Complete List of All Early Action Deadlines for Every College With EA

Thinking of applying for college early? Here's what you need to know about early action and the early action deadline for your school of choice.

If you're thinking about applying for college early, it's important to know the early action deadline for your chosen school. In most cases, deadlines range from November 1 to November 15 , but some schools offer later deadlines to give you more time to make a decision and prepare your application.

Here's what you need to know about early action and the early action deadlines for schools you're considering.


How early action works

Early action allows you to apply and receive an admissions decision before most other students. There are no eligibility requirements to submit an early application, but acceptance is generally reserved for the top candidates with a strong academic record.

Getting an early action decision can give you a few more months to start preparing for your college experience, and in many cases, you can submit an application for early action to multiple schools. Note, however, that some schools have restrictive early action, which means you can submit such an application with only one school.

The good news is that early action is nonbinding, which means that you can change your mind if you're accepted but decide to attend another school instead. That gives you more flexibility than early decision, which is a process that requires you to attend the school you apply for if accepted.

Early action deadline by school

If you're thinking about applying early to your first-choice school or even multiple schools, knowing the deadline is crucial for a quality application. Once you know when you need to submit your application, you'll be able to create a schedule to complete the steps required to do so. They include:

  • Taking the SAT or ACT
  • Getting letters of recommendation from teachers and your counselor
  • Requesting your transcript to send to colleges
  • Working on your personal statement and other essays
  • Completing your application and proofreading it several times

With that in mind, here's a comprehensive list from PrepScholar of early action deadlines from schools across the U.S.


