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KEY DATES AND DEADLINES

2025-26 UNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS

ADMISSION CALENDAR

2025-2026 Undergraduate
Admissions Cycle

MARCH 2025

  • Begin ideating your Common Application Essay (CAE) for the US

APril 2025

  • We recommend you begin your preliminary college selection process: research, parameters, strategy, including consideration of initial Early Decision, Early Action, or Restrictive Early Action (ED/EA/REA) options

  • We recommend you begin composing your UCAS Personal Statement (PS) for the UK

  • Start compiling your preliminary Activity List, identifying activities, projects, and accomplishments you wish to include in your application

  • Identify your recommenders and begin composing for brag sheets for your Letters of Recommendation (LOR)

May 2025

  • UCAS undergraduate application officially opens for 2024 entry

  • We recommend you begin composing your University of California (UC) Personal Insight Questions (PIQ) responses

  • Take any AP exams for which you have registered

July 2025

  • We recommend you finalize your CAE, early colleges, and complete your LORs/bragsheets

August 2025

  • The Common Application (including supplemental essay prompts), Coalition Application, and University of California (UC) application officially open for 2024 entry

September 2025

  • We recommend you finalize your UCAS Personal Statement

  • Sep 27 – HKUST (Hong Kong) application officially opens

October 2025

  • Register for any Oxford and Cambridge pre-interview assessments (e.g. Thinking Skills Assessment).

  • Register for all US Early Round alumni interviews.

  • Begin preparing for your UK and US interviews. You will take both technical interviews for the UK and personality interviews with alumni for the US. We recommend you refine your spoken communication and self-presentation skills during this time, focusing on effectively conveying your human brand and your academic competence in a concise manner.

  • Begin preparing for your UK entry examinations.

  • Oct 15

    • Official UCAS undergraduate deadline for Oxford and Cambridge.

    • EA/ED Deadline for some US universities (e.g. Georgia Tech for Georgia residents) and art portfolio deadline.

    • NUS & NTU (Singapore) applications officially open.

November 2025

  • Nov 1 – Official EA/ED/REA deadline for most US universities.

  • Nov 17 – HKU early deadline.

  • Nov 19 – HKUST early deadline.

December 2025

  • Dec 1 – Official deadline for most US public universities (e.g. University of California (UC) and UT Austin), as well as scholarship deadlines for several universities (e.g. Dartmouth, BU, USC, and Claremont McKenna)
    (Note: The UC Application is extensive, and the portal is prone to crashing close to the deadline!)

  • Mid Dec – Most (private) REA/ED admissions results announced. Select Canadian early deadlines

January 2026

  • Jan 1-15 – Official Regular Decision deadline for most US universities
  • Recommended date for letters of continued interest for deferred applicants. US RD alumni interviews ongoing
  • Jan 14 – HKUST main round deadline.
  • Jan 15 onwards – Canadian university deadlines. Selected US universities EA/ED (e.g. Michigan, Georgia Tech, UIUC) and Oxbridge admissions results typically announced
  • Jan 31 – UCAS regular deadline (for most UK undergraduate courses).

February 2026

  • Continue to give US alumni interviews.
  • Select US universities early e.g. UIUC) admissions results are announced.
  • Feb 21 – NUS (Singapore) deadline for IB students.
  • Feb 28 – NUS (Singapore) deadline for international students.

March 2026

  • Regular Decision admissions results announced for most US universities (including University of California, Ivy League (“Ivy Day”), Stanford)).
  • Mar 19 – NTU (Singapore) deadline.

May 2026

  • May 1 – Deadline for most US universities to commit to the college of your choice and submit your deposit.

August – September 2026

  • Matriculation date for most universities.
NOTES
  • All official standardized test scores (SAT, ACT) must be submitted two weeks prior to the final application deadlines
  • English proficiency exams scores must often be submitted by a designated date, which varies by university
  • UCAS and Canadian deadlines and admissions notifications ongoing (i.e. no standard date)

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