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Many students start college in the fall after they graduate high school, but their planning and applying starts years before.

College application timeline template

Application deadlines may be in the fall or winter of senior year, and completing each step on the path to college might start as early as freshman year.

This article answers all your questions about when to apply for college: when do you complete each step of the process, and when are your college deadlines?

After reading this, you'll know exactly when to apply to college and what steps are needed.

When Do the Majority of Students Apply to College?

Most students apply to college in their senior year of high school. They graduate in May or June and then start college in September of that same year.

Most schools offer multiple options for when to submit your applications.

These different options are known as admissions plans, and each plan usually has its own deadlines, requirements, and, sometimes, restrictions. The admissions plans that you’ll encounter as you research different schools include the following: early decision, ea