Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, lists November 15 as its Early Decision I deadline, with decisions within 30 days of the deadline. Families who want an aid estimate before deciding on Early Decision must submit materials by November 12. Irvine seniors have 10 days until the first-round deadline and 7 days until the aid estimate deadline.
Who Is Affected by the Franklin & Marshall Early Decision Deadline
The deadline applies to seniors who consider Franklin & Marshall their first choice or are comparing early rounds. The admissions page lists these dates:
| Round | Application deadline | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Early Decision I | November 15 | Within 30 days of the deadline |
| Early Decision II | January 15 | Within 30 days of the deadline |
| Regular Decision | January 15 | By April 1 |
Early Decision is binding: admitted students commit to enroll, and applicants sign an Early Decision Agreement on the Common App or the Coalition Application on Scoir. Switching rounds also has deadlines: students may switch from Regular Decision or Early Decision II to Early Decision I until December 9, and from Regular Decision to Early Decision II until February 3. Students who enroll through Early Decision I also receive a $1,000 F&M Experience Fund for an approved experiential learning opportunity beginning sophomore year.
What to Do Now About the Franklin & Marshall Application
Families seeking aid should decide whether to request an early estimate. The college can provide an estimate of need-based aid before an Early Decision commitment, but it states that the estimate is not a guaranteed package and does not imply admission. For Early Decision I, estimate materials are due November 12: the F&M application, the CSS Profile, the 2027-28 FAFSA and signed 2025 tax documents uploaded to IDOC. The college suggests that students still using the estimate to decide apply Regular Decision first and, after receiving the estimate, email the admission office to switch to Early Decision, with the agreement signed by the student, parents and counselor.
Confirm the required materials. The college requires a high school transcript, one academic teacher recommendation, one counselor recommendation, a $60 application fee and, later, a mid-year report. Franklin & Marshall has been test-optional for more than 30 years, considers scores only when they strengthen an application and superscores submitted results.
Submit aid documents with the application. The admissions page notes that missing financial aid documents can delay the release of a decision or adversely affect it.
For help choosing an early round, see the EDUBUS college admissions planning service; students who miss the first round can compare options in Early Decision II: Using a Binding January Deadline.
Sources
- Franklin & Marshall College: Applying to F&M (accessed November 5, 2026)
- Franklin & Marshall College: Early Decision Application Checklist (accessed November 5, 2026)
- Franklin & Marshall College: Early Financial Aid Estimate (accessed November 5, 2026)
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