So maybe you decided to postpone college applications to take advantage of higher senior year grades, or maybe you’re not too happy with admissions results so far and want to try again.
Don’t worry—lots of colleges and universities are still accepting applications for the fall of 2013.
Locally, Marymount University, Gallaudet University, Hood College, St. John’s College Annapolis, Shenandoah University, Bowie State University, UDC, Trinity Washington University, Bridgewater College, Virginia Union University, Stevenson University, UVa at Wise, and Coppin State University are among those schools still accepting applications.
In fact, several hundred colleges are ready and very willing to consider applications—sometimes as late as the last day of August.
If you’re still looking or thinking about submitting additional applications, here are a few insider tips to jumpstart your research:
1. Common Application member institutions still open to new applicants may be found by going to the Common App website and clicking on College Search under the dropdown for Member Colleges and Universities. Indicate that you’re looking for First Year and Fall 2013, and complete the deadline box according to your interest. If you’re looking for colleges with a deadline on or after March 18, 2013, you will be rewarded with a list of 205 institutions.
2. The Universal College Application makes the search even easier. Simply go to go to this link and find 26 UCA member colleges still waiting to hear from you! Note that several nonmember colleges are taking advantage of UCA's offer to list any college still accepting applications on their site. Simply scroll down a little further on the page.
3. Using the College Board’s Big Future search engine, start by using the Type of School filter and select “4-year,” “private” and “public” (this eliminates for-profit institutions). Scan through the other filters and select your preferences for size, location, majors, etc. Click on “Close and see results.” Once results appear, go to the dropdown box labeled “Sort by:” (upper right) and click on “Application Deadline.”
Caution: The list starts with “Jan 1" and goes through the calendar year. At this point, you might want to start reviewing the colleges with mid-March deadlines. Schools with “no deadline” are listed at the end. It's a little confusing, and the information is only as good as what colleges tell the College Board.
4. If you can work around the advertisements, Petersons has generated a list of colleges with late deadlines (scroll down to the bottom of the page) as well as a separate list of colleges with rolling admissions. Be aware that "proprietaries" or for-profit colleges are not filtered out of these lists.*
Once you have a "starter" list of schools that may still be accepting applications, verify deadlines by going to individual websites.
Note that schools with "rolling admissions" consider applications until their classes are filled. If websites are unclear as to the current status of the process, contact admissions offices directly and simply ask the question. You might be surprised to find many are very happy you're still looking!
* Edited 3/28/13
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