Many families wisely turn to advisors even later in the process. As Sarah Myers, Senior Admissions Consultant at Great College Advice, explains: “It is never too late. There’s almost never a time when you can’t send an application.” This comprehensive guide will walk you through exactly what options remain and how to make the most of them. For a complete overview of the college application process, see our guide on how to get into college.

What are the actual deadlines for colleges that still accept January applications?

The assumption that “all the deadlines have passed” simply isn’t accurate. Many excellent colleges maintain Regular Decision deadlines extending well into January, February, and even March.

Sarah Myers confirms: “Many colleges have regular application deadlines that aren’t until mid-January or even February—even in March. And there are other colleges that have a rolling admission deadline where they’ll even take applications late into the summer.”

Colleges with February 1st deadlines include:

Auburn University, DePaul, DePauw, Gonzaga, Indiana University, Miami University of Ohio, University of Michigan,  Rollins College, TCU, Trinity University (Texas), and Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI).

Colleges with February 15th deadlines include:

Allegheny College, Baylor, College of Charleston, Pace University, University of Kentucky, and the College of Wooster.

The practical takeaway: your student still has meaningful options. The question isn’t whether opportunities exist—it’s identifying which schools are the right fit.

Are colleges with later deadlines less prestigious or competitive?

Many families worry that later-deadline schools are somehow “less than.” This concern is unfounded.

While the most hyper-selective institutions (Harvard, Stanford, and similar schools with sub-5% acceptance rates) have earlier deadlines, many highly respected universities maintain January and February deadlines. The University of Michigan and numerous other excellent institutions fall into this category.

Sarah Myers shares an important insight: “There are some schools that will actually go fishing for students later in the game as well. For example, last year Syracuse University was accepting applications pretty late, and they even came back to some students that they had rejected and asked them if they wanted to come back.”

For families focused on educational value and return on investment rather than prestige rankings, later-deadline schools often represent exceptional opportunities. These institutions may offer stronger merit aid packages as they work to fill their incoming class, and they frequently provide excellent educational outcomes that translate into career success.

How do rolling admissions colleges work and which ones are worth considering?

Rolling admissions represents a fundamentally different approach to college applications. Rather than evaluating all applications after a fixed deadline, these schools review submissions as they arrive and make decisions on an ongoing basis.

Sarah Myers explains the mechanics: “There are colleges that have what’s called rolling admission, so that they’re filling slots continually. Your chance of getting in is not going to be as good [later in the cycle], but they may still want a student—especially if you have a special skill or you’re playing a certain sport they’re looking for, or a certain musical instrument that they want.”

Key advantages of rolling admissions:

• Faster decision timelines—often within weeks rather than months
• Flexibility in application timing
• Opportunity to apply while refining applications for other schools

College websites clearly indicate whether they use rolling admissions, making it straightforward to identify these opportunities during your research.

Can hiring a college counselor in the fall or winter of senior year still make a difference?

The short answer: absolutely. The value of professional guidance may actually increase when time is limited.

Sarah Myers addresses this directly: “It’s not too late, and it’s most important that you do a good job on your application. So if you’re hustling at the end and feeling like there’s a crunch, it’s really a good chance to reach out to an advisor. Many advisors will work on an hourly basis if you need a little bit of help, but also if you do want that full experience and full help, even in January we can make that happen.”

A skilled counselor brings two critical elements to late-stage applications:

Strategic guidance: Experienced counselors understand which schools are realistic targets given your student’s profile, which late-deadline schools offer the best fit, and how to allocate limited time across applications.

Tactical expertise: From essay strategy to application mechanics, counselors help avoid costly mistakes that waste precious time. As veteran admissions expert Jamie Berger notes, his team of six counselors brings “well over 100 years of experience in college admissions” and meets weekly to discuss clients and share expertise across different regions and school types.

Learn more about when to hire a college counselor and why professional guidance matters.

How should we prioritize and build a realistic college list at this late stage?

Building a college list under time constraints requires focus and realism. The goal is identifying schools where your student has genuine chances of admission and would genuinely be happy attending.

Great College Advice structures lists into three categories: “reach,” “target,” and “likely” schools. Jamie Berger emphasizes a crucial point that many families overlook: “Having happy likelies will lead to a happy outcome regardless.”

He elaborates: “In this day and age when Duke’s admissions rate last year was 4.8%… when Northeastern is in single digits—yes, it’s as important [to find likely schools you love]. And I will work so hard to get you into those top choices, but I will really push you. If you don’t like Stony Brook (even though it’s a great school), there are hundreds of colleges out there. We’ll find you one you like that you’ll get into.”

Practical list-building priorities:

• Focus on schools with remaining deadlines that match your student’s academic profile
• Consider location preferences, intended major, and campus culture
• Evaluate financial parameters—some later-deadline schools offer substantial merit aid
• Work as diligently on “likely” schools as on “reaches”

For guidance on the right number of applications, see our article on how many colleges you should apply to.

