Boston University application deadlines for Fall 2027

1. Early DecisionNovember 2, 2026in about a month

   Boston University Early Decision I application deadline

   BU's Early Decision is binding, so if you're admitted you're committing to enroll and withdrawing your applications everywhere else. You apply through the Common App, and BU wants your CSS Profile and FAFSA on that very same day, so don't treat financial aid as a later step. Decisions come out in mid-December, which means you'll know months before most of your classmates. Only go this route if BU is clearly your first choice and the aid estimate works for your family.

   If you miss it: You lose the early round entirely and would have to apply Regular Decision instead, giving up the December answer and the admit-rate advantage that ED usually carries.

   Open the pageSource: BU Admissions, Important Deadlines
2. CSS ProfileNovember 2, 2026in about a month

   Boston University CSS Profile and FAFSA deadline for Early Decision

   If you're applying Early Decision and you want need-based aid, your CSS Profile and FAFSA are due the same day as the application itself, not weeks afterward. Use CSS school code 3087 and BU's federal FAFSA code 002130, and put your Social Security number on the Profile, the FAFSA, and the Common App so BU can match your forms without delays. Because ED is binding, this is your only chance to see a real aid offer before you're locked in. BU recommends registering for the Profile two to three weeks ahead, so start in October.

   If you miss it: You could end up admitted under a binding agreement with no financial aid package in hand, and BU-funded need-based grant aid may not be available to you at all.

   Open the pageSource: BU Admissions, Important Deadlines
3. ScholarshipsDecember 1, 2026in about 2 months

   Boston University merit scholarship deadline (Presidential Scholarship)

   BU's merit scholarships, including the half-tuition Presidential Scholarship, have no separate application form, but you have to submit your admission application by December 1 to be considered. That's more than a month before the Regular Decision deadline, so if merit money matters to you, you can't leave the application until January. There's no extra essay and no separate portal, just an earlier submit date on the application you were writing anyway. It's open to US citizens, permanent residents, and international students.

   If you miss it: You stay eligible for admission but drop out of the running for the Presidential Scholarship, which is worth half of tuition every year, roughly $36,000 a year at current rates.

   Open the pageSource: BU Admissions, Merit Scholarship for First-Year Students; BU Admissions, Important Deadlines
4. Early Decision IIJanuary 5, 2027in about 3 months

   Boston University Early Decision II application deadline

   Early Decision 2 is BU's second binding round. It's due on the same day as Regular Decision but gets you an answer in early February instead of late March. It's a good fit if BU became your top choice after the November deadline passed, or if a December decision somewhere else didn't go your way. The commitment is every bit as binding as ED I, so be confident about the cost before you sign, and remember your CSS Profile and FAFSA are due the same day.

   If you miss it: You miss the last binding round. You could still be read in Regular Decision, but you'd wait until late March for a decision and give up the ED admit-rate edge.

   Open the pageSource: BU Admissions, Important Deadlines
5. Regular DecisionJanuary 5, 2027in about 3 months

   Boston University Regular Decision application deadline

   This is BU's standard, non-binding deadline and the one most applicants use. You apply through the Common App, and your CSS Profile and FAFSA are due on the exact same day, which catches out a lot of students who assume the aid forms come later. You'll hear back in late March and then have until May 1 to decide. BU doesn't run a rolling or late round for first-year students, so this really is the last call.

   If you miss it: Your application won't be considered for fall 2027 entry at all. There's no later first-year round, so you'd be looking at waiting a full year or coming in later as a transfer.

   Open the pageSource: BU Admissions, Important Deadlines
6. Financial aidJanuary 5, 2027in about 3 months

   Boston University financial aid deadline for Regular Decision and ED 2

   For Regular Decision and Early Decision 2, BU needs both your CSS Profile and your FAFSA by the application deadline to consider you for university-funded need-based aid. This isn't a soft priority date, it's the deadline, and BU-funded grants are where most of the real money is for the majority of families. Use CSS code 3087 and FAFSA code 002130, and include your Social Security number on the Profile, the FAFSA, and the Common App. If your parents are divorced or separated, your noncustodial parent has to file a separate Profile, so give yourself weeks, not days.

   If you miss it: You risk losing BU-funded need-based grant aid, which can run to tens of thousands of dollars a year, even if you're still admitted on the academic side.

   Open the pageSource: BU Admissions, Important Deadlines; BU Financial Assistance
7. DepositMay 1, 2027in about 7 months

   Boston University enrollment deposit deadline (Regular Decision)

   If you're admitted in the Regular Decision round, May 1 is when you pay your enrollment deposit to hold your place in the class. This is the national reply date, so it's also your window to line up every offer you've received and choose one. Admitted Early Decision applicants pay much sooner, in early to mid January for ED I and late February for ED 2. You pay through the MyBU applicant portal, so make sure you can log in well before the day itself.

   If you miss it: Your offer of admission can be withdrawn and your seat handed to a student on the waitlist, with no obligation on BU's part to reinstate you.

   Open the pageSource: BU Admissions, Important Deadlines

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