Application Dates and Deadlines
Get the right information, for you
Discover which option makes sense, for you.
Learn about the different applicant types at Northwestern: QuestBridge, Early Decision, Regular Decision and Transfer. Be sure to note different requirements and deadlines.
QuestBridge Applicant | Early Decision Applicant | Regular Decision Applicant | Transfer Applicant | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Application Due Date | September 26, 2024 | November 1, 2024 | January 2, 2025 | March 15, 2025 |
Financial Aid Due Date | September 26, 2024 | December 1, 2024 | February 1, 2025 | March 15, 2025 |
Decision Release | December 2024 | December 2024 | March 2025 | Begins May 2025, ongoing |
*Visit the Undergraduate Financial Aid page for more information regarding 2024–25 deadlines.
QuestBridge
Northwestern partners with QuestBridge to help identify high school seniors who have shown outstanding academic ability despite financial challenges through a process called College Match.
Ranking colleges through the College Match means that you are entering an agreement with the college that if you are matched, you are committed to attending that college and you must withdraw any other college applications.
Eligibility
In order to be eligible to apply to the National College Match in the fall of 2024, applicants must graduate from high school during or before the summer of 2025 and plan to enroll as a freshman in college in the fall of 2025.
The QuestBridge National College Match is open to all:
- U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents or
- Students, regardless of citizenship, currently attending high school in the United States.
For more information on applying through QuestBridge, email us at QuestBridge@northwestern.edu or visit the Questbridge website.
Dates and Deadlines
See the QuestBridge website for dates and deadlines.
Early Decision
If you’ve done good college research and would be thrilled to land at Northwestern next fall, then Early Decision (ED) could be a good option for you. Applicants who choose ED send a strong, positive message to Northwestern. Given early applicants' high level of interest, and the academic and personal strength we see across our early pool, our ED acceptance rate is typically higher than that of Regular Decision (RD). As with all traditional ED plans, you agree to withdraw all applications at other colleges and enroll at Northwestern if admitted.
Your financial aid offer will be exactly the same whether you apply ED or RD. If you are considering ED but are concerned about cost, our Net Price Calculator tool can give you a preliminary estimate of whether you will qualify for need-based financial aid, and, if so, what your loan-free aid package will look like.
Dates and Deadlines
Regular Decision
Most students apply to Northwestern through Regular Decision, which allows them to potentially consider multiple offers of admission and financial aid. If you are interested, our Net Price Calculator tool can give you a preliminary estimate of whether you will qualify for need-based financial aid, and, if so, what your loan-free aid package will look like.
Dates and Deadlines
Transfer
Students who have enrolled in college courses after secondary-school graduation should apply for transfer admission. Note that Northwestern only considers transfer applications for fall-quarter enrollment. Successful transfer applicants typically arrive at Northwestern having completed at least one academic year of full-time college coursework (24 semester hours or 36 quarter hours).
Please note the following possible restrictions to transfer applications:
- The School of Communication: Theatre department spaces are only occasionally available.
- The Bienen School of Music: Contact the Bienen School of Music to inquire if a vacancy exists in your performance area and to schedule an audition. Due to the limited number of openings each year in the Bienen School of Music, transfer applicants are encouraged to audition in February during our published audition dates. If you wish to take your audition for the Bienen School in February, you must follow the application and prescreening deadlines above for Freshman Regular Decision. Transfer applicants who do not register for an audition by December 1 will have to wait until March 15 to schedule a live audition.
Dates and Deadlines
Applications that might require additional materials
Additional application requirements might be necessary for the following applicants:
- Bienen School of Music applicants
- School of Communication applicants to the Music Theater Certificate Program
- Integrated Science Program applicants
- Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences applicants