What’s the strategy for writing quality application essays under time pressure?

Essay quality matters far more than quantity, and the principles of effective essay writing don’t change under time pressure—if anything, they become more important.

Jamie Berger’s core advice is straightforward: “Be authentic and answer the question.”

He warns against a common mistake: “The essay that writes a resume that duplicates their activities list is the worst possible essay. Imagine being an admissions officer reading 40 things a day and you come to one that’s just a reiteration of all that stuff that’s right there on paper already. You don’t get to know the kid at all.”

For supplemental essays specifically, Jamie emphasizes precision: “When they’re asking supplemental questions, they’re asking very specific questions that they want you to answer in very few words. So you can’t veer off and give an anecdote about the discovery you made in a job if it doesn’t answer the question.”

Time-constrained essay strategy:

• For your main personal statement, be genuinely self-reflective—this is where admissions officers learn who you are beyond your grades
• For supplementals, answer exactly what’s asked—don’t try to squeeze in more about your achievements
• Match your tone to the school’s culture (formal for serious “why this major” questions, playful for creative prompts)
• Prioritize your best effort on schools where you have the strongest admission chances

Learn more about the essay process in our guide on what college admissions officers look for in an essay.

Will applying late affect my child’s financial aid opportunities?

Financial aid considerations add complexity to late applications, but opportunities remain for families who understand how the system works.

Key financial aid realities:

Schools with fixed Regular Decision deadlines (January 15, February 1, February 15) typically maintain full financial aid pools for all applicants meeting their deadlines. If you submit by the published deadline, you’re competing on equal footing for institutional aid.

Rolling admissions schools present a different dynamic. As Sarah Myers notes, admission chances can decrease as the cycle progresses—and the same applies to financial aid. Earlier applicants may receive priority for limited scholarship funds.

Critical action item: File the FAFSA immediately if you haven’t already. Over 70% of college applicants apply for financial aid, and missing FAFSA deadlines can be more costly than missing application deadlines. Some private colleges require the CSS Profile for need-based aid as well.

Great College Advice’s Family Handbook emphasizes: “Even if you won’t qualify for aid, filing for financial aid establishes a benchmark of your family’s financial situation at the outset of the student’s college career—which gives the college a reference point if something should happen that changes your situation.”

If merit scholarships are a priority for your family, research schools known for strong merit programs and verify that your student’s profile matches their typical award recipients. A counselor experienced with financial aid strategy can help identify schools likely to offer the best packages for your specific situation.

Your Next Steps in College Admissions

If you’ve reached January without completed applications, here’s your practical action plan:

1. Assess what’s actually due. Research deadlines carefully—you likely have more options than you realize.
2. Build a balanced, realistic list. Include reaches, targets, and likely schools where your student would be genuinely happy.
3. Consider professional support. Even a few hours with an experienced counselor can dramatically improve application quality and strategy.
4. File the FAFSA now. Don’t let financial aid deadlines pass while focusing on applications.
5. Prioritize essay quality over application quantity. Better to submit strong applications to 8-10 well-chosen schools than mediocre applications to 20.

Turn to a Professional Admissions Advisor

The college application process can be stressful, but families who approach it with clear strategy and realistic expectations consistently find good outcomes. As Sarah Myers puts it: “Where you end up is not who you’re going to be for the rest of your life.”

For personalized guidance on your specific situation, contact Great College Advice to schedule a consultation. Our team of experienced counselors has helped families navigate every stage of the application process—including many who started later than they’d planned.

The post Why It’s Not Too Late to Apply to College in January first appeared on Great College Advice.

What do you do when you are deferred?

Let’s just be honest. Being deferred in the early round of college admissions really stinks. It’s a kind of purgatory. It’s disappointing, especially if the college in question was your first choice. A deferral feels like a rejection, even if it is not a final decision:  you COULD still be accepted in the regular round. Nevertheless, a deferral feels lousy.

You do have some options about what to do, though not all of them are very good.

Option 1:  Sit around and mope when you are deferred

This might be tempting. But it’s obviously self-defeating. There is no denying that deferrals are filled with negative emotions, and you must honor those feelings and understand that you really and truly feel down-in-the-dumps about a it. But wallowing in self-pity is not going to help make things different. You need to recognize and deal with the emotions, but then get up out of that chair and make some decisions and take some action.

Option 2:  Do nothing

On its face, this sounds like a bad option, too.  I mean, you’ve gotta something, right? Actually, in some cases doing nothing is just the right thing to do. But it implies that you already have a plan in place in the case of such a possibility. As educational planners, we help our students have a Plan B (and C and D) in place, just in case Plan A does not materialize. And in some cases, students find that Plan B is just about as desirable as Plan A, so they can just ignore the deferral and execute on their subsequent strategy without a whole lot of hand-wringing and teeth-gnashing.  Let Plan A go and turn to the other desirable options in front of you.

