When Are College Applications Due For Fall 2021

When Should You Take The Sat Or Act

Students almost always improve their scores when they retake the SAT or ACT. Taking the official test is a valuable experience that you can learn from. Plus, you can study your score report and prep to improve the next time you take the ACT or SAT. To give yourself opportunities to retake the SAT or ACT, you want to take it for the first time long before your college deadline.

If you’re applying regular decision, you might take the SAT or ACT for the first time in the fall of junior year and again in the spring. Since it takes about three weeks for scores to be released, you might have a few more opportunities to take the exams in the beginning of 12th grade, like in August, September, November .

If you’re applying early admissions, then August, September, or October of your senior year would be your last chance to take the SAT or ACT. It’d be pretty nerve-wracking to put so much pressure on these last minute test dates. Ideally, you’d have your scores all set by the end of junior year. You could even push the schedule mentioned above up, so that you take your first test in the spring of sophomore year.

By knowing your deadlines, you can plan out your testing dates and study schedule to ensure you’ve achieved your SAT or ACT target scores in time to apply. The same goes for your recommendation letters.

How Much Financial Aid Does The School Typically Offer

You should also consider a school’s average or projected financial aid package before applying early action or early decision. Though early admission schools do their best to provide a package best suited to your family’s financial situation, some have larger endowments and can therefore offer more competitive packages.

Remember, too, that you don’t get to compare aid packages when you apply early decision, so confirm ahead of time that the school should be able to offer you sufficient aid.

Rolling Admission College Application Deadlines

Need more time to work on your college application? With rolling admissions, you have the opportunity to apply to schools over a larger window. Colleges review applications on a rolling basis and students can typically expect to hear back within four to six weeks.

While flexibility is one of the advantages of rolling admissions, its a mistake to assume schools with rolling admissions have a less stringent application process. If anything, try to apply as soon as the admissions window opens for higher odds of acceptance. Plus, the sooner you apply, the sooner youll hear back!

Who should apply: Rolling admissions are a great choice for those who dont want to be pressed by strict college application deadlines, or for applicants with more flexibility with the timing around enrolling in college. If you want to take the SATs again or need to build your work experience to bolster your chances, rolling admissions may be the right option for you.

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You May Have A Higher Chance Of Getting Accepted

Research from the National Association for College Admission Counseling found that applying early decision can raise your chances of getting accepted. This is because the college knows for certain you will attend if admitted, thereby increasing the school’s yield, or the percentage of admitted applicants who agree to enroll.

Some schools, like Dartmouth College, have admitted to letting in higher percentages of early decision applicants than regular decision applicants. But other institutions, such as Brown University, claim to use the same admissions criteria for all applicants, regardless of when they apply.

Important Info Before You Apply

• The application processing fee is $95.00 .
• An application allows you up to 5 program choices .
• All program choices must start within the same academic year .
• There may be additional fees to request transcripts.
• Your username is permanent.
• Your password must be between 8 and 14 characters in length.
• Use a valid email address.
• DO NOT create more than one account.
• The application works best in certain web browsers.

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What You Need To Apply To College

Depending on the number of schools youre applying to, between researching colleges, compiling materials, and everything in between, the entire college application process can take at least 100 hours to complete!

To make sure all those hours of hard work pay off and that you have everything ready by the college application deadlines, heres a guide to everything youll need for your applications:

All Other Applicants To Full

We encourage you to submit your application and the appropriate application fee, and submit your supporting documents well in advance of posted deadlines as spaces can fill up quickly and programs may close before the application deadlines listed below. If we receive your application from OUAC after the program is closed, your application will be cancelled with no refund.

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What Early Admission Plans Do Your Target Schools Offer

Sometimes you don’t get much of a decision in terms of whether to apply early action or early decision. Most colleges and universities offer just one of the two. Some schools, however, including Northeastern University and the University of Virginia, offer both early action and early decision plans.

What Is Early Action

A nonbinding option, early action allows students to apply and potentially gain admission to one or more schools much earlier than regular applicants. As an early action applicant, you usually have until early or mid-November to submit your application materials, including your transcripts, letters of recommendation, and personal statement.

Early action schools normally send out decisions in December, January, or February and give admitted students until May 1 the national response date to formally reply to their offers. This also gives students time to compare financial aid offers from schools.

