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How Admissions Works

The mechanics behind a US admissions decision — deadlines, review, and what each part weighs.

Deferred in Early Decision? Your Deadlines and Options for 2026-27

Regular Decision Deadlines 2026-27: Every Date for 238 Colleges

Do College Interviews Matter? 42 of 70 Schools Say 'Not Considered' (2026)

Which Colleges Actually Read Recommendation Letters — 27 Rate Them Very Important, 11 Never Open Them (2026)

Legacy Admissions in 2026: Zero Colleges Call It Important, 37 Say Not Considered

The 34 Colleges That Rate Your Essay 'Very Important' — and the 8 That Barely Read It (2026)

How Much Do Test Scores Matter? What 73 Colleges Wrote Down (2026)

Does Class Rank Matter for College? The Factor Schools Disagree About Most (2026)

Demonstrated Interest: Which Colleges Say It Counts, and the 42 That Say It Does Not (2026)

What Colleges Say They Look For: 73 Schools' Own Answers (2026)

The Closest Thing to a Fit Score Is Already Published

The Acceptance Rate You See Is Not the One You Face

Colleges Stopped Counting Their Applicants

Auburn Was 44% One Year and 85% Another

What a 370-Point SAT Range Is Telling You

A Low Acceptance Rate Isn't a High Bar

Why Every Site Gives You a Different Acceptance Rate for the Same School

Recommendation Letters: Who to Ask, When to Ask, and the Email That Makes It Easy

Three Kinds of Blank: What a College Leaves Out of Its Own Filing

Supplemental Essays: Where to Start When Every School Wants Something Different

Articles on PrepToDone are for informational purposes only and do not guarantee admission outcomes. All predictions are data-based estimates derived from publicly available data.