Did you apply to the Class of 2030? Are you waiting with bated breath to see how your applications have fared in the 2025-2026 admissions cycle? Well, you’ve come to the right place! While some colleges jump the gun at times and others can be slower than expected to release notifications, these dates will give you a pretty good idea of when you should expect to hear from the colleges to which you submitted applications.

Class of 2030 College Admissions Decisions Dates & Timelines

As a rule of thumb, most Early Decision I notifications are sent out around mid-December 2025. Early Action notifications tend to come out sometime between mid-December 2025 and late January 2026. Early Decision II notifications tend to be released in mid- to late-February 2026. Regular Decision notifications generally go out between mid-March and April 1, 2026. Still other schools offer rolling admissions, in which decisions tend to go out about four to six weeks after submitting an application.

Admissions Policy	Typical Notification Date
Early Decision I	Mid-December 2025
Early Action	Mid-December 2025 to Late January 2026
Early Decision II	Mid to Late February 2026
Regular Decision	Mid-March 2026 to April 1, 2026
Rolling Admission	Usually 4-6 weeks after the submission of an application (from fall through spring)

Timeline for Admissions Decisions by College: Top National Universities

Wondering when exactly candidates applying to the best national universities for the Class of 2030 will learn of their Early Decision I, Early Decision II, Early Action, or Regular Decision results? Wonder no more! Here are the dates for the list of schools ranked among the top 50 national universities by US News & World Report in the 2026 ranking:

College / University	2026 US News Rank (“Best National Universities”)	Early Decision I Notification Date	Early Decision II Notification Date	Early Action Notification Date	Regular Decision Notification Date
Princeton University	#1			By Mid-December 2025	By Late March 2026
Massachusetts Institute of Technology	#2			By Mid-December 2025	By Mid-March 2026
Harvard University	#3			By Mid-December 2025	By Late March 2026
Stanford University	#4			By Mid-December 2025	By Early April 2026
Yale University	#4			By Mid-December 2025	April 1, 2026
University of Chicago	#6	By Mid-December 2025	By Mid-March 2026	By Mid-December 2025	By Late-March 2026
Duke University	#7	By Mid-December 2025			By Late March/Early April 2026
Johns Hopkins University	#7	December 12, 2025	February 27, 2026		March 18, 2026
Northwestern University	#7	Mid-December 2025			Late March 2026
University of Pennsylvania	#7	By December 2025			By April 2026
California Institute of Technology	#11			By Mid-December 2025	By Mid-March 2026
Cornell University	#12	By Mid-December 2025			By Late March 2026
Brown University	#13	By Mid-December 2025			Rolling
Dartmouth College	#13	By Mid-December 2025			By Late March 2026
Columbia University	#15	By Mid-December 2025			By Late March 2026
University of California, Berkeley	#15				By Late March 2026
Rice University	#17	By Mid-December 2025	By Mid-February 2026		By April 1, 2026
University of California, Los Angeles	#17				By March 1–31, 2026
Vanderbilt University	#17	By Mid-December 2025	By Mid-February 2026		By Late March 2026
Carnegie Mellon University	#20	December 15, 2025			April 1, 2026
University of Michigan – Ann Arbor	#20	December 24, 2025		January 30, 2026	April 3, 2026
University of Notre Dame	#20			By Mid-December 2025	By Late March 2026
Washington University in St. Louis	#20	December 12, 2025	February 13, 2026		April 1, 2026
Emory University	#24	December 15, 2026	February 15, 2026		April 1, 2026
Georgetown University	#24			December 2025	April 1, 2026
University of North Carolina — Chapel Hill	#26			December 20, 2025 (NC Residents); February 10, 2026 (Everyone Else)	March 31, 2026
University of Virginia	#26	December 15, 2025		February 15, 2026	April 1, 2026
University of Southern California	#28	December 15, 2025		By Late January 2026	April 1, 2026
University of California, San Diego	#29				By Mid-March 2026
University of Florida	#30			January 23, 2026	March 13, 2026
The University of Texas at Austin	#30			January 15, 2026	February 15, 2026
Georgia Institute of Technology	#32			EA I (Georgia Residents): December 5, 2025 at 7pm ET; EA II (Non-Georgia Residents): Late January	By March 2026
New York University	#32	December 11, 2025	February 15, 2026		April 1, 2026
University of California, Davis	#32				By Mid-March 2026
University of California, Irvine	#32				By March 31, 2026
Boston College	#36	December 15, 2025	February 15, 2026		April 1, 2026
Tufts University	#36	Mid-December 2025	Mid-February 2025		April 1, 2026
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	#36			January 30, 2026	March 6, 2026
University of Wisconsin–Madison	#36			January 31, 2026	March 31, 2026
University of California, Santa Barbara	#40				By Mid-March 2026
The Ohio State University	#41			December 12, 2025 (Ohio Residents); January 23, 2026 (Non-Ohio Residents)	March 6, 2026
Boston University	#42	December 15, 2025	February 15, 2026		By Late March to Early April
Rutgers University–New Brunswick	#42			February 15, 2026	March 31, 2026
University of Maryland, College Park	#42			February 1, 2026	April 1, 2026
University of Washington	#42				March 1–15, 2026
Lehigh University	#46	By Mid-December 2025	By Mid-February 2026		By Late March 2026
Northeastern University	#46	January 1, 2025	March 1, 2026	February 15, 2026	April 1, 2026
Purdue University–Main Campus	#46			January 15, 2026	March 31, 2025
University of Georgia	#46			EA (Georgia Residents):  November 21, 2025 at 4pm ET; EA (Non-Georgia Residents): December 12, 2025	March 2026
University of Rochester	#46	By Mid-December, 2025	By Early February, 2026		April 1, 2026

