Can a program establish a deadline for acceptance of an offer of admission to a graduate program before April 15, if there is no offer of full tuition support, a graduate fellowship, traineeship or assistantship?
If there is no offer of full tuition support, a graduate fellowship, traineeship or assistantship stated or implied by the offer of admission (such as the promise to be considered for a teaching assistant position), an admission offer deadline before April 15 is permissible. The April 15 Resolution only applies to offers of full tuition support, a graduate fellowship, traineeship, or assistantship.
If a signatory institution requires acceptance of an offer of admission and full tuition support, a graduate fellowship, traineeship or assistantship before April 15 for the Fall term, what should an applicant or other program that may also have extended an offer of admission to the applicant do?
Advice for applicants:
Typically, graduate programs will include a statement in any letter of admission with full tuition support, a graduate fellowship, traineeship or assistantship that they adhere to the terms of the April 15 Resolution. If there is no statement in the letter of admission, applicants should ask the program if they abide by the April 15 Resolution.
Not all graduate programs adhere to the April 15 Resolution. For example, there could be some Master’s or PhD programs that are not within the purview of the Graduate School and its Dean (for example, MBA programs in some Schools of Business or graduate programs in other professional schools) and those programs may or may not adhere to expectations of the April 15 Resolution.
Advice for graduate program directors:
Applicants may advise your program that they have received offers of admission with full tuition support, a graduate fellowship, traineeship or assistantship from another program but with a deadline for acceptance prior to April 15. Ask them to send you a copy of the offer letter/email with the earlier deadline, then contact your graduate dean’s office. Graduate deans are encouraged to communicate with the non-compliant institution’s graduate dean directly to inform them of the violation. The graduate dean at the non-compliant institution should then address the problem with the department in violation of the terms of the resolution. NOTE: if the institution is not a signatory to the April 15 Resolution, it is not in violation to have a deadline before April 15.
What if an applicant accepts an offer of full tuition support, a graduate fellowship, traineeship or assistantship and then wants to accept an offer from a different program or institution?
In some situations, an applicant may accept an offer of full tuition support, a graduate fellowship, traineeship or assistantship from one graduate program and then may receive an offer from a program at a different institution whose program better aligns with their career goals and aspirations. In cases that occur prior to and up to April 15, the applicant is encouraged to inform the program that they are withdrawing their acceptance of the full tuition support, graduate fellowship, traineeship or assistantship offer, as a courtesy. After April 15, applicants must inform the program in writing that they are withdrawing their acceptance of full tuition support, a graduate fellowship, traineeship or assistantship. Once they have informed the program that they are withdrawing, they then can accept any other offers. Applicants are not required to obtain a formal release from the program whose offer was accepted, either before or after the April 15 deadline.
Where can a list of the institutions that adhere to the April 15 Resolution be found?
The list can be downloaded here.
Does the April 15 Resolution apply to all graduate programs within an institution that adheres to the Resolution?
No, not necessarily. There may be programs even within a signatory institution that do not adhere to the April 15 Resolution. Such programs generally fall outside of the oversight of the Graduate School and the Graduate Dean. The most common examples of exceptions to the resolution are MBA programs in Schools of Business and graduate programs in Medical or other professional schools. Graduate programs in these schools may offer full tuition support, a graduate fellowship, traineeship or assistantship to students but may not adhere to the April 15 Resolution. The Graduate School is encouraged to clarify on their website which programs (if any) do not adhere to the April 15 Resolution. If you have a question about the acceptance of an offer of admission that also includes full tuition support, a graduate fellowship, traineeship or assistantship but whose deadline is not April 15, you should contact the admissions staff of that specific graduate program for further information.
Does the April 15 deadline apply to medical or law school admission?
No.
Does the April 15 deadline apply to spring or summer admissions and funding?
No, the April 15 Resolution only applies to offers of full tuition support, a graduate fellowship, traineeship or assistantship for academic year offers beginning in Fall term. Admission to graduate programs that start in the Winter, Spring, or Summer terms are not bound by the resolution.
What is the process by which institutions sign on to the April 15 Resolution?
The resolution is reviewed and reaffirmed by the CGS Board of Directors every five years. It was last renewed in August 2026 and will be renewed again in August 2031. Prior to reaffirmation, CGS surveys member institutions to determine how many of them support the continuance of the resolution and whether the April 15 date is the optimal date for applicant decisions. Upon review of the survey data and approval by the CGS Board, the resolution is then sent to institutions with a request to reaffirm their signatory status. An updated list of signatory institutions is included in the current resolution.
How are faculty and admissions staff informed of the April 15 Resolution?
Each year, the graduate dean (or equivalent administrator) at each institution distributes information about the April 15 Resolution to make faculty, directors of graduate programs, and other interested members of their academic community aware of the goals and provisions of the resolution. Alternatively, interested parties can obtain more information here.
Who is responsible for enforcement of the April 15 Resolution?
The resolution is an agreement among signatory graduate schools to provide applicants appropriate time to consider which of their offers from graduate programs best aligns with the applicant’s career goals and aspirations. Graduate deans should communicate the expectations of the resolution to graduate programs, both those under their administrative oversight as well as those in other schools within their institution. Graduate deans should also adjudicate any conflicts that may arise from offers of full tuition support, a graduate fellowship, traineeship or assistantship made to applicants.
How should graduate programs publicize their commitment to the expectations of the April 15 Resolution?
Graduate deans should encourage their graduate programs to place information about the resolution on their individual program websites and in any letters containing offers of full tuition support, a graduate fellowship, traineeship or assistantship to accepted applicants.
What if April 15 falls on a weekend?
Acceptances received by end of day on April 15 (even if it occurs on a Saturday or Sunday) should be honored, even if the institution cannot process these acceptances until the following business day (typically Monday of the following work week). For example, in 2023, April 15 fell on a Saturday.
What time on April 15 is the deadline?
The deadline should be 11:59 pm on April 15 in the time zone of the school offering full tuition support, a graduate fellowship, traineeship or assistantship.
Does the Council of Graduate Schools provide mediation services for disagreements between students and the graduate program or the institution?
No. Graduate deans should adjudicate any conflicts that may arise from offers of full tuition support, a graduate fellowship, traineeship or assistantship made to applicants.