When is most colleges application open for 2019 enrollment for Fall semester at colleges?
My youngest did her applications in August before school started. They were rolling admissions schools. Doing the applications during break gave her time to write her essays. We also did some school visits during that time.
August is about as early as you can start. Get your standardized testing done by end of junior year, finalize your list of where to apply by August, and work on your Common App essay over the summer. You will need teacher recs, so ask in the spring or right when school started in the fall.
For schools with rolling admissions, apply early (by October is good). If a school offers EA (Early Action), try to meet that deadline. Watch for deadlines to be considered for merit scholarships. For schools that don’t go rolling admissions, there is little benefit in a very early application submission.
Send your test scores several weeks before any deadlines if possible. The lead time can be longer than you’d expect.
Some schools will accept an application even earlier than August, but most schools don’t open their books until August. If you are applying to rolling admissions schools that give merit, the earlier you get in the better your chance at merit.
All college websites have information about their application expectations, timelines and deadlines.
The Common App opens August 1.
Sorry to piggyback on this question, but if you want to start sending apps in Aug for EA and rolling admissions schools and you’re planning to take your last SAT in Oct how do you handle that? Thanks