As defined by the Higher Education Act of 1965, a historically black college or university is one that was established prior to 1964 with the principal mission to educate black Americans and is accredited by a nationally recognized agency or association. College admission usually requires the submission of an application packet by January or February for the fall semester. However, some colleges continue to accept applications months later by having a later deadline or through a rolling admission policy. Rolling admission means that the college reviews applicants on a first-come, first-served basis until a certain date or until the freshman class is full.
When Are Most College Deadlines?
As you'll see in a moment, there’s a lot of variation when it comes to college deadlines. Early deadlines can be in November when you’re just a couple of months into senior year. By contrast, especially late deadlines can go right up until the start of a college semester.
The majority of college deadlines will fall in November or January of your senior year. Most regular decision deadlines are in January, typically on January 1 or January 15. You'll apply right around the new year and usually get your admissions decision in March or April. Many schools also offer an early action and/or early decision deadline for students who are ready to apply earlier (and ready to hear back earlier, too). These deadlines tend to be November 1 or November 15, and students usually hear back by mid-December.
While these typical deadlines are in November or January, most of the work starts long before. To apply, you need to be ready with letters of recommendation, essays, and your SAT/ACT scores, all of which take weeks to months of preparation.
If you're not ready with all these components, you might look for colleges with later application deadlines. Contact Wisdem USA today for guidance with applying to HBCUs and other colleges.