Should I write essays in deadline order?
Deadline order is a good first pass, but prompts with large word counts or high overlap should start earlier even if their deadline is later.
A school-by-school list of Early Decision and Early Decision II deadlines, with links to essay prompts and source-checked school pages.
Providence, RI · 10 supplemental essays
Baltimore, MD · 1 supplemental essay
Houston, TX · 6 supplemental essays
Evanston, IL · 8 supplemental essays
Swarthmore, PA · 2 supplemental essays
Baltimore, MD · 1 supplemental essay
Houston, TX · 6 supplemental essays
Swarthmore, PA · 2 supplemental essays
Charlottesville, VA · 2 supplemental essays
Amherst, MA · 4 supplemental essays
New York, NY · 2 supplemental essays
Chestnut Hill, MA · 1 supplemental essay
Boston, MA · 1 supplemental essay
Waltham, MA · 1 supplemental essay
Pittsburgh, PA · 3 supplemental essays
Cleveland, OH · 1 supplemental essay
Claremont, CA · 1 supplemental essay
Williamsburg, VA · 1 supplemental essay
New York, NY · 6 supplemental essays
Ithaca, NY · 13 supplemental essays
Hanover, NH · 10 supplemental essays
Atlanta, GA · 2 supplemental essays
Bethlehem, PA · 1 supplemental essay
Middlebury, VT · 1 supplemental essay
New York, NY · 1 supplemental essay
Troy, NY · 1 supplemental essay
Medford, MA · 5 supplemental essays
New Orleans, LA · 1 supplemental essay
Chicago, IL · 2 supplemental essays
Philadelphia, PA · 3 supplemental essays
Rochester, NY · 1 supplemental essay
Nashville, TN · 1 supplemental essay
Lexington, VA · 1 supplemental essay
St. Louis, MO · 1 supplemental essay
Wellesley, MA · 1 supplemental essay
Durham, NC · 7 supplemental essays
Claremont, CA · 4 supplemental essays
Lewiston, ME · 1 supplemental essay
Lewisburg, PA · 1 supplemental essay
Northfield, MN · 1 supplemental essay
Waterville, ME · 1 supplemental essay
Hamilton, NY · 1 supplemental essay
Davidson, NC · 1 supplemental essay
Grinnell, IA · 1 supplemental essay
Clinton, NY · 1 supplemental essay
Claremont, CA · 1 supplemental essay
Haverford, PA · 1 supplemental essay
Gambier, OH · 1 supplemental essay
Saint Paul, MN · 1 supplemental essay
Poughkeepsie, NY · 1 supplemental essay
Winston-Salem, NC · 4 supplemental essays
Williamstown, MA · 1 supplemental essay
New York, NY · 1 supplemental essay
Troy, NY · 1 supplemental essay
Lewiston, ME · 1 supplemental essay
Chestnut Hill, MA · 1 supplemental essay
Waltham, MA · 1 supplemental essay
Waterville, ME · 1 supplemental essay
Atlanta, GA · 2 supplemental essays
Grinnell, IA · 1 supplemental essay
Bethlehem, PA · 1 supplemental essay
Saint Paul, MN · 1 supplemental essay
Middlebury, VT · 1 supplemental essay
New York, NY · 1 supplemental essay
Nashville, TN · 1 supplemental essay
Poughkeepsie, NY · 1 supplemental essay
Winston-Salem, NC · 4 supplemental essays
Lexington, VA · 1 supplemental essay
Boston, MA · 1 supplemental essay
Williamsburg, VA · 1 supplemental essay
Davidson, NC · 1 supplemental essay
St. Louis, MO · 1 supplemental essay
Clinton, NY · 1 supplemental essay
Medford, MA · 5 supplemental essays
Claremont, CA · 1 supplemental essay
Claremont, CA · 1 supplemental essay
Chicago, IL · 2 supplemental essays
Rochester, NY · 1 supplemental essay
Wellesley, MA · 1 supplemental essay
Haverford, PA · 1 supplemental essay
Claremont, CA · 4 supplemental essays
Lewisburg, PA · 1 supplemental essay
Northfield, MN · 1 supplemental essay
Cleveland, OH · 1 supplemental essay
Hamilton, NY · 1 supplemental essay
Gambier, OH · 1 supplemental essay
Deadline and supplement lists are only useful when they change what you do next. Add your schools in Jengo to map prompts, avoid repeated stories, and start the essays with the highest deadline pressure first.
Build your school list →Deadline order is a good first pass, but prompts with large word counts or high overlap should start earlier even if their deadline is later.
They can. Always confirm dates in the official application portal before submitting, especially around Early Decision II and Regular Decision.