College applications deadlines will vary by school, but most are due in the fall of your senior year of high school (September through December). However, just because an application is due by a specific date doesn’t mean that students who apply should wait until the last minute. In fact, when you apply to schools, apply early if you can!
Application windows will vary, but most will open by August 1st and remain open typically through December into early January. Regular admissions decisions will come out around March or April for the next academic school year.
Key Takeaways
- College application deadlines vary by school and can be as early as October of the student's senior year in high school.
- It is important for students to research individual college application requirements and deadlines to ensure their applications are timely.
- The Common Application, an online system used by many colleges and universities, allows students to apply to multiple schools with a single application.
- Early action or rolling admissions options are available at some schools which allow applicants to hear back from colleges sooner than typical regular decision timelines.
Types of College Admissions Deadlines
Generally, there are three ways to apply to college. You can apply regular (submit your application and wait for your decision). You can request an early decision (if accepted by early decision you must attend that school) or an early action (requested a decision earlier than normal but you are not required to accept the offer).
Some schools have a rolling admissions method. For rolling admissions a school will have a deadline to submit the application but will evaluate the applications upon receipt and make decisions throughout the admissions period until all the available spots have been filled. Over a quarter of schools are now using this type of selection process.
Rolling admissions is different than traditional admissions where a school will wait and accept all applications submitted by the deadline, then review them all at the same time. In this scenario, applying early is not an advantage if applying for a regular decision. Early applications are still recommended for early decision or early action admissions.
So what should you think about with each type of application:
Regular Decision Admissions
- Submit your application by the deadline (or as early as possible if you are applying to a school with rolling admissions).
Early Decision Admissions
- Submit your application ASAP since early decision spots could go fast and as the name implies decisions are made early (generally around November).
- Keep in mind that if you are accepted, you are required to attend this school. So only apply to only one school with early decision.
- If you are accepted, it’s best to notify the other schools you applied to, to let them know you have accepted an offer.
Early Action Admissions
- Submit your application early to ensure you are within the early action consideration set before early action decision are made (typically December or January).
- You are not required to attend if you are accepted. However, if you choose to accept an early action acceptance, you should notify the other schools to let them know you have accepted another school.
It’s important to tell schools you have applied to, that you have accepted another school’s offer to attend. This is because some student’s may not be accepted or rejected, but instead put on a waitlist. The waitlist is a kind of limbo where students remain until a space opens up for them. If you end up on a waitlist, you have to wait for other students to deny their acceptance. Depending where you on the list, a spot may or may not open for you.
Compare Featured Lenders
- Competitive fixed and variable APRs starting at 4.41%1
- Multiple repayment options including: full principal and interest, interest-only, deferred, and flat payment
- Flexible payment terms ranging from 5, 8, 10, and 15 years2
- Coverage up to 100% of your school-certified cost of attendance ($1,000 minimum)3
- No origination, application and processing fees, no fees for early repayment
- Apply online in 3 minutes and get an instant credit decision
- Applying with a cosigner can increase your chances of getting approved and could result in a lower interest rate
College Ave Student Loans products are made available through Firstrust Bank, member FDIC, First Citizens Community Bank, member FDIC, or M.Y. Safra Bank, FSB, member FDIC.. All loans are subject to individual approval and adherence to underwriting guidelines. Program restrictions, other terms, and conditions apply.
1Rates shown are for the College Ave Undergraduate Loan product and include autopay discount. The 0.25% auto-pay interest rate reduction applies as long as a valid bank account is designated for required monthly payments. If a payment is returned, you will lose this benefit. Variable rates may increase after consummation.
2This informational repayment example uses typical loan terms for a freshman borrower who selects the Deferred Repayment Option with a 10-year repayment term, has a $10,000 loan that is disbursed in one disbursement and a 8.35% fixed Annual Percentage Rate (“APR”): 120 monthly payments of $179.18 while in the repayment period, for a total amount of payments of $21,501.54. Loans will never have a full principal and interest monthly payment of less than $50. Your actual rates and repayment terms may vary.
3As certified by your school and less any other financial aid you might receive. Minimum $1,000.
Information advertised valid as of 09/13/2023. Variable interest rates may increase after consummation. Approved interest rate will depend on the creditworthiness of the applicant(s), lowest advertised rates only available to the most creditworthy applicants and require selection of full principal and interest payments with the shortest available loan term.
