College application deadlines are set by each college, and the Common App holds you to the date the college posts. For fall 2027 entry, the earliest deadline among the ten colleges below is October 15, 2026, and the latest is July 1, 2027. In between sit early decision, early action, regular decision, rolling and priority dates.
Here are those colleges’ fall 2027 dates, read on each college’s own admissions page on October 9, 2026.
| Date | College | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| October 15, 2026 | UNC Chapel Hill | Early Action |
| October 15, 2026 | Georgia Tech | Early Action 1 (Georgia students) |
| November 1, 2026 | Arizona State | Priority admission date |
| November 1, 2026 | Cornell | Early Decision |
| November 1, 2026 | Harvard | Restrictive Early Action |
| November 1, 2026 | MIT | Early Action |
| November 1, 2026 | Vanderbilt | Early Decision I |
| November 2, 2026 | Georgia Tech | Early Action 2 (non-Georgia students) |
| November 2, 2026 | Iowa | Early Action |
| November 2, 2026 | Tufts | Early Decision I |
| December 1, 2026 | Missouri | Priority date for scholarship consideration |
| January 1, 2027 | Harvard | Regular Decision |
| January 1, 2027 | Vanderbilt | Early Decision II and Regular Decision |
| January 2, 2027 | Cornell | Regular Decision |
| January 4, 2027 | MIT | Regular Action |
| January 4, 2027 | Tufts | Early Decision II and Regular Decision |
| January 6, 2027 | Georgia Tech | Regular Decision |
| January 15, 2027 | Arizona State | Regular admission date |
| January 15, 2027 | UNC Chapel Hill | Regular Decision |
| February 1, 2027 | Iowa | Regular admission deadline |
| July 1, 2027 | Missouri | Application deadline (rolling decisions) |
Georgia Tech, UNC, Vanderbilt, Tufts and Arizona State print the cycle or the year. MIT, Harvard, Cornell, Missouri and Iowa print only the day and month; the years above are those of the cycle now open.
Who Sets College Application Deadlines
The Common App sends your application, and each college supplies the date. Common App’s help center says you must submit “by 11:59 pm on the deadline date posted for the college.” For the dates themselves, its page for first-year students sends you to each college’s information page, where you find “the requirements for testing, writing, deadlines, and more.”
Some colleges also run their own application. MIT takes first-year applications through the MIT application portal. The University of California runs its own UC application, and its fall 2027 filing period closes November 30, 2026.
Early Deadlines for Fall 2027: October 15 to November 2
Early action is an early plan that does not bind you. Georgia Tech states it directly: “An Early Action application to Georgia Tech is non-binding.” It also splits the plan by residency: Early Action 1, due October 15, 2026, is for Georgia students, and Early Action 2, due November 2, is for non-Georgia students.
UNC Chapel Hill also closes early action on October 15. Its early action decisions come by one of two dates: December 20 for North Carolina residents, February 15 for everyone else. MIT’s early action is due November 1, with decisions in mid-December. Iowa sets its early action deadline on November 2.
Early decision is the binding one. Cornell puts it plainly: “Early Decision (ED) is a binding application plan.” What that commitment means is the subject of early action and early decision.
Cornell’s ED deadline is November 1, the same date as Early Decision I at Vanderbilt. Tufts sets its Early Decision I deadline one day later, on November 2, 2026. Because the same plan name can carry different dates, take each date from that college’s own page.
Harvard runs a third kind of early plan, Restrictive Early Action. Its page calls it “a non-binding early program,” and the restriction applies to where else you may apply early. Harvard’s early applications are due November 1, with notification by mid-December.
Regular Decision Deadlines: January 1 to February 1
Regular decision is the later, non-binding round. Cornell describes it as “a non-binding decision plan, meaning you can apply to Cornell along with other universities.” Among these ten colleges, regular deadlines run from January 1, 2027 at Harvard and Vanderbilt to February 1 at Iowa.
