If you’ve applied to colleges, you may be asking yourself, “When do college acceptance letters arrive?” It’s a valid question, and no doubt one loaded with a bit of anxiety. In short, when you’ll hear back from the school depends on when you applied: Early Action, Early Decision, Early Decision II, or Regular Decision.
What is a college acceptance letter?
An acceptance letter is a document notifying you that you have successfully secured admission into a college that you have applied to. You should receive an acceptance letter from every college or university that accepts you into their program.
In addition to confirming your admission into their school, a college acceptance letter will also include a detailed breakdown of the fees payable and the payment deadline. Your course start date, accommodation options, and any other relevant information will also be included in the letter.
Overview of when to expect your college acceptance letter
The timeline for receiving a college acceptance letter varies based on your application timeline. Did you apply Early Action, Early Decision, Early Decision II, Regular Decision, or Rolling Admission? Each of these has a different notification date range.
Here’s an overview of the different types of applications with the application deadline and the decision notification date for each. Below, you will find a detailed breakdown of each.
| Type of Application | Application Due Date | Decision Notification Deadline |
| Early Decision | Mid-October to early November | Mid-December |
| Early Action | Mid-October to early November | Mid-December |
| Early Decision II | Early January | Mid-February |
| Regular Decision | Early January | Mid-March to early April |
| Rolling Admission | Early January | No fixed timeline – Any time after you apply |
When Do College Acceptance Letters Arrive For?:
Early Decision or Early Action
Early Decision and Early Action applications are often due in November. Almost all colleges will let you know their decision by December 15th. That said, some colleges may not let you know until February if you applied under Early Action.
If you apply for Early Decision, your acceptance is binding. That means, if you receive an acceptance letter from a college, you must attend. The advantage of Early Decision is that it gives you a higher chance of being accepted as it demonstrates your commitment to attend that school. You can apply to only one school Early Decision but may be able to apply to other schools Early Action and Regular Decision. If you get accepted to your Early Decision college, you should notify the other colleges you’ve applied to and withdraw your applications.
Early Action requires you to submit your application around the same time as Early Decision but there’s a difference. When you apply for Early Action, your acceptance is not binding. That means, if you receive an acceptance letter from a college, you can choose whether or not to attend.
If you are wait-listed, it may be a few weeks or months before you hear back. But note: if you were wait-listed and applied under Early Decision, you are free to apply to other colleges, even under Early Decision II.
Early Decision and Early Action are great options if you’ve set your heart on attending a certain college. Both show commitment to attending the school in question and increase your chances of acceptance. If you intend to apply for either Early Decision or Early Action, keep all your admissions documents ready early. Also, keep those ACT/SAT dates in mind if you need to retake either test. You should be done with your standardized tests by October or early November so that you can get the scores and submit your application within the deadline.
Early Decision II
Not all schools offer Early Decision II, but those that do tend to have a January 1st deadline – the same date as regular decisions. However, you will probably hear back sooner than those students who applied under regular decision. You can expect to receive a decision by mid-February.
When you apply for Early Decision II, your acceptance is binding. You must attend that college if you receive an acceptance letter. You can submit Regular Decision applications but must withdraw those applications if you accepted Early Decision II.
Regular Decision
Regular decision applications are generally due by January 1st or in early to mid-January. You can expect to hear back from these colleges or universities in either March or April.
When you apply for Regular Decision, you can apply to as many schools as you want to. Most students choose this option. It gives them maximum time to choose which schools to apply to. It also gives them more time to get all their paperwork together. However, with Regular Decision, you lose the admissions advantage as your application will not be assessed early. Instead, all applications are evaluated after the deadline so yours will be assessed along with all the others.
Rolling Admissions
Unlike the other types of applications, Rolling Admissions is not really a choice for applicants. It refers to the school’s admission plan. Schools that offer Rolling Admissions admit students on a ‘first come, first serve’ basis. Instead of waiting for the application deadline, these schools evaluate each application as it comes in. If the application meets the school’s minimum requirements, they will make an admission decision right away. Once the spots are filled up, the admissions are closed.
When you apply to a college that offers Rolling Admission, you can expect to receive a college acceptance letter any time, usually within a few weeks. The earlier you apply, the higher your chances of getting accepted provided that you meet all requirements.
When Do You Have to Reply with Your Decision if Accepted?
As with application responses, when you have to reply with your decision depends on how you applied.
Early Decision or Early Decision II
Whether you applied under the first Early Decision or the second, you are required to attend that college the following fall. The application is a binding contract. You should read all the appropriate materials the college sent you. This will give you clear instructions on how to submit your deposit and any additional information the college needs. The due date for the deposit and additional details they may need depends on the college.
You should also immediately withdraw any other applications to colleges.
Early Action and Regular Decision
Both Early Action and Regular Decision applicants who are accepted to colleges need to submit a decision by May 1st, which is known as College Decision Day. This gap gives you plenty of time to review your options, finances, and more. However, you can let them know your decision before this date if you are sure of the school you’d like to attend. Once you accept a college or university, they will send information on selecting your classes, orientation, choosing a dorm, and more.
Can a college rescind your acceptance letter?
A college can rescind your acceptance letter under certain circumstances. A college may take this extreme action if:
- They find that your application contains false information. This could be a fake transcript, a recommendation letter with a forged signature, or false SAT scores.
- Your academic performance decreases significantly to unacceptable levels.
- A student engages in behavior or activities that violate the school’s code of conduct.
The time between submitting your application and waiting to hear back from the colleges you’ve applied to can be stressful. Knowing when college acceptance letters arrive can give you an approximate timeline and help cut down on this anxiety. While waiting for your college acceptance to arrive, you can use their online portal to track the progress of your application.
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