Top Liberal Arts Colleges

When exactly will candidates to the best liberal arts colleges for the Class of 2030 learn of their Early Decision I, Early Decision II, Early Action, or Regular Decision results? Here are the dates for the list of schools ranked among the top 25 liberal arts colleges by US News & World Report in the 2026 ranking (excluding the military academies):

College / University	2026 US News Rank (“Best National Universities”)	Early Decision I Notification Date	Early Decision II Notification Date	Early Action Notification Date	Regular Decision Notification Date
Williams College	#1	December 15, 2025			April 1, 2026
Amherst College	#2	By Early to Mid-December 2025			By Late March
Swarthmore College	#4	By Mid-December 2025	By Mid-February 2026		April 1, 2026
Bowdoin College	#5	By Mid-December 2025	By Early February 2026		By Mid-March 2026
Claremont McKenna College	#7	December 15, 2025	February 15, 2026		April 1, 2026
Pomona College	#7	December 15, 2025	February 15, 2026		April 1, 2026
Wellesley College	#7	By Mid-December 2025	By Mid-February 2026		By Late March 2026
Carleton College	#10	December 15, 2025	February 15, 2026		April 1, 2026
Harvey Mudd College	#10	December 15, 2025	February 15, 2026		April 1, 2026
Barnard College	#13	By Mid-December 2025			By Late March
Davidson College	#13	December 15, 2025	February 1, 2026		April 1, 2026
Grinnell College	#13	By Mid to Late December 2025	By Early February 2026		By Late March/Early April 2026
Hamilton College	#13	December 19, 2025	February 15, 2026		By Late March, 2026
Middlebury College	#13	By Mid-December 2025	By Mid-February 2026		By Late March 2026
Smith College	#13	By Mid-December 2025	By Late January 2026		By Late March 2026
Vassar College	#13	By Mid-December 2025	By Early February 2026		By Late March to Early April 2026
Wesleyan University	#13	By Mid-December 2025	By Mid-February 2026		By Late March 2026
Washington and Lee University	#21	December 20, 2025	February 1, 2026		April 1, 2026
Colgate University	#23	By Mid-December 2025	By Mid-February 2026		By Mid-March 2026
University of Richmond	#23	N/A			N/A
Bates College	#24	December 20, 2025	By Mid-February 2026		April 1, 2026
Colby College	#24	December 15, 2025	February 15, 2026		April 1, 2026
Haverford College	#24	December 15, 2025	February 15, 2026		By Early April 2026

Difference Between Early Decision I, Early Decision II, and Early Action

As you’ll note from the above charts, some schools offer Early Decision and Regular Decision, others Early Decision I and II along with Regular Decision, others Early Decision I and II, Early Action, and Regular Decision, others Early Action and Regular Decision, and still others just Regular Decision. Early Decision is a binding policy under which students must enroll if admitted. The difference between Early Decision I and II is the deadlines by which students must apply (it’s also easier to get in through Early Decision I than through Early Decision II). Early Action is a non-binding policy under which students must let the college know where they intend to enroll by May 1, 2026.

What to Do While You Wait For Your Decision

Many students often wonder what they should do while they await decisions. But unless the college specifically requests material (e.g., first-quarter or mid-year grades), there’s nothing for students to do. Suppose an alum of a certain school reaches out to them for an interview. In that case, the student should seize that opportunity (securing an alumni interview isn’t an indication of one’s chances, but instead of the availability of alumni interviewers in the student’s area to meet, so don’t fret if you don’t have an interview lined up!). But beyond doing the alumni interview, there’s nothing to do. Students should not send unrequested updates to the colleges (unless it’s a meaningful update, like being named a National Youth Poet Laureate). Otherwise, don’t bother admissions officers during the height of their busiest season with unnecessary updates. You’ll do more harm than good!