Option 3:  Apply to a bunch more schools

This is a possibility, but probably not advisable. First, it will just make a whole lot more work for yourself in trying to get new applications out the door. Second, these schools may be added to your list without full consideration of whether you even want to attend. Good decisions are seldom made in a panic.  Again, if you have taken the time to fully consider your options before you even submitted those Early Decision (or Early Action) applications, then stick with your original plan.  Just because Plan A did not pan out does not mean that the other elements of your overall strategy should be thrown out.  The deferral was always a risk–assuming you planned for that possibility in the first place.  Don’t let the emotional turmoil of a deferral push you into making silly decisions that don’t make sense when you’re in a more rational, calm state.

Option 4: When you are deferred, write a letter of continuing interest (LOCI) to the school(s) that deferred you

This is the best option by far. It allows you to do what is necessary to keep Plan A open as a possibility, but also lets you execute on the rest of your strategy.

So what’s needed? It depends on the school in question. When you receive your deferral letter, the university will have explicit instructions about what you do in the case of a deferral.  We recommend that you follow those directions faithfully. Some will advocate that you try to go above and beyond those instructions. But our belief is that you can easily go overboard and risk annoying admissions officers for not following their instructions.  They are giving you these instructions for a reason.

For example, some might advocate sending something that will help you stand out, like a box of cookies or a singing telegram. This would surely help the admissions officers to remember your name–only because you were over the top in desperation to be accepted. You might become memorable for all the wrong reasons and thereby tank your chances of admission. So please:  follow directions.

When you are deferred, how should you write your letter of continuing interest?

Again, the university will tell you exactly what you should do if you are deferred. Sometimes the instructions will be very simple: “please check this box on this form to indicate that you would like to be considered in the regular admissions round, or check this box if you would like us to chuck your application in the bin and take a flying leap.” (Most likely you’ll want to check that first box).

Sometimes they will ask you for any updates that you would like to add to your application that would be considered in the second review of your application in the regular decision round.  Most often, you will be asked to deliver these updates through the university admissions portal. You simply complete a text box on the portal with your updates and press “send.”  These updates will then be automatically added to your file.

Depending on the school, you may also be invited to submit a “letter of continuing interest” or LOCI.  This letter is what it sounds like:  it’s a proclamation of your continuing desire to attend the school if admitted.  You simply are reiterating what they already know:  that you submitted your application early in hopes of being accepted and those feelings of desire have not dissipated, and that despite your disappointment in the deferral, you still really, really, really want to go there.

What should I say in my letter of continuing interest?

A lot of ink (okay, maybe not ink…but a lot of pixels?) has been spilled explaining what these LOCI should like. Our take is that these should be very simple statements of fact and intent.

The facts

What have you done since you sent in your application that admissions officers should know and consider as they review your application for a second time? In most cases, the reality is that you have done very little in the six weeks between the early application submission and your receipt of the deferral.  But there are things you might want to share, depending on how seminal those six weeks have been.

Here are some examples:

• Your first semester grades in your senior courses were a triumph.
• Your SAT or ACT score took a great leap upward.
• You won a major sports award.
• You won a major academic award.
• You were accepted into a very competitive summer program.
• You were won a concerto competition with a local orchestra or band.
• You completed a major service project that you were preparing while you were preparing those early applications.
• You completed your Girl Scouts Gold Award.
• You had a poem published in a literary journal.

You get the idea:  what have you accomplished since the application was originally submitted that make a material differences in how you might be evaluated by the admissions office?

Again, our experience is that the vast majority of students do not have a lot of facts to add to their application.  But if there are facts to share, share them!

The continuing interest

In this part of the letter you should express–very briefly–your continued hope that the admissions office will select you. With this short paragraph of the letter, you really need to be concise. You also must not whine. You must not become a sycophant–complimenting the college (or worse, the admissions office) on the many positive traits this college possesses. You can reiterate that the school remains your top choice, that you remain eager to attend, and that you appreciate that your application will receive a second, serious review.

Some students have an impulse to go on and on about how wonderful the school is, about how they can imagine having coffee in this little cafe or they hope to be able to study in this or that library or take a course with Professor Longbottom.

Please spare your overworked admissions officers this schmaltz. All they want to know–really–is that you cared enough to send them a note and that you remain committed to attend if accepted.  Just make your point and close your letter with a “Sincerely yours” or “Yours truly” and be done.

So, in summary, what should you do when you are deferred?

The three-part answer is fairly simple.

