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Early Decision Deadline 2026: Sunday, Nov. 1 at 10 Colleges, Monday, Nov. 2 at Duke

Early Decision (ED) and Early Action (EA) deadlines are Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026 at 10 colleges. Duke is Nov. 2; the University of California (UC) is Nov. 1-30.

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Published 3 min read

Early decision deadline 2026: Harvard Yard in autumn with red leaves and brick dormitories
File photo: Harvard Yard in autumn. Harvard's Restrictive Early Action deadline is Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. in the applicant's local time. Photo: Nina R from Africa / Wikimedia Commons, cropped, edited · Source · CC BY 2.0

Key dates

  1. Nov 1SunEarly Decision and Early Action deadline at Harvard, Yale, MIT, Penn, Brown and othersIn 2 days+ Google
  2. Nov 2MonDuke Early Decision deadlineIn 3 days+ Google
  3. Nov 30MonUniversity of California fall 2027 application filing period endsIn 31 days+ Google

Add all 3 dates to Apple Calendar or Outlook (.ics)

2 free printables below ↓

In this article
  1. Which colleges have a Nov. 1 early deadline?
  2. Why is Duke’s deadline Nov. 2?
  3. Which later rounds and release dates matter?
  4. Does Georgetown have Early Decision?
  5. What is the UC application deadline for fall 2027?
  6. Do the clocks change on deadline night?
  7. What could not be confirmed?
  8. Plan the week

Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, is the Early Decision (ED) and Early Action (EA) deadline at 10 of the 12 schools below, according to each admissions office. Duke is the exception at Monday, Nov. 2, and the University of California (UC) takes applications for the whole month. The deadline night is also when U.S. clocks fall back one hour at 2 a.m.

All dates come from each college’s own admissions page, checked Oct. 30, 2026.

Which colleges have a Nov. 1 early deadline?

CollegeEarly planEarly deadlineEarly decision releaseRegular deadline
HarvardRestrictive Early Action (REA)Sun., Nov. 1 (11:59 p.m. local time)By mid-DecemberFri., Jan. 1, 2027
YaleSingle-Choice Early ActionSun., Nov. 1Mid-DecemberSat., Jan. 2, 2027
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)Early ActionSun., Nov. 1Mid-DecemberMon., Jan. 4, 2027
University of PennsylvaniaEarly DecisionSun., Nov. 1DecemberTue., Jan. 5, 2027
BrownEarly DecisionSun., Nov. 1 (11:59 p.m. local time)Mid-DecemberTue., Jan. 5, 2027 (11:59 p.m. local time)
CornellEarly DecisionSun., Nov. 1Mid-DecemberSat., Jan. 2, 2027
Johns HopkinsEarly Decision ISun., Nov. 1Dec. 11, 2026Sat., Jan. 2, 2027
RiceEarly Decision ISun., Nov. 1By mid-DecemberMon., Jan. 4, 2027
VanderbiltEarly Decision ISun., Nov. 1Mid-DecemberFri., Jan. 1, 2027
GeorgetownEarly ActionSun., Nov. 1By Dec. 15Fri., Jan. 1, 2027
DukeEarly DecisionMon., Nov. 2Mid-DecemberMon., Jan. 4, 2027
UCSingle applicationNov. 1 to 30 (filing period)MarchNot applicable

Regular Decision (RD) is Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)‘s “Regular Action” and Harvard’s regular round. Weekdays are computed from the calendar. Where the table gives no time, the page we checked did not state one.

Why is Duke’s deadline Nov. 2?

Duke’s Early Decision deadline is Monday, Nov. 2, not Nov. 1, on its checklist page, which says the dates “represent the 2026-2027 admission cycle deadlines.” Duke’s Regular Decision deadline is Monday, Jan. 4, 2027. A student who plans around “Nov. 1 everywhere” gets one extra day at Duke, so check the date before relying on it.

Which later rounds and release dates matter?

  • Johns Hopkins: Early Decision II and Regular Decision are due Saturday, Jan. 2, 2027. Early Decision II decisions come Feb. 12, 2027 and Regular Decision decisions March 24, 2027.
  • Rice: Early Decision II and Regular Decision are due Monday, Jan. 4, 2027; Regular Decision decisions come by April 1.
  • Vanderbilt: Early Decision II and Regular Decision are due Friday, Jan. 1, 2027, with Early Decision II decisions in mid-February 2027.
  • Penn: Regular Decision decisions come in April; Cornell: late March.
  • Georgetown: Regular Decision decisions come by April 1.

