Don’t Miss These: Key Spring Semester Dates Every Penn State Student Should Know
Author: Kimberly Tierney, Director of Academic Coaching
Read time: 4 minutes
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Important deadlines and dates often sneak up on us. Calendar management is a key piece of ensuring a successful college experience.
At Penn State, every semester is packed with key academic, administrative, and planning milestones. Knowing these dates ahead of time, and building them into your system early, can make a huge difference in how smoothly your semester runs.
Below is a breakdown of the most important Spring 2026 semester dates:
Friday, January 2 - Monday, January 26
Intent to Graduate Activation Period *
Monday, January 12
Classes Begin
Saturday, January 17
Regular Drop Deadline
Sunday, January 18
Regular Add Deadline
Monday, January 19
No Classes, MLK Jr Day
Thursday, January 22
Summer 2026 Study Abroad Application Deadline
Monday, February 16
Final Exam Schedule Released
Monday, February 16 - Sunday, March 8
Final Exam Conflict Filing Period **
Friday, February 20 - Sunday, February 22
THON
Monday, March 2
Fall 2026 and Academic Year 2026-2027 Study Abroad Application Deadline***
Sunday, March 8 - Saturday, March 14
No Classes, Spring Break
Friday, April 10
Late Drop Deadline
Monday, May 4 - Friday, May 8
Final Exams
Friday, May 8 - Sunday, May 10
Commencement
* Students who intend to graduate at the end of the Spring 2026 semester, must declare their intent via LionPATH within this period. Late applicants may not appear in the printed program.
** Students who have 2 scheduled at the same time OR 3 or more finals scheduled on the same date, can file a request for a conflict examination. One of these finals will be rescheduled by the University.
*** Some programs have earlier deadlines or require Early Action application. Check the Penn State Global Calendar for more information.
We encourage students to add these dates to their calendar now, not when they “feel important.” Many academic issues we see could be avoided simply by planning around known deadlines.
At Tierney Education, we help students:
Build semester-long planning systems
Anticipate stress points before they happen
Make informed decisions about course load, drops, and finals
Stay proactive instead of reactive
College moves fast, but with the right structure, it doesn’t have to feel overwhelming.
If you want support turning this calendar into a plan that actually works, we’re here to help.