- Variable Rates: 6.37% APR - 16.70% APR. Fixed Rates: 4.50% APR - 15.49% APR. Lowest rates shown include 0.25% interest rate discount with auto debit payments.1
- Apply online in minutes and receive an instant credit result2
- Multiple repayment options from in-school payments to deferred.1 No origination fee or prepayment penalty3
- Last year, students were 3x more likely to be approved with a cosigner4 and it may help you get a better rate.
- Borrow up to 100% of school-certified expenses, whether you're online or on campus5
Borrow Responsibly
We encourage students and families to start with savings, grants, scholarships, and federal student loans to pay for college. Students and families should evaluate all anticipated monthly loan payments, and how much the student expects to earn in the future, before considering a private student loan.
Loans for Undergraduate & Career Training Students are not intended for graduate students and are subject to credit approval, identity verification, signed loan documents, and school certification. Student must attend a participating school. Student or cosigner must meet the age of majority in their state of residence. Students who are not U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents must reside in the U.S., attend school in the U.S., apply with a creditworthy cosigner (who must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident), and provide an unexpired government-issued photo ID. Requested loan amount must be at least $1,000.
1Advertised APRs for undergraduate students assume a $10,000 loan to a student who attends school for 4 years and has no prior Sallie Mae-serviced loans. Interest rates for variable rate loans may increase or decrease over the life of the loan based on changes to the 30-day Average Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) rounded up to the nearest one-eighth of one percent. Advertised variable rates are the starting range of rates and may vary outside of that range over the life of the loan. Interest is charged starting when funds are sent to the school. With the Fixed and Deferred Repayment Options, the interest rate is higher than with the Interest Repayment Option and Unpaid Interest is added to the loan’s Current Principal at the end of the grace/separation period. To receive a 0.25 percentage point interest rate discount, the borrower or cosigner must enroll in auto debit through Sallie Mae. The discount applies only during active repayment for as long as the Current Amount Due or Designated Amount is successfully withdrawn from the authorized bank account each month. It may be suspended during forbearance or deferment.
2In 2022, instant credit decisions were provided to 97.8% of applicants. Other applications typically received credit decisions in 3 to 5 business days.
3Although we do not charge a penalty or fee if you prepay your loan, any prepayment will be applied as outlined in your promissory note-first to Unpaid Fees and costs, then to Unpaid Interest, and then to Current Principal.
4Based on the percentage of borrowers who were approved for an undergraduate loan with a cosigner compared to the percentage of borrowers who were approved for an undergraduate loan without a cosigner from October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2022.5 For applications submitted directly to Sallie Mae, loan amount cannot exceed the cost of attendance less financial aid received, as certified by the school. Applications submitted to Sallie Mae through a partner website may be subjected to a lower maximum loan request amount. Miscellaneous personal expenses (such as a laptop) may be included in the cost of attendance for students enrolled at least half-time.
6 Examples of typical costs for a $10,000 Smart Option Loan with the most common fixed rate, fixed repayment option, 6-month separation period, and two disbursements: For a borrower with no prior loans and a 4-year in-school period, it works out to a 10.28% fixed APR, 51 payments of $25.00, 119 payments of $182.67 and one payment of $121.71, for a Total Loan Cost of $23,134.44. For a borrower with $20,000 in prior loans and a 2-year in-school period, it works out to a 10.78% fixed APR, 27 payments of $25.00, 179 payments of $132.53 and one payment of $40.35 for a total loan cost of $24,438.22. Loans that are subject to a $50 minimum principal and interest payment may receive a loan term that is less than 10 years.
Information advertised valid as of 08/25/2023.
SALLIE MAE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY OR DISCONTINUE PRODUCTS, SERVICES, AND BENEFITS AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. CHECK SALLIEMAE.COM FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE PRODUCT INFORMATION.
Smart Option Student Loans® are made by Sallie Mae Bank. Sallie Mae, the Sallie Mae logo, and other Sallie Mae names and logos are service marks or registered service marks of Sallie Mae Bank. All other names and logos used are the trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.
Edvisors is not the creditor for these loans and is compensated by Sallie Mae for the referral of Sallie Mae loan customers.
© 2023 Sallie Mae Bank. All rights reserved. SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries, including Sallie Mae Bank are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.
- AFFORDABLE variable rates starting at 6.15% APR with Automatic Debit Discount*
- 1% CASH BACK Graduation Reward*
- NON-COSIGNED option may be available for undergraduate juniors and seniors.
