Application deadlines closing soon

Dates on this page are read off each program's own page and rechecked; anything we cannot confirm is listed as Deadline TBA instead of guessed.

Closing this week (14)

Seven days or fewer. If any of these fit you, start today.

Closing this month (109)

Eight to thirty days out — still enough time for a recommendation letter.

Closing in the next three months (138)

Far enough out to plan properly, close enough to put in your calendar.

Opening soon (109)

Applications are not live yet, but these programs publish an opening date.

How to use a deadline list

Most lists of high school programs are written once and left to rot, so by the time you read one, half the dates belong to a cycle that already closed. The dates here come from the official program page, and a listing only carries a date when that page states one for the coming cycle — otherwise it says Deadline TBA rather than repeating last year's date with the year changed.

Work backwards from the deadline, not forwards from today. A recommendation letter needs two to three weeks of notice to be any good, transcripts can take a week to arrive, and the strongest essays are the ones that sat in a drawer for a few days before you sent them. A program closing in ten days is realistic; the same program closing in three is usually not.

Apply to a spread, not a single favourite. Free national programs are the most competitive things on this page precisely because they cost nothing to enter, so pair one or two reaches with something local — a university near you, a state program, a hospital or museum in your city.

Frequently asked questions

How often are these deadlines checked?

Each date was read off the program's official page when the listing was added or last reviewed, and the quote it rests on is stored with the listing. Dates that could not be confirmed are shown as Deadline TBA rather than estimated.

Why do some programs say Deadline TBA?

Because the program has not published its next cycle yet. Many open applications in the autumn for the following summer, so a listing marked TBA in September often has a date by November. Those are worth checking back on.

What does Opening soon mean?

The program has announced when applications open but has not opened them yet. Note the date, prepare your materials in the meantime, and apply early in the window — some programs review on a rolling basis.

I missed a deadline. Is that it?

Almost always, no. Nearly every program on HSO runs annually, so a closed deadline means you are early for next year rather than late for this one. Use the time to build the project or coursework the application will ask about.