Nonbinding early action is the norm, enabling you to apply to multiple colleges. But some competitive institutions, including Ivy League schools like Harvard and Princeton, offer restrictive early action. This means you must pursue early action with only one school but may apply under regular decision at other universities.

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Merit Tuition Scholarship Deadlines

You may also qualify for a merit-based tuition scholarship based on your academic performance. Each scholarship has its own eligibility requirements and deadlines.

To qualify for scholarship consideration, you must submit your complete application for admission by May 2, 2022.

Take The Next Steps To Complete Your Application

1. Is your program choice and personal information correct on your slc.me account?

Make any necessary changes at ontariocolleges.ca

2. Is your application complete?

Make sure we have everything we need to assess your application. Check ontariocollege.ca for details about transcripts.

The following programs also have non-academic requirements. Visit the program page for details.

Bachelor of Science – Nursing : full disclosure of previous post-secondary education

Graphic Design : portfolio assignment

Music and Digital Media : Royal Conservatory Music Intermediate Rudiments Level 6, performance recording, and musical background

Music Theatre – Performance : performance audition

3. Mark these important dates on your calendar for Fall 2021:

4. After you receive an offer, go to ontariocolleges.ca to accept your place in the program. Don’t delay!

Get connected and stay informed. Email is our primary method of communication. When we received your application, we sent you an email with your login username and password for slc.me.

*Highly Competitive Programs for Fall 2021

2. Is your application complete?

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Keeping Track Of College Application Deadlines

You might get lucky and find that all your deadlines are January 1. Or you might have a mix of dates, with a restrictive November deadline, some January ones, and a few that are rolling. It’s critical to keep everything recorded and organized, and not just so you get everything in on time. Your deadlines help determine other steps in the college app process, like when you should ask for recommendation letters and what dates you can take the SAT or ACT.

A lot of schools use a helpful online system called Naviance to keep track of your deadlines and requirements. Your Common Application will also show your college deadlines and most of the steps you’ve completed so far.

Considering all the accounts you’ll createNaviance, Common Application, College Boardmake sure to write down all your usernames and passwords and keep them in a safe place. You definitely don’t want to deal with the frustration of having to change passwords each time you log in or get locked out of your account the night of the deadline! All the organization that applying to college requires will help you develop and maintain good habits throughout senior year and into college.

If you prefer to have a hard copy or to reinforce the deadlines by writing them down, you could also create your own list of colleges and deadlines, along with a checklist of what you need to do. Here’s what this would look like in its most basic form:

Who Should Apply Early

Applying to an ED or EA plan is most appropriate for a student who:

• Has researched colleges extensively
• Is absolutely sure that the college she is applying to early is the first choice
• Has found a school that is a strong match academically, socially, geographically, and so forth
• Meets or exceeds the admission profile for the school for SAT scores, GPA, and class rank
• Has an academic record that has been consistently solid over time

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What Is Rolling Admissions

If your school has rolling admissions, then it gives you a window of time in which to submit your application. This period of time typically ranges from the fall to the spring. For example, there’s no specific rolling admissions deadline for Penn State no specific Penn State. Penn State makes its application available on September 1 and reviews submissions on a rolling basis.

Some schools claim to have rolling admissions , but also have a priority deadline in November or December. Penn State’s priority deadline is November 30. If you’re really excited about a school, then you should try your best to meet the priority deadline. Effectively, this turns your RA school into one with a deadline. But at least its rolling policy gives you a safety net in case something comes up and you miss the priority filing date.

Even if your school doesn’t have a priority deadline, it’s a good idea to set one for yourself and get your application in early. RA is done on a first come, first served basis. There’s always the possibility that spots could fill up, or get more competitive as there’s less and less space for new students.

RA, unlike ED and some EA programs, is not restrictive. You can still apply anywhere else you want. Some schools with rolling admissions include Penn State University, University of Pittsburgh, Indiana University, Michigan State, University of Maine, University of New Haven, University of Alabama, and the University of Tulsa.