- PAY AFTER LEAVING SCHOOL – Customize your loan with flexible repayment options – start payments after graduation.
- FORGET FEES – No application, origination or disbursement fees. No prepayment penalty if you choose to pay your loan off early.
- COVER UP TO 100% of your tuition and eligible living expenses.
* Ascent's undergraduate and graduate student loans are funded by Bank of Lake Mills or DR Bank, each Member FDIC. Loan products may not be available in certain jurisdictions. Certain restrictions, limitations; and terms and conditions may apply. For Ascent Terms and Conditions please visit: www.AscentFunding.com/Ts&Cs
Rates are effective as of 10/01/2023 and reflect an automatic payment discount of either 0.25% (for credit-based loans) OR 1.00% (for undergraduate outcomes-based loans). Automatic Payment Discount is available if the borrower is enrolled in automatic payments from their personal checking account and the amount is successfully withdrawn from the authorized bank account each month. For Ascent rates and repayment examples please visit: www.AscentFunding.com/Rates
1% Cash Back Graduation Reward subject to terms and conditions. Cosigned Credit-Based Loan student must meet certain minimum credit criteria. The minimum score required is subject to change and may depend on the credit score of your cosigner. Lowest APRs require interest-only payments, the shortest loan term, and a cosigner, and are only available to our most creditworthy applicants and cosigners with the highest average credit scores.
The minimum amount is $2,001 except for the state of Massachusetts. Minimum loan amount for borrowers with a Massachusetts permanent address is $6,001.
- Check your eligibility in just 2 minutes
- Flexible repayment options you can choose from
- No fees for origination, disbursement, prepayment, or late payment3
- Skip a payment once per year (once repayment period restarted)4
- Will cover up to 100% of the school's certified cost of attendance
- 9-month grace period (3 months more than most lenders)2
- Apply over the phone with the Client Happiness Team
- Call 866-492-1222, Monday through Friday, 5 A.M. - 5 P.M. PST
- Mention us when you call in to start your application
This information is for graduate and undergraduate students attending participating degree-granting schools. Borrowers must be U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents if the school is located outside of the United States. Non-U.S. citizen borrowers who reside in the U.S. are eligible with a creditworthy cosigner (who must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident) and are required to provide an unexpired government-issued photo ID to verify identity. Applications are subject to a requested minimum loan amount of $1,000. Current credit and other eligibility criteria apply.
Actual rate and available repayment terms will vary based on your income. Fixed rates range from 4.67% APR to 16.15% APR (excludes 0.25% Auto Pay discount). Variable rates range from 5.64% APR to 16.45% APR (excludes 0.25% Auto Pay discount). Earnest variable interest rate student loan origination loans are based on a publicly available index, the 30-day Average Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The variable rate is based on the rate published on the 25th day, or the next business day, of the preceding calendar month, rounded to the nearest hundredth of a percent. The rate will not increase more than once per month. Although the rate will vary after you are approved, it will never exceed 36% (the maximum allowable for this loan). Please note, Earnest Private Student Loans are not available in Nevada. Our lowest rates are only available for our most credit qualified borrowers and contain our .25% auto pay discount from a checking or savings account. It is important to note that the 0.25% Auto Pay discount is not available while loan payments are deferred.
1You can take advantage of the Auto Pay interest rate reduction by setting up and maintaining active and automatic ACH withdrawal of your loan payment. The interest rate reduction for Auto Pay will be available only while your loan is enrolled in Auto Pay. Interest rate incentives for utilizing Auto Pay may not be combined with certain private student loan repayment programs that also offer an interest rate reduction. For multi-party loans, only one party may enroll in Auto Pay.
2Nine-month grace period is not available for borrowers who choose our Principal and Interest Repayment plan while in school.
3Earnest does not charge fees for origination, late payments, or prepayments. Florida Stamp Tax: For Florida
residents, Florida documentary stamp tax is required by law, calculated as $0.35 for each $100 (or portion thereof) of the principal loan amount, the amount of which is provided in the Final Disclosure. Lender will add the stamp tax to the principal loan amount. The full amount will be paid directly to the Florida Department of Revenue. Certificate of Registration No. 78-8016373916-1.
