Why rolling admissions

In contrast, colleges with rolling admission allow you to submit your application within a wider time frame, usually six months or so, and review applications as they come in. Then, these schools typically send out admission decisions within weeks, selecting students until all open slots for the incoming class have been filled. Schools with rolling admission often open their application cycles around September 1 and continue well into the spring term.

Prioritizing schools with rolling admissions policies can offer several benefits, including a higher chance of getting accepted and the ability to apply to college at a less stressful time in your high school career. Here are some of the biggest pros of rolling admission. While you still need a strong application that meets the school's expectations, applying early during a rolling admissions cycle — when the most open slots are still available — can raise your chances of getting accepted.

Prospective students can use the sizable application window that comes with rolling admission to avoid applying to a large number of schools all at once. You can organize the application process by first completing any early action applications to schools at the top of your list and then applying to colleges with rolling admission.

By spreading out the college application process across multiple months, you'll have more time in the winter and spring to finish up any applications.

Schools with rolling admission look at applications as they come in, meaning you'll likely get an admission decision sooner than if you'd applied to a school without rolling admission.

Applying in the fall to colleges with rolling admission allows you to find out whether you've been accepted far earlier in your senior year, saving you from needless anxiety and anticipation in the spring. While rolling admission offers several advantages, students should also be aware of the following downsides of applying to colleges with this application policy. Since applications are reviewed as they're received, students who wait until late in the application cycle may face stiffer competition for the remaining spots.

A qualified candidate who waits until the 11th hour to apply may be more likely to get denied , so it's recommended to not wait too long to submit your application. Some colleges with rolling admission, like Penn State , maintain priority deadlines and give greater consideration to students who submit their applications before a certain date.

These priority deadlines are often close to traditional college application deadlines, meaning you won't gain any extra time to apply. Individuals accepted later in the rolling admissions cycle may have fewer options. Rollings admissions schools have a specific window that you can apply within.

They come with various advantages and disadvantages. Learn what they are here. If you want a decision early, so you can base the rest of your college applications around it, rolling admissions is a great choice. If you know the school you want to get into early on in your college admissions process, it is an option right there alongside early action and early decision.

Want to get the most out of rolling admissions? Some colleges with rolling admission also set a "priority deadline," stating that students who apply by that date will have better chances of getting in.

For the more competitive colleges, like Rutgers, this priority deadline should essentially be considered as a fixed deadline.

I'll go more into detail about what your timeline should look like to apply under rolling admissions below, but first—what are some popular colleges with this application policy? Some of these schools have priority deadlines. The Penn State deadline, for instance, is December 1. While it will still accept applications after this date, you should put in every effort to submit by then if you're serious about getting accepted. The more selective or competitive the school, the earlier you should strive to submit your application.

Applying under rolling admission doesn't restrict you from applying anywhere else. Regardless of when you get your admissions decision, you still have until the national response date of May 1 to decide where to enroll.

This means you can wait for all your notifications, as well as compare financial aid offers, before committing to a college. While rolling admissions can take some of the pressure off you and give you more flexibility in terms of when you apply, how does it benefit colleges?

Why do some colleges opt for rolling admission over a regular decision deadline? Just as rolling admission can take the pressure off of you as an applicant, it also eases the burden on admissions officers. Rather than reviewing thousands of applications at once, they can space out the process and evaluate candidates as they arrive.

This policy can be especially helpful for schools with a smaller staff of admissions officers to read applications. Rather than trying to assess the entire candidate as a student and person, some of these colleges may rely more on objective criteria , like grades and test scores. While other selective schools may be comparing applicants to one another, rolling admission schools aren't necessarily doing that.

They may accept one candidate months before others have even applied. This is not to say that there aren't competitive rolling admission schools. As mentioned above, most of these especially selective colleges set a priority deadline or invite students to apply as early in the fall as possible. Given this preference for early applications, when should you apply to your rolling admissions schools?

And how can you plan out your application? Since applications are reviewed as they roll in, you should get your application in early.

If your school has a priority deadline, then you definitely want to meet that. If not, it's a good idea to set a deadline for yourself in the fall or winter. You could apply in November, December, or, at the latest, January. Not only may applying earlier give you a competitive edge, but it also helps you keep track of your application requirements.

Many pieces of your application take months, if not years, to prepare. By setting a deadline for yourself, you can plan out when to take the SAT or ACT, when to ask for recommendation letters, and when to start writing your college essay.

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