Rolling decision what does it mean

Schools with rolling admission look at applications as they come in, meaning you'll likely get an admission decision sooner than if you'd applied to a school without rolling admission. Applying in the fall to colleges with rolling admission allows you to find out whether you've been accepted far earlier in your senior year, saving you from needless anxiety and anticipation in the spring.

While rolling admission offers several advantages, students should also be aware of the following downsides of applying to colleges with this application policy. Since applications are reviewed as they're received, students who wait until late in the application cycle may face stiffer competition for the remaining spots. A qualified candidate who waits until the 11th hour to apply may be more likely to get denied , so it's recommended to not wait too long to submit your application.

Some colleges with rolling admission, like Penn State , maintain priority deadlines and give greater consideration to students who submit their applications before a certain date. These priority deadlines are often close to traditional college application deadlines, meaning you won't gain any extra time to apply. Individuals accepted later in the rolling admissions cycle may have fewer options.

Rolling admissions systems can differ significantly depending on the school. The most notable difference lies between rolling notifications and rolling deadlines.

A rolling deadline means there is no set application deadline; in other words, you can apply to that school whenever you want. A rolling notification, however, means that a school will inform applicants of its admission decision after a set deadline.

These colleges usually contact the strongest candidates first and continue to do so until all available slots have been filled. Some schools use both rolling deadlines and rolling notifications, whereas others use hard deadlines and rolling notifications. Rolling admission means colleges review applications as they're sent in; there is no hard deadline by which you need to submit your application.

In contrast, schools with a regular decision policy require you to submit your application by a certain deadline — usually in late December or January. You also cannot submit any applications after this date, and your application will not be reviewed until after the deadline has passed. You should still apply as early as you would to meet an early or regular decision deadline.

Some colleges with rolling admission also set a "priority deadline," stating that students who apply by that date will have better chances of getting in. For the more competitive colleges, like Rutgers, this priority deadline should essentially be considered as a fixed deadline.

I'll go more into detail about what your timeline should look like to apply under rolling admissions below, but first—what are some popular colleges with this application policy? Some of these schools have priority deadlines. The Penn State deadline, for instance, is December 1. While it will still accept applications after this date, you should put in every effort to submit by then if you're serious about getting accepted.

The more selective or competitive the school, the earlier you should strive to submit your application. Applying under rolling admission doesn't restrict you from applying anywhere else. Regardless of when you get your admissions decision, you still have until the national response date of May 1 to decide where to enroll.

This means you can wait for all your notifications, as well as compare financial aid offers, before committing to a college. While rolling admissions can take some of the pressure off you and give you more flexibility in terms of when you apply, how does it benefit colleges? Why do some colleges opt for rolling admission over a regular decision deadline? Just as rolling admission can take the pressure off of you as an applicant, it also eases the burden on admissions officers.

Rather than reviewing thousands of applications at once, they can space out the process and evaluate candidates as they arrive.

This policy can be especially helpful for schools with a smaller staff of admissions officers to read applications. Rather than trying to assess the entire candidate as a student and person, some of these colleges may rely more on objective criteria , like grades and test scores. While other selective schools may be comparing applicants to one another, rolling admission schools aren't necessarily doing that. They may accept one candidate months before others have even applied. This is not to say that there aren't competitive rolling admission schools.

As mentioned above, most of these especially selective colleges set a priority deadline or invite students to apply as early in the fall as possible. Given this preference for early applications, when should you apply to your rolling admissions schools? And how can you plan out your application? Since applications are reviewed as they roll in, you should get your application in early.

If your school has a priority deadline, then you definitely want to meet that. If not, it's a good idea to set a deadline for yourself in the fall or winter. You could apply in November, December, or, at the latest, January. Not only may applying earlier give you a competitive edge, but it also helps you keep track of your application requirements. Many pieces of your application take months, if not years, to prepare.

Students should consider their options and plan accordingly when tackling their college applications. Adding rolling admission schools to a college list gives students the opportunity to spread out their deadlines and feel less stressed during this already stressful time. Our college admissions experts are here to guide you from where you are to where you should be. Through our comprehensive curriculum and individualized coaching, you are set for success as soon as you connect with us.

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Benefits of rolling admission:. More time to work on applications. No large application pool to be compared to. It allows you to be flexible. Quick turnaround time. Drawbacks of rolling admission:. Spots fill up quickly. Find Your Dream School. By submitting my email address. I certify that I am 13 years of age or older, agree to recieve marketing email messages from The Princeton Review, and agree to Terms of Use.

It reduces college stress The rolling admission process is quick. It gives you a potential leg-up The application process can be less competitive if you apply on the early side of the admission window.

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