Anonymous
Post 01/06/2026 14:00     Subject: What Colleges Extending Application Due Date? (Lower apps?)

Are these schools offering free applications to anyone (not just need-based) after the due date? If so, that hits a bit for those who paid full price and got info in on time.
Anonymous
Post 01/06/2026 13:45     Subject: What Colleges Extending Application Due Date? (Lower apps?)

Colgate and Holy Cross have Jan15th RD deadline.
Anonymous
Post 01/06/2026 13:37     Subject: What Colleges Extending Application Due Date? (Lower apps?)

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:yale had a tech issue night of second deadline which is resulted it the second extension. but they, like many, always add a day or two extension at the end. kids put things off til the last minute and then their computer dies/mom gets sick/have to work. whatever. Another day or two is almost always allowed (except for Michigan!)


100% this. all over Twitter.

And NU got fewer apps than they expected by Jan 1.


Where did you hear NU got fewer apps?
Anonymous
Post 01/06/2026 13:23     Subject: Re:What Colleges Extending Application Due Date? (Lower apps?)

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
They are looking for certain demographics.
Nah, top school are already getting a decent cross section of students. PP's noting low admit rate are correct. That and high % of full pay students are goals.


They want more full pay but are offering fee waivers? You clearly have no clue what you are talking about, or what institutional priorities truly are. The tip top schools are desperate to maintain diversity.


Agree that they are not looking for "more full pay". AT ALL.
The ED/SCEA deferrals and denials are actually up this year from several local, top privates. Lots of kids denied outright with high 1550+, 3.9+, full pay (plus likely will donate further) who were denied left and right this year. And they're coming from high schools that in recent years have actually produced valedictorians at these colleges. So kids from their high schools are routinely killing it once at the colleges, paying full freight and the colleges are saying "no thanks, let's shake the tree for more applicants."

It is crazy practice.


Agree with this completely. My valedictorian DC with highest rigor, 1570, NMSQT, and international awards was rejected by Yale SCEA and we are full pay. I see that Yale is extending the deadline for everyone and I have no idea why my kid wasn't deferred.


Did your kid not really focus on that special Yale sauce ("and")? I mean, they look for it in the essays.
Remember that TJ kid from the podcast where they crucified him/her bc the kid clearly didn't get what was special about Yale.

All of these schools - with several hard essays - are looking to see that you've done the research, really and truly, to see how you "fit" them - and we aren't talking social fit. It's academic and community fit. Each application has a different feel. A Yale application would look 180 degrees different form a Cornell or Penn application for the SAME kid. If you don't get that, do your research.



+1
This should be its own thread.
Anonymous
Post 01/06/2026 13:14     Subject: What Colleges Extending Application Due Date? (Lower apps?)

Also, why not just do rolling admissions then?
Anonymous
Post 01/06/2026 13:14     Subject: What Colleges Extending Application Due Date? (Lower apps?)

I would love to know if any kids that apply with the extension and waiver get in
Anonymous
Post 01/06/2026 13:08     Subject: What Colleges Extending Application Due Date? (Lower apps?)

Anonymous wrote:It's idiotic though. Ivies are rejecting students who did everything right in high school, come with $95K in cash hand, and come from high schools that routinely produce the eventual valedictorians AT THE IVY. So the colleges know these kids are extraordinarily well-prepared, will rock the studies, will become the Ivy grads who go on to be successful in noteworthy ways... BUT no. They reject them.

All in favor of candidates that have yet to even apply. I get it if they are rejecting them for better (more diverse, whatever) candidates that they have in-hand. But rejecting these kids and then saying "please, please, please apply--we will make it free and we will extend our deadlines" just makes zero sense.

It's like enrollment management has gone off the deep end of crazy.


Yep. I have one of those ED rejected kids who did everything right and will be a massive success wherever she goes. It makes me angry that we paid $70 for that honor and now they're offering fee waivers.
Anonymous
Post 01/06/2026 12:53     Subject: Re:What Colleges Extending Application Due Date? (Lower apps?)

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
They are looking for certain demographics.
Nah, top school are already getting a decent cross section of students. PP's noting low admit rate are correct. That and high % of full pay students are goals.


They want more full pay but are offering fee waivers? You clearly have no clue what you are talking about, or what institutional priorities truly are. The tip top schools are desperate to maintain diversity.


Agree that they are not looking for "more full pay". AT ALL.
The ED/SCEA deferrals and denials are actually up this year from several local, top privates. Lots of kids denied outright with high 1550+, 3.9+, full pay (plus likely will donate further) who were denied left and right this year. And they're coming from high schools that in recent years have actually produced valedictorians at these colleges. So kids from their high schools are routinely killing it once at the colleges, paying full freight and the colleges are saying "no thanks, let's shake the tree for more applicants."

It is crazy practice.


Agree with this completely. My valedictorian DC with highest rigor, 1570, NMSQT, and international awards was rejected by Yale SCEA and we are full pay. I see that Yale is extending the deadline for everyone and I have no idea why my kid wasn't deferred.


Did your kid not really focus on that special Yale sauce ("and")? I mean, they look for it in the essays.
Remember that TJ kid from the podcast where they crucified him/her bc the kid clearly didn't get what was special about Yale.

