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The majority of the colleges have the regular decision college applications deadlines taking place around January 1st. Some colleges have it set for mid or late December and of course there are some that are as late as mid January
MIT
At MIT, most parts of the application are due by January 1. Therefore, “you must take the required tests on or before the November test date for Early Action or the December test date for Regular Action. These are the latest scores that will reach the Admissions Committee in time for review.”
Northwestern
Since the application deadline for regular decision is January 1, the latest tests you can take for Northwestern are the December ACT or SAT.
Princeton
As the deadline for regular decision is January 1, “regular decision applicants must complete all SAT testing by the December test date. All ACT testing must be completed by the December test date.”
Stanford
For the regular admission deadline on January 2, Stanford’s last test date is in December for both the ACT and SAT.
University of Pennsylvania
According to Penn’s admissions website, the regular decision deadline is January 5, meaning the last test dates accepted are those in December for both the SAT and ACT.
Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt’s website states the following: “For students applying under Early Decision II or Regular Decision (submission deadline January 1), the last opportunity to take the exam is the December administration” (emphasis mine).
Washington University in Saint Louis
“The last test date accepted will be the December testing,” writes the WUSTL website. So at the latest, you can take the December SAT or ACT for Regular Decision (deadline January 2), or the October SAT or ACT for Early Decision (deadline November 1).
Williams College
You have to take the ACT or SAT by December for it to be added to your file at Williams in time for the January 1 regular decision deadline.
Some top schools have even later testing deadlines and will accept the early February ACT. Again, these schools are in the minority, so do your best to complete your testing much earlier than February of your senior year!
Columbia
According to the Columbia Admissions FAQ, “Scores for February tests can be provided in time for consideration. Testing taken after February cannot be considered.” Note that although the regular application deadline is January 1, Columbia is willing to accept scores from as late as February.
University of Chicago
UChicago says that it will accept January SAT scores and February ACT scores. However, since there is no longer a January SAT test date (it was replaced by the August date), your last possible SAT test date is actually the one in December. You’ll still have the February ACT, though.
The deadline for regular decision is January 2.
Yale
The last testing dates Yale will accept are the December SAT and the February ACT. Applications for regular decision are due by January 2.
We couldn’t include the final SAT/ACT date for every single college in the country! Use this guide to learn how to look this info up anywhere you’re applying.
First, search “[School Name] regular decision deadline” on Google.
This search should pull up the page on the school’s admissions site with regular decision dates and deadlines. The admissions page will typically list the last SAT/ACT dates a school will accept for consideration.
Deadline January 15
Description: Regular Decision gives you the most time to complete your application. Under this plan, you will receive your admission decision and financial aid notification concurrently in late March.
Application Instructions: On the Wellesley supplement and the Common Application, select option marked Regular Decision.
Application Deadlines for Regular Decision:
Interview request: By January 15
Testing: Wellesley prefers that you complete SAT or the ACT with Writing in October or November of you senior year. The last possible test sates for SAT or ACT are in December of your senior year.
Application (electronic submission or postmark): January 15
Financial Aid Application: See financial aid deadlines
Secondary School Credentials: (School Report, Secondary School Transcripts with most recent grade and Teachers Evaluations): January 30
Midyear Report: We know these will not be ready when you submit your application; February 14
Admission Decision and Financial Aid Notification: Late March
Candidate’s Reply Date/Enrollment Deposit Due: May 1
Final Transcripts – enrolling students: June 30
For the regular decision deadline of January 15, Wellesley lists the last possible test dates for the SAT or ACT as “December of your senior year.”
If you’re looking up a school and can’t find a deadline page that lists SAT/ACT dates, check its FAQ page—there’s often a question there about SAT/ACT testing. Look for questions such as “When is the latest I can take the SAT/ACT?” and “How long does it take for SAT/ACT scores to arrive?”
If there’s no info about the last ACT/SAT dates on either your school’s deadlines page or FAQ page (which is unlikely!), call the admissions office and ask about the last test date you can sign up for if applying regular decision.
Most schools have regular decision admissions deadlines on or around January 1. These deadlines vary slightly depending on the school and can be as early as mid-December or as late as mid-January.
As a result, usually your absolute last chance to take the SAT or ACT is in December; however, it’s advisable to opt for an earlier test date, if possible. If you decide to take the December test, be sure to choose your score recipients as you register for the test. This ensures that your scores will arrive at your schools before the January deadline.
While results from a December test should arrive in time, it’s best to take the SAT/ACT as early as possible—typically starting in the fall of your junior year. This way you have plenty of time to retake the test should you want to get a higher score.