Does Georgetown have Early Decision?

No. Georgetown offers Early Action only. Its site says, “Early Action applicants to Georgetown may not apply to any binding Early Decision programs.” Applying to Georgetown early therefore rules out a binding Early Decision application elsewhere.

What is the UC application deadline for fall 2027?

UC Admissions lists “November 1 - 30: Fall 2027 admission application filing period” on its 2026-27 dates page. The application opened Aug. 1, decisions come in March, and the Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) is due May 1. Nov. 30 is a Monday.

Do the clocks change on deadline night?

Yes. Daylight Saving Time (DST) ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, and clocks fall back one hour, so an 11:59 p.m. deadline that night is in standard time. For a student whose deadline is in Eastern Time (ET), nothing changes. Check the clock on your device and the time the portal shows. See when daylight saving time ends in 2026.

What could not be confirmed?

We could not check the admissions sites of Princeton, Columbia, Northwestern, Michigan, New York University (NYU), University of Virginia (UVA), Dartmouth, UChicago and Stanford, or the California State University dates, so no dates for them appear here. Confirm those on each college’s site.

Plan the week

Test dates and aid forms sit alongside these deadlines. See the SAT and ACT test dates for 2026-27 and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) 2027-28 deadlines. Mark the days on our November 2026 printable calendar or the printable school calendar, and print the one-page tracker below.

Free printable downloads

Every template is free, needs no sign-up and prints on US Letter paper. Choose PDF for printing or PNG for screens and documents.

Early Application Deadline Tracker 2026 printables

  • Early application deadline tracker 2026 with tick boxes for Nov. 1 deadlines

    Early Application Deadline Tracker 2026

    A one-page checklist of early application deadlines for 12 colleges, with Duke's Nov. 2 date and the UC Nov. 1-30 window.

    PDF · 1 page · US Letter

    Download PDFPNGSave
  • Early application deadline tracker 2026 with tick boxes for Nov. 1 deadlines, ink-saver version

    Early Application Deadline Tracker 2026 (ink saver)

    A one-page checklist of early application deadlines for 12 colleges, with Duke's Nov. 2 date and the UC Nov. 1-30 window. Ink-saver version.

    PDF · 1 page · US Letter

    Download PDFPNGSave
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Frequently asked questions

What is the early decision deadline in 2026?

Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026 at Penn, Brown, Cornell, Johns Hopkins, Rice and Vanderbilt, according to each college. Duke's Early Decision deadline is Monday, Nov. 2. Harvard, Yale, MIT and Georgetown use Early Action plans with Nov. 1 deadlines.

Is the Nov. 1 deadline Eastern Time?

Only some colleges say. Harvard and Brown state 11:59 p.m. in the applicant's local time. The other pages we checked do not state a time zone, so confirm the time on the college's own site.

Does Georgetown have Early Decision?

No. Georgetown offers Early Action, due Nov. 1, with decisions by Dec. 15. Its site says Early Action applicants may not apply to any binding Early Decision programs.

When is the UC application deadline for fall 2027?

The filing period is Nov. 1 to 30, 2026, according to UC Admissions. The application opened Aug. 1, and decisions come in March.

Do the clocks change on the deadline night?

Yes. Daylight Saving Time (DST) ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, and clocks fall back one hour. For a deadline in Eastern Time (ET) nothing changes, but check the clock on your device.

Sources

  1. First-Year Applicants - Harvard College (Harvard College, 2026-10-30)
  2. Application Deadlines (Yale University, 2026-10-30)
  3. Deadlines & requirements (MIT Admissions, 2026-10-30)
  4. First-Year Applicants (University of Pennsylvania, 2026-10-30)
  5. Application Checklist for First-Year Applicants (Brown University, 2026-10-30)
  6. First-Year Applicants (Cornell University, 2026-10-30)
  7. Application Deadlines & Requirements (Johns Hopkins University, 2026-10-30)
  8. First-Year Domestic Applicants (Rice University, 2026-10-30)
  9. Apply (Vanderbilt University, 2026-10-30)
  10. First Year Applicants (Georgetown University, 2026-10-30)
  11. Checklist and Deadlines (Duke University, 2026-10-30)
  12. Dates & deadlines - UC Admissions (University of California, 2026-10-30)

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