Deadline update, 2024–2025: First-year application trends through January 1

By January 1, 2025, 1,228,016 first-year applicants were applying through Common App to 863 returning member institutions. This reflects a continued upward trend in both participation and application activity.

Some background on the students who applied:

• Growth is fastest among underrepresented minority (URM) applicants, underscoring increasing diversity in the applicant pool.
• Domestic applicant growth was most rapid in the Southwest region, reflecting regional recruitment trends.
• Fee waiver eligibility rose at a faster pace than non-eligibility, signaling more students with financial need are applying.
• Applications to public institutions grew faster than those to private institutions, indicating shifts in institutional choice.