Open Date For The Coalition Application

The Coalition App is similar to the Common App. It was developed and rolled out about five years ago. There are 140+ colleges that participate in the Coalition Application, many of which also participate in the Common App. My advice to you is, if a college you want to apply to is on the Common App and the Coalition Application, use the Common Application. It is just easier to use. The Coalition Application continues to make updates for easier use, but the Common App is just more straightforward at this time. There are some schools that use the Coalition exclusively or just use the Coalition and their own Proprietary Application . When does it become available? The Coalition Application is open to you starting in ninth grade! Again, just like the Common App, we begin to work with our students on completing the general part of their Coalition Application May end of July prior to their senior year.

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Early Decision Deadlines Of Popular Schools

So far, all these application options involve specific set deadlines. You have to get your application, test scores, and everything else in on time. Late materials could hurt or eliminate altogether your chances of getting accepted.

There’s one other option in the world of college admissions that’s a bit more flexible: rolling admissions. Schools with rolling admissions open up a range of time for apps to “roll in”and notifications tend to be spaced out over a few months, too.

The 4 Trends In 2021 College Admissions You Need To Know

A lot has changed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and college admissions are no exception. If you feel uncertain about what to expect from college admissions this year, youre not alone.

This article will help clear up the confusion! Weve brought together the latest college admissions news in one easy place to bring you up to speed on the most important changes to college admissions 2021. In this article, were going to cover two main things:

• The top four trends in college admissions 2021
• The three main things you need to be prepared for in the college admissions process as the COVID-19 pandemic slows down

Now, lets get started!

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Tip : Sign Up For Mailing Lists

The best way to get up-to-the-minute info on what’s happening regarding applications and admissions at the schools you’re considering is to sign up for university email lists.

Schools will send frequent updates about application requirements and submission, dates for offers of admission, and prospective student events. Reading these updates can help you stay on top of what’s expected of you as an applicant or admitted student, and you’ll know if there are changes that affect you as soon as they’re announced.

Do You Have A Clear Top

If you’re committed to attending your dream college and it offers an early decision plan, then you’ll likely benefit from applying early decision. If, however, you have multiple top-choice schools and you’d be happy to attend one of several colleges on your list, applying early action or regular decision would arguably be the better choice.

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Everything You Need To Know About College Application Deadlines

Youve spent days shortlisting your favorite colleges, picking a major, and planning for federal aid. Dont let all that effort go up in smoke by missing your college application deadlines!

To make sure you dont blow your chance at your dream school, its crucial to keep track of college application dates and set a schedule for compiling your application materials on time. That all sounds good but where do you start?

This step-by-step guide will help you to not only meet deadlines like a pro but also know what to do if you miss one .

When To Apply For College In The Fall

Applying to college entails a considerable amount of planning. While you can start some parts at the beginning of your senior year of high school, it’s recommended that you request recommendation letters and take the SAT or ACT your junior year. This tip is especially important for those planning to apply for an early admission decision.

Early action and early decision are ideal options for students who are prepared to apply early their senior year. Often resulting in an admission decision by mid-December, these options give students plenty of time to relax and enjoy their final semester of high school. Additionally, students who apply early to college may enjoy higher acceptance rates than regular decision applicants.

To meet an early deadline, you should begin the application process the summer before your senior year, focusing your efforts on writing your essay, gathering letters of recommendation, and taking the SAT/ACT.

Though early admission is growing in popularity, most students opt for the regular decision window. For students who need additional time to compare schools, perfect their essays, or retake the SAT/ACT, regular decision may be your best option. Be sure to request letters of recommendation by September of your senior year, as teachers tend to get extremely busy in late fall due to midterms and other recommendation requests.

Whichever deadline you decide works best for you, just make sure you feel confident when you submit your application.

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When Do You Have To Decide On A College

The process of choosing a college can be divided into two stages. The first takes place during the application process in the fall as you figure out which schools you want to apply to, and the second occurs in the spring after you’ve received admission decisions.

The national college decision deadline is May 1.

In the fall, most high school seniors apply to several colleges that interest them, though it’s common to have a single top choice. You can use the factors below to help you narrow your list of schools to a more manageable number.

In the spring, once you’ve received admission decisions from all of the colleges you’ve applied to, you’ll need to start thinking hard about which school you wish to attend. The following factors can help you choose the best school for you. The national deadline by which you must submit your college decision and nonrefundable deposit is May 1 .