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There are few deadlines that loom larger over senior students’ heads than the November 1st Early Decision application deadline imposed by many universities.
However, this weekend, as Hurricane Sandy churned toward the eastern seaboard, some institutions extended their deadlines due to the storm’s looming impact.
“Due to the weather system moving up the Atlantic Coast, we wanted to assure our applicants and their counselors that we will be flexible with our November 1 deadline for submitting all documents,” wrote the Admission Office of Boston College in an email to prospective students. “While the storm’s actual track remains uncertain, we want to assure anyone who might be affected by it that they will be afforded extra time to complete their applications.”
For some students, the delay was a welcome extension to months of procrastination.
“I’m really appreciative that some schools have extended their deadlines,” said Daniel Ciotoli ’13, who is applying to a school that granted an extension. “However, to be honest I should have gotten my applications done way before the deadlines because working up to the last minute has caused a lot of unnecessary stress.”
Admissions Officers from Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania sent emails similar to BC’s regarding their Early Decision deadlines, with Columbia extending its due date to Monday, November 5th and the University of Pennsylvania extending until 11:59 p.m. on the evening of November 6th. Yale University also extended its Early Action deadline to the 5th.
Other schools, like the University of Miami and the University of Vermont, have also extended their deadlines, according to College Confidential postings.
This marks the second time in as many years that many universities were forced to extend their application deadlines, with last year’s delay a result of a late October blizzard.
For students like Ryan Greenberg ’13, the delay is of no consequence.
“I think I’m greeting Sandy with more open arms than some of my peers because I finished my applications about a month ago,” he said. “And I also have a generator.”
Greenberg wasn’t the only one who’s more than ready for the deadline Thursday. In fact, some students aren’t enthusiastic about the extension.
I was secretly hoping they wouldn’t delay anything,” said Georgie Talbot ’13, “because then maybe there would be less applicants if people missed the deadline.”