4Earnest clients may skip one payment every 12 months. Your first request to skip a payment can be made once you’ve made at least 6 months of consecutive on-time payments, and your loan is in good standing. The interest accrued during the skipped month will result in an increase in your remaining minimum payment. The final payoff date on your loan will be extended by the length of the skipped payment periods. Please be aware that a skipped payment does count toward the forbearance limits. Please note that skipping a payment is not guaranteed and is at Earnest’s discretion. Your monthly payment and total loan cost may increase as a result of postponing your payment and extending your term.
The information provided on this page is updated as of 07/20/2023. Earnest reserves the right to change, pause, or terminate product offerings at any time without notice.
Earnest loans are originated by Earnest Operations LLC. California Finance Lender License 6054788. NMLS # 1204917. Earnest Operations LLC is located at 303 2nd Street, Suite 401N, San Francisco, CA 94107. Terms and Conditions apply. Visit https://www.earnest.com/terms-of-service, e-mail us at [email protected], or call 888-601-2801 for more information.
THIS IS AN ADVERTISEMENT. YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO MAKE ANY PAYMENT OR TAKE ANY OTHER ACTION IN RESPONSE TO THIS OFFER.
Up to four repayment types (including no payments while in school) and multiple repayment terms help you find the loan that fits your budget
- Variable Rates: Starting variable rates range from 5.99% APR to 14.03% APR (with autopay)*, and will never exceed 13.95% (sometimes lower in certain states as required by law)
- Fixed Rates: Fixed rates range from 4.44% APR to 14.83% APR (with autopay)*
- Easy online application!
- No origination fees, late fees, and no insufficient fund fees. Period
- Up to four repayment types (including no payments while in school) and multiple repayment terms help you find the loan that fits your budget
- 0.25% discount when you set up autopay*
*UNDERGRADUATE LOANS: Fixed rates from 4.44% to 14.70% annual percentage rate ("APR") (with autopay), variable rates from 5.49% to 13.97% APR (with autopay). GRADUATE LOANS: Fixed rates from 4.99% to 14.48% APR (with autopay), variable rates from 5.99% to 13.97% APR (with autopay). PARENT LOANS: Fixed rates from 6.50% to 14.83% APR (with autopay), variable rates from 6.32% to 14.03% APR (with autopay). For the SoFi variable-rate product, the variable interest rate for a given month is derived by adding a margin to the 30-day average SOFR index, published two business days preceding such calendar month, rounded up to the nearest one hundredth of one percent (0.01% or 0.0001). APRs for variable-rate loans may increase after origination if the SOFR index increases. Interest rates for variable rate loans are capped at 13.95%, unless required to be lower to comply with applicable law. Lowest rates are reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. If approved for a loan, the interest rate offered will depend on your creditworthiness, the repayment option you select, the term and amount of the loan and other factors, and will be within the ranges of rates listed above. The SoFi 0.25% autopay interest rate reduction requires you to agree to make monthly principal and interest payments by an automatic monthly deduction from a savings or checking account. The benefit will discontinue and be lost for periods in which you do not pay by automatic deduction from a savings or checking account. Information current as of 08/31/2023.
Terms and Conditions Apply. SOFI RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY OR DISCONTINUE PRODUCTS AND BENEFITS AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. To qualify, a borrower must be a U.S. citizen or other eligible status and meet SoFi's underwriting requirements. Not all borrowers receive the lowest rate. To qualify for the lowest rate, you must have a responsible financial history and meet other conditions. If approved, your actual rate will be within the range of rates listed above and will depend on a variety of factors, including term of loan, evaluation of your creditworthiness, years of professional experience, income, and a variety of other factors. Rates and Terms are subject to change at anytime without notice and are subject to state restrictions. SoFi refinance loans are private loans and do not have the same repayment options that the federal loan program offers, or may become available, such as Income Based Repayment or Income Contingent Repayment or PAYE. Licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Financing Law License No. 6054612. SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Lending Corp., NMLS # 1121636. (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org)
Payments based on a fixed percentage of future income for up to 60 months after graduation
Only pay when earning more than the $30,000 minimum income threshold.
Payments stop early if you ever hit the payment cap (2.0x your initial funding amount)
Payments based on a fixed percentage of future income.
Lower (or no) payments when you're unemployed or underemployed.
- No cosigner required.
- Income based repayment, once you're graduated and employed.
- No payments when you're unemployed or earning below $30,000/year.
- Shorter repayment. Only 5 years of payments.*
- Get a quote in less than a minute. Quick and easy application process. Transparent calculator and comparison tool.
