When Do I Hear From Colleges?

Waiting for your college admissions decisions can be excruciating. You’ve worked so hard in high school, perfected your applications, and now you just have to wait for the results. When do colleges release their decisions? It depends on which wave you applied. Read on to find out:

Early Action/Early Decision I: December or early January

Regular Decision, including the UCs and CSUs: late February or March

Rolling Decision: Generally four to six weeks after submitting your application.

With few exceptions, all colleges will notify you of their admissions decisions by the end of March. You will then have until May 1 (known as college decision day) to decide which college is right for you!

FAQs:

What if my friends start hearing back from certain colleges, but I am still waiting to hear back from that college?

It is worth noting that most colleges do not release all of their decisions at the same time, so if your friends start hearing back from certain colleges and you have not yet received a decision from that college, it doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t get in. You just need to be patient and wait for when your specific admissions decision is released.

Is there a list of exact dates colleges will release their decisions?

While there isn’t an exhaustive list, IvyWise keeps a webpage of regular decision notification dates. 

How will my admissions decision be delivered?

Most colleges will notify you through their applicant portal. Continue to check those once a week for updates!