First-Year Applicants

Requirements and Deadlines

Required Application Components

Application Deadlines

Submit your Common Application by 11:59 p.m. (in your local timezone) on the listed date. Click below to view details.

Restrictive Early Action

  • Common Application Deadline: October 15
  • Arts Portfolio Materials Deadline: October 20
  • Notification of Missing Documents: by mid-November
  • Decision Released: by mid-December
  • Student Reply Date: May 1

Please note: If you intend to submit an REA application with an Optional Arts Portfolio, you must submit the Common Application by October 15. Your transcripts), School Report, and teacher/counselor letters of recommendation, can be submitted by November 1.

  • Common Application Deadline: November 1
  • Notification of Missing Documents: by mid-November
  • Decision Released: by mid-December
  • Student Reply Date: May 1

Regular Decision

  • Common Application Deadline: December 5
  • Arts Portfolio Materials Deadline: December 10
  • Notification of Missing Documents: by mid-February
  • Decision Released: by early April
  • Student Reply Date: May 1

Please note: If you intend to submit an RD application with an Optional Arts Portfolio, you must submit the Common Application by December 5. Your transcripts), School Report, and teacher/counselor letters of recommendation, can be submitted by January 5.

  • Common Application Deadline: January 5
  • Notification of Missing Documents: by mid-February
  • Decision Released: by early April
  • Student Reply Date: May 1

Decision Release

The exact day and time of a decision release will be posted on our News & Announcements webpage a few days in advance. Please refer to your decision plan above for the anticipated timeline. Applicants will be sent an email when the decision is available in their Stanford portal if they are not already logged in at the time of the decision release.

Stanford reserves the right to evaluate an application and render a final decision even if all pieces of the application have not been received.

Students are limited to a total of three applications for undergraduate admission, whether for first-year admission, transfer admission or a combination of both. If you have submitted fewer than three applications to Stanford, you may reapply.

Updated on July 22, 2026 3:29 PM