- Must be BA, MA, or PhD student WITHIN 2 YEARS OF GRADUATION, enrolled in a program that meets our outcome-driven eligibility criteria.
* Your Maximum Payment Period is inclusive of any months where Monthly Payments are made as well as any months that are Deferred Months; this will only be extended if you receive Forbearance, which will extend your Maximum Payment Period on a one-for-one basis.
To be eligible for a Stride Income Share Agreement, students must fall into the following criteria:
- Attending a four-year Title IV college or university.
- Within two years of graduation.
- Enrolled in a Bachelor's, Master's, or Doctorate program.
- Enrolled in an academic program that meets our outcome-driven eligibility criteria.
- Reside or attend school in a state we serve: Currently, we provide Income Share Agreements for all states in the U.S., except Alabama, Colorado, Iowa, South Carolina, and Washington.
- U.S. Citizen or permanent resident attending school in the U.S.
- Current G.P.A. is greater than 2.9.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact us at [email protected] or call (214)775-9960.
- Prequalification: Prequalify to estimate your rate without affecting your credit score
- Online Application Process: Submit online application in minutes
- Flexible Repayment Options: ELFI offers immediate, interest only, partial payment, and fully deferred repayment options
- No Fees: No application fees, origination fees, or prepayment penalties
- Low Rates: Fixed rates from 4.48% to 12.29% and variable rates from 4.98% - 12.79%
- Award winning Customer Service: Individually paired Student Loan Advisor to guide you through the application process
*Education Loan Finance is a nationwide student loan provider offered by Tennessee based SouthEast Bank. ELFI is designed to assist students financially with receiving their education. Subject to credit approval. See Terms & Conditions. Interest rates current as of 04-01-2023. Variable interest rates may increase after closing but will never exceed 18.00%. Interest rates may also differ from the rates shown above. The term of your loan, financial history, and other factors, including your cosigner’s (if any) financial history can affect the interest rate. For example, a 10-year loan with a fixed rate of 7% would have 120 payments of $11.61 per $1,000 borrowed. Rates are subject to change.
Preparing your College Application
Of course, to be able to send all your college applications on time, the best strategy is to be prepared. High school seniors have a lot to do and think about senior year so anything that can be done beforehand will surely help ease the burden and stress.
During your junior year of high school make sure you take the SAT or ACT tests and are satisfied with the scores. Your test scores will play in a role in the decisions process for those schools that do look at test scores. Additionally, collect all the documents you need such as high school transcripts, recommendation letters, and any other documents that communicate your achievements.
Using the Common App to Apply to College
For students that intend to apply to many schools (say more than 10), using the Common App to apply can be extremely useful and time saving. This is a free service that collects all your information in one central location and allows you to use it for applying to multiple schools. While the service is easy to use and allows for applications to potentially be sent to lots of schools, application fees still apply and can add up, so be intentional where you send your applications to.
Certain income-eligible students may qualify for a college application fee waiver at some school. For example, if you were able to take the SAT for free because you qualified for a fee waiver, then there may be certain schools that will waive their application fees as well. Before you apply to a school, make sure to do some research on fee waivers if you think you could qualify. Those applications fees can add up quickly, and why not save the money if you can!
Writing your Essays
Essays are not only a necessary part of the college application process, but they might also just be the piece of your submission package that gets you the acceptance letter. Having your essays ready and optimized is a very important. Know that you will likely have to write a primary essay or personal statement, basically an essay about you. There may also be supplemental essays. You can sometimes look up the essay topics on the school’s website to help you know what you will have to write about.
Filling out the FAFSA® (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
The FAFSA is not required as part of the college application process but it’s best to fill out this free form at the same time you are applying for schools. The information you provide on the FAFSA will be used to determine not only your federal student aid eligibility, but can also be used by your state and school to determine your financial aid award. Schools can use this form to help determine if they will want to offer any need-based aid, or may require you to complete the FAFSA to award you merit-based aid—you want to read your school’s financial aid policies! While completing your research, you may find out that your school requires additional financial aid applications, like the CSS Profile™.
When are Admissions Decisions are Made?
Depending on the type of application you submitted (regular decision deadline, early decision deadline or early action deadline) will determine when decisions are made. Expect regular admissions application decisions in spring – March, April or early May. Early decision applications should come around November and early action December into January. With applications typically beginning in August, we recommend you apply and complete your college applications as early as possible to ensure you have the greatest chances for acceptance.
