The University of Utah is shifting some of its admissions and merit scholarship deadlines for the upcoming 2021-2022 school year, in an effort to accommodate a more student-centered admissions process.
The Office of Admissions will be moving the merit scholarship consideration deadline from Feb. 1 to Dec. 1. Dec. 1 also will serve as the “early action” admissions deadline. The university’s second early action deadline—previously on Feb. 1 each year—will be eliminated to allow admissions staff to roll out decisions more quickly to students who submit applications after Dec. 1. Students who apply by Dec. 1 will be considered for scholarships and admission and will be notified of their admissions decision by mid-January. Scholarship decisions will be released by mid-February.
The changes will allow the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships to announce merit scholarships much sooner, said John Marfield, executive director of the Office of Admissions.
“In light of the pressures that the COVID-19 pandemic has put on students, we pushed our scholarship deadline to February 1 last year to give families extra time to complete their applications,” Marfield said. “Moving the deadline back to Dec. 1 next year will allow our applicants to receive their decisions and scholarship notifications much earlier.”
The new deadlines will be:
- Dec. 1– Early Action Admissions deadline and Merit Scholarship deadline
- Jan. 15– Early Action Admissions Notifications
- Early February – Rolling Admissions Begin
- Mid-February– Merit Scholarship Notifications
- April 1– Final Admissions deadline
The changes will go into effect for students applying in the next admissions cycle. The Common Application for the 2021-22 school year will open on August 1. Marfield is optimistic the new deadlines will streamline the application process for newly admitted students, allowing them and their families to commit to come to the university sooner.
“We see glimpses of normal life returning to Salt Lake City and the campus, and our recruitment team can’t wait to start meeting future Utah students this summer and fall,” he added.