Colleges Postpone Early Deadlines in Face of Hurricane Sandy

Boston University

As Hurricane Sandy takes a hard left and begins its rumble up the east coast, colleges and universities are beginning the process of battening down the hatches.

Many have issued notices that they will be closed for the first part of the week.  In fact, Michael Szarek, of College Counseling for the Rest of Us, tweeted that all 55 New Jersey colleges and universities have announced closures for Monday and/or Tuesday of this week.

But most important to high school seniors are the looming early action and early decision deadlines.  Starting yesterday, the Ivy League led the way in announcing flexibility in enforcing application due dates for students affected by the storm.

Some set new dates for submission, while others simply indicated a willingness to be “flexible” in the face of the storm.  Harvard took the latter approach:

“With the approach of Hurricane Sandy here on the East Coast of the United States, we want you to be aware of our longstanding flexibility on Early Action and Regular Action deadlines for submitting applications and supporting materials from teachers and guidance counselors. If there is a good reason for not being able to meet a deadline (whether it be a natural disaster such as Hurricane Sandy or a personal challenge), we are happy to accept late applications and support materials.”

While procrastinating applicants may heave a sigh of relief, it’s worth mentioning that the wise student will make every effort to get applications sent before the electricity and the internet shut down. Not only is it worth the peace of mind, but also you avoid post-storm issues down the road.

By the way, this advice holds true for students who have delayed requesting score reports while waiting for October test results.  Keep in mind where both the College Board and the Educational Testing Service are located. 

Here is what we know so far about revised deadlines:

• Beloit College:  Students living in areas affected by the hurricane have until November 8 to assure their applications are submitted.
• Bentley University:  Early Decision and Early Action deadlines have been extended to November 5.
• Boston University:  Early Decision deadline has been extended to Monday, November 5.
• Brown University:  Early Decision deadline has been extended to November 7.
• Columbia University:  Early Decision deadline extended to Monday, November 5.
• Cornell University:  Early Decision deadline has been extended to midnight on Monday, November 5.
• Dartmouth College:  Flexible with the Early Decision deadline for all students who are impacted by this storm; contact the office if materials cannot be submitted by November 5.
• Fordham University:  Early Action applications will be considered timely if received by November 8.
• Harvard College:  Will be "flexible" on Early Action deadline.
• Marist College:  Early Decision deadline has been extended to Friday, November 9.
• MIT:  Will be "flexible" on Early Action deadline.
• University of Pennsylvania:  Early Decision deadline extended to Tuesday, November 6.  Applications for financial aid can be submitted by November 15 to be evaluated for a package to be provided at the time of decision release.
• University of Virginia:  The Early Action deadline is extended to midnight on Sunday, November 4.
• Villanova University:  Early Action deadline extended to Thursday, November 8 for students directly impacted by the storm.
• Yale University:  Single-Choice Early Action deadline extended to Monday, November 5.

These dates are subject to change based on the severity of the situation.  Please check with individual websites for the most up-to-date information.

For more up-to-date information, check my column on Examiner.com.