In between, Cornell’s falls on January 2. MIT’s Regular Action and Tufts’ Regular Decision are both due January 4. Georgia Tech follows on January 6, which its page calls “the last date to apply for first-year admission.” UNC Chapel Hill’s regular deadline is January 15.
Vanderbilt and Tufts also run Early Decision II, a second binding round. Both set the ED II deadline on the same day as Regular Decision: January 1, 2027 at Vanderbilt and January 4, 2027 at Tufts. Vanderbilt’s page says “Early Decision I and II are binding decision plans.”
Rolling, Priority and Late College Application Deadlines
Under rolling admission, decisions go out over months instead of on one release date. Missouri opens its application on August 1 and releases decisions from October 1, “rolling thereafter.” Its page lists July 1 as the application deadline, the latest final date among these ten colleges.
A late final deadline does not keep every door open that long. Missouri sets December 1 as the date to apply for priority scholarship consideration. Iowa also decides on a rolling basis starting in August, yet it keeps a February 1 regular deadline. Iowa says applicants after February 1 “are not eligible for merit scholarships, and will only be admitted on a case-by-case, space-available basis.”
A priority date is an earlier target inside a longer window. Arizona State calls November 1 its priority admission date and January 15, 2027 its regular admission date. Applying by the priority date, its page says, ensures “you’re considered for the maximum amount of scholarship opportunities.”
The Deadlines Behind Each Application Date
Several of these colleges set other dates around the application deadline. Cornell wants the application and the fee or fee waiver by November 1 for ED or January 2 for RD. “All other required materials” follow by November 13 or January 19. Georgia Tech sets a document deadline for each round: October 30, November 16 and January 22.
UNC Chapel Hill wants supporting materials and test scores by November 7 for early action and February 21 for regular decision. Harvard lets high school counselors submit supporting materials up to one week after the deadline. MIT says you do not have to wait for your recommenders before you submit your application.
Scholarship and financial aid dates have their own calendar, and some fall before the application deadline. Vanderbilt’s merit scholarship applications are due December 1, 2026, a month before its January 1 Regular Decision deadline. Georgia Tech considers applicants for its merit scholarships only through an early action plan. MIT’s financial aid applications run on their own dates: November 30 for early action and February 15 for regular action.
Building Your Own Deadline Calendar
The plan comes before the date. A binding early decision application commits you if you are admitted, and Harvard’s restrictive plan limits your other early applications. At Missouri, Iowa and Arizona State, applying earlier keeps scholarship consideration open. Decide the plan for each college first, then write down that college’s dates for the application, the documents and the money.
In this group, the earliest date is October 15, at UNC Chapel Hill and for Georgia students at Georgia Tech. ExceptionalGrad’s college application advising includes a Detailed Application Review, which its page says makes sure “all sections of the application including essays and experiences are fully prepared for submission.” We edit and advise, and we never write your application.
If your first deadline is weeks away, a free consultation is the place to start this application cycle.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are college application deadlines for fall 2027?
It depends on the college and the plan. Among the ten colleges above, early deadlines run from October 15 to November 2, 2026, and regular ones from January 1 to February 1, 2027. The UC application has its own date, November 30, 2026. Confirm each date on the college’s own page before you submit.
What are the different college application deadlines?
The colleges above use six kinds: early decision and early decision II (both binding), early action and restrictive early action (both non-binding), regular decision, and rolling admission. Some public universities add a priority date inside a longer window, as Arizona State does with November 1. One college can offer several of these.
When should applications for college be submitted?
By the college’s deadline for your plan, and sooner at schools with rolling decisions or priority dates. Arizona State says the earlier you apply, the earlier you get a decision and the more likely you are to secure the most financial aid possible. Common App advises submitting well before 11:59 pm on deadline day.
Are college application deadlines at midnight?
Almost. On the Common App, you must submit by 11:59 pm on the college’s deadline date, in your own time zone rather than the college’s. Harvard and Georgia Tech state the same 11:59 pm local cutoff. Colleges with their own application can set their own rule: UC’s dates page lists November 30 without a time.