WashU Application Deadlines: Key Dates for 2026-2027

WashU’s application deadline depends on which of four rounds you choose. Early Action (EA) and Early Decision I (ED I) close on November 2, 2026, while Early Decision II (ED II) and Regular Decision (RD) close on January 4, 2027. Financial aid forms and counselor materials each have their own cutoffs as well, and missing one can delay your aid offer or cost you priority scholarship review.

This guide lists every WashU application deadline for the 2026–2027 cycle, from first-year rounds to transfer windows and financial aid. If you’re applying to WashU this year, keep this page handy as you plan your fall.

• When Is the WashU Application Deadline?
• WashU Transfer Application Deadline
• WashU Financial Aid Application Deadline
• Beat WashU’s Application Deadline with Expert Help
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Takeaways

When Is the WashU Application Deadline?

WashU sets two deadline dates for first-year applicants, and each date covers two rounds. The Common App and Coalition App both open on August 1, 2026, so you have three to five months to finish your application, depending on the round you pick.

Source: WashU Undergraduate Admissions Office

These dates apply only if you’re applying as a first-year student. Transfer applicants and anyone filing for financial aid work on separate calendars, which we break down later in this guide.

WashU Early Action deadline

WashU’s EA deadline is November 2, 2026. Your counselor has until November 9 to send your school report, transcript, and teacher evaluation, so ask for these early in the fall. EA decisions arrive by December 23, and if you’re admitted, you have until May 1, 2027 to respond.

Because EA is non-binding, you can compare WashU’s offer and aid package against other schools before you commit.

If WashU defers you, you choose where your application goes next: the ED II pool or the RD pool. Moving to ED II gives you an answer sooner, though it also turns your application into a binding one.

Some EA applicants are denied outright instead of deferred.

WashU Early Decision deadline

WashU’s ED I deadline is November 2, 2026, and the ED II deadline is January 4, 2027. Both rounds carry the same binding terms, but each one runs on its own schedule.

For ED I, school materials are due November 9, decisions arrive by December 11, and admitted students reply by January 4, 2027. For ED II, school materials are due January 11, decisions arrive by February 12, and the reply date is March 1, 2027.

If WashU admits you, you must enroll and withdraw your applications elsewhere. You can apply ED to only one school at a time, which makes ED II useful if another school turns you down in its first early round.

Applicants who are not admitted in either ED round may be deferred to RD or denied.

Keep the scholarship timing in mind. WashU makes academic scholarship decisions well after both ED notification dates, so you commit before you know whether you’ll receive merit aid. If a merit scholarship decides whether you can attend, RD lets you hold off on committing until you have more information.

WashU Regular Decision deadline

WashU’s RD deadline is January 4, 2027, the same day ED II closes. School materials are due January 11, decisions come out by April 1, and admitted students have until May 1, 2027 to respond.

RD carries no commitment, and you get the full spring to weigh offers. If WashU is your top choice and you’re deciding between RD and ED II in late December, the difference comes down to commitment and timing. ED II binds you to enroll but gives you an answer about seven weeks sooner.

Already submitted? See when WashU decisions come out

After you submit, your focus shifts to the release date for your round. Our guide on when WashU decisions come out covers every notification date, how WashU releases results, and what to do while you wait.

WashU Transfer Application Deadline

WashU’s transfer application deadline is October 15, 2026 for spring 2027 entry and March 1, 2027 for fall 2027 entry.

The spring application opens September 1, and decisions go out by November 20, with a reply due November 30. The fall application opens November 1, decisions arrive by May 7, and admitted students reply by May 20.

Spring admission has tighter limits. It is open only to College of Arts & Sciences applicants who have finished at least one semester at another college. If you’re an international student, you must already be enrolled at a US university to apply for spring.

WashU Financial Aid Application Deadline

WashU’s financial aid deadlines follow your application round:

Source: WashU Undergraduate Admissions Office

You’ll submit the CSS Profile, plus the FAFSA if you’re a US citizen or permanent resident. If your parents are divorced or separated, you’ll also need the Noncustodial Parent Statement. All required forms share one due date per round.

Filing late can delay your offer. This matters most in the ED rounds, where you have only a few weeks to accept. Indicating that you’re applying for aid also gets your $75 application fee waived.

International applicants face stricter rules. If you’re an international first-year student, you can receive need-based aid only if you apply for it during the admission process. You won’t be eligible after you get your decision or at any point during your four years. International transfer applicants are not eligible for WashU financial aid.

Beat WashU’s Application Deadline with Expert Help

Your first big decision with WashU comes before you write a single essay. You have to pick a round, and that choice now covers a non-binding early option, two binding ones, and RD.

AdmissionSight’s Standard College Counseling program gives you an advisor for the full application cycle. Your advisor helps you choose a round, build your school list, shape your essays, and set a timeline that gets each piece done before its due date.

Some students need help with one piece instead of the whole process. Our Ad Hoc Consulting sessions cover specific tasks, such as deciding between EA and ED I or checking your application one last time before November 2.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What if I miss the WashU application deadline?

If you miss the November 2 deadline for EA and ED I, you can still apply through ED II or RD by January 4, 2027. Missing January 4 closes your options for this cycle, and you would need to wait until applications reopen on August 1, 2027.

2. Should I apply Early Action or Early Decision to WashU?

Choose ED if WashU is your clear first choice and you’re ready to commit without comparing offers. EA fits better if WashU ranks high on your list but you want to weigh its aid package against other schools before May 1.

3. What happens if WashU defers my early application?

A deferred ED applicant moves to the RD pool for another review. A deferred EA applicant chooses between ED II and RD, and choosing ED II makes your application binding.

4. Does applying Early Decision affect my WashU scholarship chances?

Your need-based aid is calculated the same way in every round. Merit scholarships work differently, because WashU decides them after both ED notification dates, so you commit before you know whether you’ve received one.

5. When is the WashU transfer application deadline?

WashU’s transfer deadline is October 15, 2026 for spring entry and March 1, 2027 for fall entry.

Takeaways

• WashU’s application deadline is November 2, 2026 for EA and ED I and January 4, 2027 for ED II and RD.
• Transfer applicants can apply for spring by October 15, 2026 or for fall by March 1, 2027.
• Financial aid forms are due November 17 for EA and ED I, January 11 for ED II, and February 1 for RD.
• WashU’s calendar packs admissions and financial aid dates into a few months, and working with a college admissions expert can help you pick the right round and meet each cutoff.