<p>Since BC is a private school, it can do what it wants. If BC were a public university, it would probably have to be stickler for the absolute rules, as there is so much oversight and public reporting, etc. etc. Much harder to catch a break from a public school. Private schools, like BC, are happy to get as many apps as they can to pump up their numbers. As an example of private school discretion regarding deadlines, USC has a December 1 cutoff for scholarship applicants. Its key private competitor, Stanford, told its SCEA applicants that it was a violation of SCEA to apply by December 1 for those scholarships. So, smart, needy kids had to apply after December 1. USC took their applications anyway and trumped Stanford by awarding them scholarships. Now, Stanford has abandoned its practice as regards scholarship deadlines. Point is: if the school wants to admit you, it could care less about its own deadlines, so don’t freak.</p>