All of these schools - with several hard essays - are looking to see that you've done the research, really and truly, to see how you "fit" them - and we aren't talking social fit. It's academic and community fit. Each application has a different feel. A Yale application would look 180 degrees different form a Cornell or Penn application for the SAME kid. If you don't get that, do your research.

Anonymous
Post 01/06/2026 12:50     Subject: What Colleges Extending Application Due Date? (Lower apps?)

Anonymous wrote:yale had a tech issue night of second deadline which is resulted it the second extension. but they, like many, always add a day or two extension at the end. kids put things off til the last minute and then their computer dies/mom gets sick/have to work. whatever. Another day or two is almost always allowed (except for Michigan!)


100% this. all over Twitter.

And NU got fewer apps than they expected by Jan 1.
Anonymous
Post 01/06/2026 12:50     Subject: What Colleges Extending Application Due Date? (Lower apps?)

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It's idiotic though. Ivies are rejecting students who did everything right in high school, come with $95K in cash hand, and come from high schools that routinely produce the eventual valedictorians AT THE IVY. So the colleges know these kids are extraordinarily well-prepared, will rock the studies, will become the Ivy grads who go on to be successful in noteworthy ways... BUT no. They reject them.

All in favor of candidates that have yet to even apply. I get it if they are rejecting them for better (more diverse, whatever) candidates that they have in-hand. But rejecting these kids and then saying "please, please, please apply--we will make it free and we will extend our deadlines" just makes zero sense.

It's like enrollment management has gone off the deep end of crazy.


Did you see this person’s post?

“I don't think they are looking for anyone, I think they are looking for money and increasingly selective admission rates”

I would not read into it beyond that.


+1 Harvard sent me an app post deadline 15 years ago and asked me to apply. I wouldn't have gotten in. It's just to boost their selectivity rate (I assume they don't care much about the application fee).
Anonymous
Post 01/06/2026 12:48     Subject: What Colleges Extending Application Due Date? (Lower apps?)

yale had a tech issue night of second deadline which is resulted it the second extension. but they, like many, always add a day or two extension at the end. kids put things off til the last minute and then their computer dies/mom gets sick/have to work. whatever. Another day or two is almost always allowed (except for Michigan!)
Anonymous
Post 01/06/2026 12:44     Subject: What Colleges Extending Application Due Date? (Lower apps?)

Anonymous wrote:It's idiotic though. Ivies are rejecting students who did everything right in high school, come with $95K in cash hand, and come from high schools that routinely produce the eventual valedictorians AT THE IVY. So the colleges know these kids are extraordinarily well-prepared, will rock the studies, will become the Ivy grads who go on to be successful in noteworthy ways... BUT no. They reject them.

All in favor of candidates that have yet to even apply. I get it if they are rejecting them for better (more diverse, whatever) candidates that they have in-hand. But rejecting these kids and then saying "please, please, please apply--we will make it free and we will extend our deadlines" just makes zero sense.

It's like enrollment management has gone off the deep end of crazy.


Did you see this person’s post?

“I don't think they are looking for anyone, I think they are looking for money and increasingly selective admission rates”

I would not read into it beyond that.
Anonymous
Post 01/06/2026 12:42     Subject: What Colleges Extending Application Due Date? (Lower apps?)

It's idiotic though. Ivies are rejecting students who did everything right in high school, come with $95K in cash hand, and come from high schools that routinely produce the eventual valedictorians AT THE IVY. So the colleges know these kids are extraordinarily well-prepared, will rock the studies, will become the Ivy grads who go on to be successful in noteworthy ways... BUT no. They reject them.

All in favor of candidates that have yet to even apply. I get it if they are rejecting them for better (more diverse, whatever) candidates that they have in-hand. But rejecting these kids and then saying "please, please, please apply--we will make it free and we will extend our deadlines" just makes zero sense.

It's like enrollment management has gone off the deep end of crazy.
Anonymous
Post 01/06/2026 12:38     Subject: Re:What Colleges Extending Application Due Date? (Lower apps?)

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
They are looking for certain demographics.
Nah, top school are already getting a decent cross section of students. PP's noting low admit rate are correct. That and high % of full pay students are goals.


They want more full pay but are offering fee waivers? You clearly have no clue what you are talking about, or what institutional priorities truly are. The tip top schools are desperate to maintain diversity.


Agree that they are not looking for "more full pay". AT ALL.
The ED/SCEA deferrals and denials are actually up this year from several local, top privates. Lots of kids denied outright with high 1550+, 3.9+, full pay (plus likely will donate further) who were denied left and right this year. And they're coming from high schools that in recent years have actually produced valedictorians at these colleges. So kids from their high schools are routinely killing it once at the colleges, paying full freight and the colleges are saying "no thanks, let's shake the tree for more applicants."

It is crazy practice.


Agree with this completely. My valedictorian DC with highest rigor, 1570, NMSQT, and international awards was rejected by Yale SCEA and we are full pay. I see that Yale is extending the deadline for everyone and I have no idea why my kid wasn't deferred.


What type of international awards? For the millionth time, schools are looking for more than stats once over a certain threshold.
Anonymous
Post 01/06/2026 12:37     Subject: What Colleges Extending Application Due Date? (Lower apps?)

Anonymous wrote:I don't think they are looking for anyone, I think they are looking for money and increasingly selective admission rates.


Agree with this