Once applications are submitted, many families breathe a sigh of relief and stop watching the calendar. From decision release in March through mid-July, however, there are still four steps with firm deadlines, and missing any one of them can affect enrollment. The dates below use University of California admission for fall 2027 as the example.
The four dates
March 1 to 31: admission decisions are released. Some campuses may release decisions earlier. The same student will hear from different campuses at different times, and there is no need to decide based on the earliest result received.
March 2: financial aid deadline. The FAFSA, the California Dream Act Application and the GPA Verification Form are all due on this date. Note that it falls before most admission decisions are released: families who need financial aid must submit their materials before knowing the admission results.
May 1: submit the Statement of Intent to Register (SIR). Admitted first-year students must confirm enrollment by this date. It is also the common national reply date for non-restrictive admission plans, and each college’s financial aid offer usually arrives before then.
July 1 and July 15: final transcripts and test scores. The final high school transcript must be sent by July 1, and official AP and IB scores must be sent by July 15.
What happens if a date is missed
Missing March 2: Financial aid eligibility for that year may be lost outright, and this usually cannot be remedied. Of the four dates, this one carries the most serious consequence.
Missing May 1: The offer of admission may be canceled. A student who genuinely needs an extension must contact the university in advance and cannot assume the university will wait.
Missing the two July dates: The final transcript is one of the conditions of admission, and a transcript showing a significant drop in grade 12 grades can also lead to the admission being rescinded. Late AP scores affect credit and course placement after enrollment, and the student may be required to retake a course for which the AP exam was already passed. The official meaning of AP scores is explained in What AP scores 1 to 5 officially mean.
Two more things to do during this period
Maintain grade 12 grades. Admission is conditional, and the final semester is not a semester to relax. Among Chinese families, this is the point most easily misunderstood: being admitted does not mean the outcome is final.
Check course and credit policies. After confirming enrollment, find out as early as possible how the university awards credit for each AP subject taken. This affects the first-year schedule and the actual time needed to graduate.
What EDUBUS recommends
The EDUBUS view is that entering these four dates in the family calendar in February is far easier than looking each one up after decisions arrive. This is especially true of the March 2 financial aid deadline, which comes earlier than most families expect when they plan to wait for results first. The full application and enrollment plan is covered in University Admissions Planning.
Sources
- University of California Admissions: Dates and deadlines for first-year applicants (accessed September 27, 2026)
- Early Decision vs. Early Action: Which Are BindingCommon App, following NACAC definitions, separates binding Early Decision from nonbinding Early Action. This guide compares the restrictions and reply dates of each plan.
- UC Application Timeline: From August 1 to May 1The UC application for fall 2027 opens August 1, closes November 30, releases decisions in March, and requires a reply by May 1. Seven dates Irvine seniors need to plan.
- School Spotlight: Sage Hill SchoolSage Hill School serves grades 7 to 12 and asks for ISEE or SSAT scores. This profile covers the facts, the application checklist and the 2026-27 dates.
- SSAT Prep Guide for Private School ApplicantsThe 2026-27 testing year offers six standard SSAT dates with fixed deadlines. This guide covers registration, testing formats, score reporting and a six-month countdown.