School

State

EA deadline

Decision notification

Adelphi University

NY

December 1

December 31

Agnes Scott College

GA

November 15 / January 15

December 15 / February 15

Assumption College

MA

November 1 / December 15

December 15 / January 31

Auburn University

AL

December 1

Augustana College

IL

November 1

December 20

Austin College

TX

December 1 / February 1

January 15 / March 1

Azusa Pacific University

CA

November 15

Within three weeks

Babson College

MA

November 1

December 15

Bard College

NY

November 1

December 31

Bay Path University

MA

December 15

Baylor University

TX

November 2

January 15

Bellarmine University

KY

November 1

Beloit College

WI

November 1 / December 1

December 1 / January 1

Bennington College

VT

December 1

February 1

Berklee College of Music

MA

November 1

January 31

Binghamton University—SUNY

NY

November 1

January 15

Biola University

CA

November 15 / January 15

January 15 / February 15

Birmingham-Southern College

AL

November 15

December 15

Bloomfield College

NJ

November 30

December 31

Bridgewater State University

MA

November 15

December 15

Bryant University

RI

November 15

January 15

Butler University

IN

November 1

December 31

Caldwell University

NJ

December 1

December 31

California Baptist University

CA

December 1

California Institute of Technology

CA

November 1

December 15

California Lutheran University

CA

November 1

January 15

Carthage College

WI

Summer

September 15

Case Western Reserve University

OH

November 1

December 21

The Catholic University of America

DC

November 1

January 1

Centenary College of Louisiana

LA

December 1

Centre College

KY

December 1

January 15

Chapman University

CA

November 1

December 31 to February

Christendom College

VA

December 1

December 15

Christopher Newport University

VA

December 1

January 15

Clark University

MA

November 15

Cleveland Institute of Art

OH

December 1 / January 15

January 15 / February 15

Coe College

IA

December 10

Within two weeks

College of Charleston

SC

December 1

February 1

College for Creative Studies

MI

December 1

College of Idaho

ID

November 15 / January 15

December 15 / February 15

College of Mount Saint Vincent

NY

November 15

December 15

College of Saint Benedict

MN

November 15 / December 15

December 15 / January 15

College of Wooster

OH

November 15

December 31

Colorado College

CO

November 1

December 17

Colorado State University

CO

December 1

December 31

Columbia University, School of General Studies

NY

January 15 / March 1

March 1 / May 1

Concordia College New York

NY

November 15

Concordia University Irvine

CA

November 15 / February 15

December 15 / March 1

Cornish College of the Arts

WA

December 1

December 15

Curry College

MA

December 1

December 15

Dean College

MA

November 1 / December 1

December 15 / January 15

Delaware College of Art and Design

DE

December 1

January 1

DePaul University

IL

November 15

December 15

DePauw University

IN

December 1

January 15

Duquesne University

PA

December 1

Earlham College

IN

November 15 / January 1

December 15 / February 1

Eckerd College

FL

November 15

December 15

Elon University

NC

November 1

December 20

Emerson College

MA

November 1

December 15

Emmanuel College

GA

November 1 / December 15

After December 15 / After January 15

Fairfield University

CT

November 1

December 20

Fordham University

NY

November 1

December 19

Framingham State University

MA

November 15

Furman University

SC

December 1

January 15

George Fox University

OR

November 1

Rolling

George Mason University

VA

November 1

December 15

Georgetown University

DC

November 1

December 15

Georgia College and State University

GA

October 15

Early December

Georgia Institute of Technology

GA

October 15/ November 1

Gordon College

MA

November 1 / December 1

November 15 / December 15

Goucher College

MD

December 1

February 1

Gustavus Adolphus College

MN

November 1

November 15

Hamline University

MN

December 1

December 20

Hampden-Sydney College

VA

October 15 / December 1

Hampshire College

MA

December 1

February 15

Hampton University

VA

November 1

January 31

Hanover College

IN

November 1 / December 1

Rolling

Harvard University

MA

November 1

December 15

Hellenic College

MA

December 1

Hendrix College

AR

November 15 / February 1

Beginning December 15 / Beginning March 1

High Point University

NC

November 15

December 16

Hofstra University

NY

November 15 / December 15

Beginning December 15 / Beginning January 15

Hollins University

VA

November 15

Howard University

DC

November 1

December 15

Illinois College

IL

December 1

Illinois Wesleyan University

IL

November 15

November 15 to December 15

Iona College

NY

December 15

Ithaca College

NY

December 1

February 1

James Madison University

VA

November 15

John Carroll University

OH

December 1

December 21

Kalamazoo College

MI

November 1

December 20

Kean University

NJ

January 1

January 31

Knox College

IL

November 1 / December 1

December 15 / January 15

La Salle University

PA

November 1

November 30

Lake Forest College

IL

November 1 / January 15

Rolling

Lasell College

MA

November 15 / January 15

December 1 / February 1

Lawrence University

WI

November 1 / December 1

December 15 / January 25

Le Moyne College

NY

November 15

Beginning December 15

Lees-McRae College

NC

December 1

December 15

Lesley University

MA

December 1

January 1

Lewis & Clark College

OR

November 1

January 1

LIM College

NY

November 15

Longwood University

VA

December 1

Loyola Marymount University

CA

November 1

December 31

Loyola University Maryland

MD

November 15

January 15

Lycoming College

PA

December 1

December 15

Lynn University

FL

November 15

Maine Maritime Academy

ME

November 30

February 1

Manhattanville College

NY

December 1

Rolling

Marist College

NY

November 15

January 15

Massachusetts College of Art and Design

MA

December 1

Early January

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

MA

November 1 / December 1

December 15 / January 15

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MA

November 1

December 15

Massachusetts Maritime Academy

MA

November 15

The Master's University

CA

November 1

McDaniel College

MD

November 15 / December 15

December 15 / January 15

Menlo College

CA

November 15

December 15

Mercer University

GA

October 15

November 7

Merrimack College

MA

November 15 / January 15

December 1 / February 1

Miami University

OH

December 1

January 15

Michigan State University

MI

November 1

January 15

Millsaps College

MS

November 15

January 15

Minneapolis College of Art and Design

MN

December 1

December 15

Molloy College

NY

December 1

Decisions "made promptly"

Monmouth University

NJ

December 1

January 15

Montserrat College of Art

MA

December 6

December 19

Mount Saint Mary's University

CA

December 1

January 15

Mount St. Mary's University

MD

November 1

December 25

New York Institute of Technology

NY

February 15

Rolling

North Carolina State University

NC

November 1

January 30

Northeastern University

MA

November 1

February 1<


Ben Luthi
Written By
Ben Luthi

Ben Luthi is a personal finance and travel writer based in Salt Lake City, UT. He loves helping people better understand their finances. When he's not traveling, Ben enjoys spending time with his kids, hiking, and watching films. His work has been featured in U.S. News & World Report, The New York Times, MarketWatch, Fox Business, and many other publications.

Related Articles

View All Articles
What Can You Do With an MBA?

What can you do with an MBA? Read on to learn about several careers MBA holders can pursue as well as other considerations before you decide to get this degree.

Read more
How Long Is the MCAT?

If you're preparing for medical school, you may be wondering, "How long is the MCAT?" Here's what you need to know and how to prepare for the crucial exam.

Read more
Best 5 LSAT Reddit Posts You Should Read

Here are some of the best LSAT Reddit posts and how they can help you realize your dreams of going to law school and working in law.

Read more
Best 5 MCAT Reddit Posts You Should Read

The MCAT Reddit forum can be a good resource for test takers. Here are the top five Reddit MCAT posts to help you study and pass.

Read more
The Complete 2022 List of The Best Early Decision Colleges

If you're considering applying to early decision colleges, it's important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of the process. Find out more here.

Read more
What is Restrictive Early Action When Applying to College?

Pursuing restricted early action makes sense for some students. Read on to learn more about restricted early action and whether it could be right for you.

Read more
All Categories:

LeverEdge Association © 2024. All Rights Reserved.

Disclaimers: Product name, logo, brands, and other trademarks featured or referred to within Smarter College are the property of their respective trademark holders. Please consult a licensed financial professional before making any financial decisions. This site is not endorsed or affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education. The information obtained throughout the Smarter College site is intended to be used for educational purposes only. This site may be compensated through our partner relationships.