Colleges Still Accepting Applications for Fall of 2010

This article has been revised for 2011 (click here).

For students a little slow to get off the ground or those not happy with admissions results so far, you might be interested to know that a significant number of colleges and universities are still accepting applications for the fall of 2010.

Locally, Marymount University, the Corcoran College of Art & Design, St. John’s College, Randolph College, and Hood College are still accepting applications. Hundreds of others across the country are also ready and very willing to consider applications—sometimes as late as the last day of August.

If you’re still looking or thinking about submitting additional applications, here are a few insider tips to kick start your research:

• Common App member institutions still open to new applicants may be found by going to the Common App website, scrolling down Member Colleges and Universities, and clicking Search for Colleges. Indicate that you’re looking for First Year and Fall 2010, and complete the deadline box according to your interest. Bingo. If you’re looking for colleges with a deadline on or after May 1, 2010, you’ll be rewarded with a list of 113 institutions located in every corner of the country.

• For slightly different information, check out Peterson’s Colleges with Late & Rolling Application Deadlines. Late is defined as having an application deadline of July1st, so any schools with deadlines between now and then are not included. Nevertheless, you may be surprised at the number of colleges and universities still accepting applications well into the summer months.

• Using the College Board’s Matchmaker search engine, select your preferences for size, location, majors, and so forth, but under Admissions and Selectivity?, choose More than 75% accepted and click on See Results. Many—not all—of the schools on the list will have extended deadlines.

Once you have a starter list of schools that may still be accepting applications, verify deadlines by going to individual websites. Note that schools with “rolling admissions” accept applications until their classes are filled. If websites are unclear as to the current status of the process, contact admissions offices directly and simply ask the question. You might be surprised to find many are still happy to hear from you.