Why Are College Application Deadlines So Early?

I still can’t fathom why college application deadlines are during the fall and early winter of the senior year.  The UC and CSU (California state universities) deadlines are on Nov 30^th – that’s only 3 months into 12^th grade and just days after Thanksgiving.  I don’t believe seniors are really ready to select each of the colleges to which they will apply this early in their last year of high school. Every year I see students cramming and stressed out to meet that deadline.  Most haven’t yet visited the colleges and end up making decisions based on what their friends are doing or parents recommend – not what’s best for them.  

Then, most private college application deadlines are on January 1^st.  What cruel person(s) came up with New Years’ Day? Knowing that the majority of students wait until the last minute, that means that New Years Eve plans for the students – and their parents, mentors, and friends – are ruined. What’s worse, colleges aren’t open on January 1^st because it is a legal holiday! So students can’t get answers to their last-minute questions, and stress levels are off the charts!

I believe that students really aren’t mature enough and ready to make college admissions decisions until the end of their senior year.  Why don’t colleges accept students after their graduation so they can include the students’ senior grades in their overall GPA?  Most students, especially boys, don’t realize the seriousness of their GPA and course selections until their junior year when it’s really too late to make a difference in the college application process.  And, most importantly, students could apply to college when they are completely free of high school pressures and make smart choices about where they will spend the next 4 years of their lives.