If the answer was no, or not yet
A denial or a deferral hurts, and it is allowed to. It is one college reading one file in one year, often with more qualified applicants than seats. It is not a verdict on you. When you are ready, here is what the numbers actually say about what comes next.
If you were deferred
A deferral means your application will be read again with Regular Decision. Read the letter closely: some colleges want a mid-year report and nothing else, some welcome a short update, a few ask you not to send anything. If updates are welcome, one short letter with real news (new grades, a result, a role) is enough. Keep your other applications moving on their own deadlines; a deferral is a reason to widen the list, not to wait.
Regular Decision deadlines still ahead
Still open as of October 25, 2026, from each college's own 2026-27 calendar. Confirm in the application before you submit.
Early Decision II deadlines still ahead
Early Decision II is binding like ED I, with a later deadline. Apply only to a college you would choose over every other.
Colleges with rolling admission
These colleges read applications as they arrive, so applying sooner helps.
Open doors with strong outcomes
Among colleges admitting more than half of applicants, 174 graduate at least 70% of students within six years. The twelve highest are below.
Estimates, never guarantees. The calculator covers 1,100+ colleges and shows where your profile sits against each one's admitted students. Add the ones you like to My Schools and every deadline lands on one calendar.
Questions
I was rejected early. Do I still have options this year?
Yes. As of October 25, 2026, 92 of the colleges whose 2026-27 calendar we verified on their own sites still have a Regular Decision deadline ahead, and 47 still take Early Decision II applications. Across the 1,094 colleges with a federal admit rate in our data, 906 (83%) admit more than half of their applicants.
What does a deferral mean?
A deferral moves your early application into the Regular Decision pool, where it is read again with the rest. It is not a denial. Many colleges ask for a mid-year grade report; read the letter for exactly what they will accept, and send only what they ask for, such as a short letter of continued interest with real updates.
Do students at less selective colleges graduate?
At the 894 colleges admitting more than half of applicants that report it, the median six-year graduation rate is 56% and 174 of them graduate 70% or more. The median share of first-year students who return for a second year is 76% (College Scorecard).
Do people get off the waitlist?
Sometimes, and it varies widely. Among 57 colleges that publish waitlist results in their Common Data Set, the median share admitted of those who stayed on the list is 7.7%. Accept the spot only if you would go, and make a deposit somewhere else by May 1.