What are your chances of acceptance?

Your chance of acceptance
Duke University
Duke University
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 UCLA
UCLA
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Your chancing factors
Unweighted GPA: 3.7
1.0
4.0
SAT: 720 math
200
800
| 800 verbal
200
800

Extracurriculars

Low accuracy (4 of 18 factors)

Top 40 Colleges with Rolling Admissions

What’s Covered:

 

College admissions season is inextricably tied to pressure for many students thanks to the need to complete everything from polishing applications to mulling over college-specific supplemental essays, all by similar deadlines. Then, of course, is the several-month-long wait to hear back with the results. 

 

There is an alternative, however. Some colleges offer rolling admissions, which is essentially first-come, first-served admissions—assuming that you meet the minimum requirements for acceptance and are fit for the school. If you add schools with these admissions systems to your list, you won’t have to adhere to the same deadlines for all your applications, and you’ll typically hear back much sooner, alleviating a lot of the pressure tied to this process.

 

How are Rolling Admissions Different?

 

You probably know the structure of regular admissions: you apply during a stated admissions period (typically around late fall through early winter for regular decision and a bit earlier for early decision/action) and hear back a couple of months later (usually around March if you apply on the regular decision timeline). In turn, you’re required to commit to the school you will attend by May 1st.

 

Rolling admissions work differently. As soon as the application period opens, students can apply up until the school fills its class. Most colleges with rolling admissions have priority deadlines, meaning if you apply by that date, your application will be read before candidates who apply after that deadline. Remember though, since rolling admissions are first-come, first-served, candidates who apply after the priority deadline will be admitted only on a space-available basis. Usually, students receive their decisions around four to six weeks after they apply.

 

When Should You Submit Your Application?

 

Just because you can theoretically submit your application at virtually any point within the admissions window, doesn’t mean you should. Since rolling admissions operate on a first-come, first-served basis, you should apply as early as possible. It’s highly recommended that you apply by the priority deadline. In general, it’s a good idea to apply by December. Remember that you have other deadlines to consider, such as those for scholarships and financial aid, as well as honors placement in some cases.

 

For example, at Baruch College, the Spring 2024 priority deadline is September 15, 2023, and the college will begin sending admissions decisions in November 2023 on a rolling basis. The University of Pittsburgh is another well-respected college that practices rolling admissions and while the school accepts applications throughout the year, candidates who submit their application for admission, along with all their required materials, by December 1st are automatically considered for University of Pittsburgh academic scholarships.

 

Top Colleges with Rolling Admissions

 

School 

Location

Acceptance Rate 

CollegeVine Rank

Arkansas State University

Jonesboro, Arkansas

63%

830

Arizona State University | ASU 

Tempe, Arizona

88%

297

Baruch College | CUNY Baruch

New York, New York

51%

164

Binghamton University—SUNY

Binghamton, New York

44%

167

Cedarville University 

Cedarville, Ohio

62%

595

Clemson University

Clemson, South Carolina

49%

124

Colorado State University

Fort Collins, Colorado

90%

370

Creighton University

Omaha, Nebraska

78%

194

Eckerd College

St. Petersburg, Florida

70%

486

Gustavus Adolphus College

Saint Peter, Minnesota 

73%

224

Harding University

Searcy, Arkansas

54%

383

Indiana University

Bloomington, Indiana

85%

199

Iowa State University

Ames, Iowa

91%

308

Johnson University 

Knoxville, Tennessee

81%

538

Lipscomb University

Nashville, Tennessee

74%

304

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

77%

219

Luther College

Decorah, Iowa

76%

225

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

83%

188

Michigan Technological University | Michigan Tech

Houghton, Michigan

86%

352

Milwaukee School of Engineering | MSOE

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

67%

289

Ohio State University 

Columbus, Ohio

57%

116

Oklahoma State University | OSU

Stillwater, Oklahoma

68%

329

Pennsylvania State University | Penn State

University Park, Pennsylvania

52%

134

Purdue University

West Lafayette, Indiana

69%

119

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

Rapid City, South Dakota 

81%

839

University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

79%

179

University at Buffalo—SUNY

Buffalo, New York

70%

144

University of Colorado Denver | CU Denver

Denver, Colorado

72%

415

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

66%

193

University of Massachusetts Amherst | UMass Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts

66%

174

University of Minnesota

Minneapolis, Minnesota

73%

117

University of North Carolina | UNC

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

20%

43

University of Pittsburgh | Pitt

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

67%

139

University of Tulsa

Tulsa, Oklahoma

75%

135

Ripon College

Ripon, Wisconsin

80%

463

Rutgers University

New Brunswick, New Jersey

68%

140

Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, Missouri

70%

142

Wabash College 

Crawfordsville, Indiana 

62%

186

Wheaton College

Wheaton, Illinois

86%

184

 

What Are Your Chances of Acceptance?

 

While most colleges with rolling admissions do have fairly high acceptance rates, it’s still important to understand where you stand. Remember, too, that your chances of admission are better the earlier you apply. Know that schools may change their timelines, so check with the institution to ensure you have the most up-to-date information. Find out your odds of admission to hundreds of colleges across the country using CollegeVine’s chancing engine. This free tool will also give you tips on how to improve your profile for success.

 


Short Bio
A graduate of Northeastern University with a degree in English, Tim Peck currently lives in Concord, New Hampshire, where he balances a freelance writing career with the needs of his two Australian Shepherds to play outside.