When are college essays due for the 2025 application cycle?

The main application season for colleges running on the 2025 admission cycle typically happens during your senior year, with a few key deadlines to keep in mind. For most schools using the Common App or Coalition App, the regular decision deadline is usually January 1st or January 15th, 2025. However, some colleges set their deadlines a bit earlier in December or as late as February, so it’s important to double-check each school’s website or application portal.

If you’re interested in Early Decision (ED) or Early Action (EA), those deadlines generally fall in early to mid-November of your senior year—often November 1st or 15th. For example, if you’re applying EA to the University of Michigan or ED to NYU, you’d likely need to submit everything by November 1st, 2024. Some schools may have even earlier programs like Restrictive Early Action or priority decision, typically in October, but these are less common.

Because so many deadlines overlap and can vary by college, keeping organized is essential. Many students use a spreadsheet to track each school, application type (RD, EA, ED), deadlines, supplemental essay requirements, and recommendation letter status. For instance, you might have columns for:
- School name
- Deadline (EA/ED/RD with actual dates)
- Number and type of supplemental essays
- Teacher recommendations needed
- Application status (started, in-progress, submitted)

Staying organized this way can seriously reduce the stress of remembering multiple dates and requirements. Setting calendar reminders a week or two before each deadline helps as well, so you’re not scrambling last-minute.

It’s normal to feel overwhelmed at first—there’s a lot to juggle! But breaking the process into smaller steps and mapping everything out early will make a big difference. If you start your essays over the summer, you’ll give yourself extra breathing room for editing and handling supplemental questions as they’re released.

If you want an example: One student tracked deadlines for ten colleges using Google Sheets. Each college row had the application type and deadline highlighted, with a checklist for each essay ("done," "needs review," "submitted"). This took away a lot of panic as deadlines approached, and she had a clear sense of her workload each week.

Consider talking with your school counselor as well—they might have a standard template or resources specific to your area. Staying ahead with your planning will pay off when application season gets busy!