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 Regular Decision deadlines for applicants planning essays, recommendations, and final revisions.
Gainesville, FL · 1 supplemental essay
Berkeley, CA · 8 supplemental essays
Davis, CA · 1 supplemental essay
Irvine, CA · 1 supplemental essay
Los Angeles, CA · 1 supplemental essay
La Jolla, CA · 1 supplemental essay
Santa Barbara, CA · 1 supplemental essay
Austin, TX · 4 supplemental essays
New York, NY · 2 supplemental essays
Chestnut Hill, MA · 1 supplemental essay
Waltham, MA · 1 supplemental essay
Bethlehem, PA · 1 supplemental essay
Needham, MA · 1 supplemental essay
Notre Dame, IN · 2 supplemental essays
Poughkeepsie, NY · 1 supplemental essay
Winston-Salem, NC · 4 supplemental essays
Williamsburg, VA · 1 supplemental essay
Davidson, NC · 1 supplemental essay
St. Louis, MO · 1 supplemental essay
Pasadena, CA · 3 supplemental essays
Pittsburgh, PA · 3 supplemental essays
Charlottesville, VA · 2 supplemental essays
Boston, MA · 1 supplemental essay
Atlanta, GA · 1 supplemental essay
Clinton, NY · 1 supplemental essay
Cambridge, MA · 4 supplemental essays
Medford, MA · 2 supplemental essays
Claremont, CA · 1 supplemental essay
Claremont, CA · 1 supplemental essay
New York, NY · 1 supplemental essay
Champaign, IL · 2 supplemental essays
Rochester, NY · 1 supplemental essay
Lexington, VA · 1 supplemental essay
New York, NY · 1 supplemental essay
Lewiston, ME · 1 supplemental essay
Lewisburg, PA · 1 supplemental essay
Northfield, MN · 1 supplemental essay
Cleveland, OH · 1 supplemental essay
Grinnell, IA · 1 supplemental essay
Haverford, PA · 1 supplemental essay
Gambier, OH · 1 supplemental essay
Saint Paul, MN · 1 supplemental essay
Troy, NY · 1 supplemental essay
New Orleans, LA · 1 supplemental essay
Chapel Hill, NC · 2 supplemental essays
Los Angeles, CA · 3 supplemental essays
Ann Arbor, MI · 2 supplemental essays
Madison, WI · 1 supplemental essay
Terre Haute, IN · 1 supplemental essay
Philadelphia, PA · 2 supplemental essays
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.