First, feel the pain. It stings. Deferrals are no fun. You applied to a school in hopes that you’d be accepted. You weren’t–at least not yet. And the feeling you are feeling is real. So let it wash over you. But don’t let it debilitate you. There are things to do.

Second, execute on your backup plans that you put in place precisely for this possibility. You need to complete all the rest of your applications (if you haven’t already–which you should have done long before you received this deferral), and send them off.

Third, do whatever the college asks you to do to keep your application in consideration for the regular decision admissions round. Follow their instructions faithfully.

And if you are asked or invited to write a letter of continuing interest, do it. But keep it short, sweet, and to the point.  Share any new information that needs to be included in your application in the second review during the regular round. And simply restate that you would likely attend–or certainly would attend–if admitted.

Do you need help when you are deferred from your first choice college?

The counselors at Great College Advice are experts in helping students to pick up the piece after a deferral. Most of our clients have created clear alternative strategies in the event that their early choices do not come through as planned.

But if you find yourself at the end of your rope, not knowing what to do, feeling lost and without a strategy, we can help.  We can assist in getting you back on track. We can help you create that last-minute plan that will ensure that at the end of the regular admissions round that you have solid choices for your college education.

If you need help when you are deferred, contact us and we’ll show you how we can help.

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• Where can I go for advice?
• How do I prepare for a law school education?
• What skills will law school teach me?
• Is there a standard law school curriculum?
• Who is applying to law school?
• How can I find out more about law schools?
• What do I need to know about the application process?
• How do I pay for law school?

LSAC will take your undergraduate transcript, your LSAT scores and letters of recommendation.  They’ll send all that information out to your law schools.
If you’re an international student, you’ll pay LSAC extra to evaluate your transcript.  In my experience, I’ve learned it’s best to give LSAC at least a month to have your transcript evaluated.
Of course all this doesn’t come cheaply.  Unlike the Common App, it costs money to use LSAC:  a base fee of $75 with extra costs included each time you have materials sent to law schools on your list.  But if you’re going to law school, chances are you’ll be a lawyer and chances are, these costs will one day seem minor.
 
Juliet Giglio
Educational Consultant in Syracuse, New York

The post Tips for applying to law school first appeared on Great College Advice.

• You won’t incur a late fee of $26
• You are more likely to get the test prep site that you want
• You’ll get your scores back in three weeks — so if you aren’t pleased, you can easily take the test again in May

Juliet Giglio
Educational Consultant in Syracuse, New York

The post The March SAT first appeared on Great College Advice.

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Check out this video.

Mark Montgomery
Educational Consultant
***************

Here’s the transcript if you’d like to read it:

I’m here right now on the campus of Ohio Wesleyan University. This is a Methodist – traditionally Methodist university in Delaware, Ohio, which is just north of Columbus. Ohio Wesleyan University is a nice mix of Liberal Arts, and Business, and Pre-Professional Education; about 2,000 students. So it’s a very nice, intimate, little campus.

Ohio Wesleyan has a reputation for being a party school, and it’s true that it has a very important fraternity and sorority program of Greek life here. The administration is often trying to rein the Greek system in and make sure that alcohol use is under control. But I think it would be unfair to say that Ohio Wesleyan is a party school. I think pretty much every campus in America is a party school in one way or another.

There are somewhere alcohol plays a relatively minor role, but really any campus is going to have alcohol available. So, for the student who makes good choices – I think that’s what we have to think about when we’re thinking about party schools. Are students prepared and able to make good choices once they arrive on a college campus?

Now, if a student is unable to make those choices and is turned loose, shall we say, on campus, whether it’s Ohio Wesleyan or any other university campus in America. Yes, they’re going to make some bad choices and end up getting fined and maybe put on probation, as Ohio Wesleyan sometimes does. But really, if you make good choices, if you remember that college is about your education and not just about partying. Then you’re going to get a great education at a place like Ohio Wesleyan.

Now, opportunities are terrific. There are small class sizes and really good relationships with professors. The opportunities are here. But the opportunities also are here for getting into trouble. So that’s really the case at any college campus.

As you’re making choices about which school? Yes, you can decide whether you want the Greek system or whether you don’t want the Greek system. But what you really need to decide is, how are you going to stay on track academically and achieve your goals educationally. So that that will propel you into your future?

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1. School of Business
2. Park School of Communications
3. Health Sciences and Human Performance
4. Humanities and Sciences
5. Music

Other great aspects of Ithaca include:

• The undergrad business school uses the same software that’s used by the NY stock exchange.  Thanks to a generous alumni donation, students even use real money in their trading.
• The Parks Communication School ranks at the top of all communication schools.
• At Parks, there’s a new major:  Emerging Media.
• Eleven of the buildings are connected by hallways and tunnels so you can avoid the cold.
• Doing your laundry is FREE.

Juliet Giglio
Educational Consultant in Syracuse, New York

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