines
- Colorado School of Mines
- New Jersey Institute of Technology
- Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
- United States Merchant Marine Academy
- University of South Florida
April deadlines
May deadlines
June deadlines
July deadlines
August deadlines
Frequently asked questions about colleges with late deadlines
How late is too late to submit college applications?
Why do some colleges have late deadlines?
Can students still apply for financial aid when applying to colleges with late application deadlines?
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