<p>This is probably covered elsewhere, but I can't seem to find it.</p>
<p>Does getting an app in a few weeks or a month ahead of the deadline give you a better shot at getting in top schools than getting it in a couple days in advance?</p>
<p>I'm talking selective privates (Ivies, NWestern, Gtown, Duke), not big state schools that have rolling admissions.</p>
<p>No. The colleges want to select the best students and the students who'll best help create the kind of campus atmosphere the administrators want. Consequently, the colleges have no reason to factor in how early the students applied before the deadline.</p>
<p>I think for Harvard and Princeton it might. I doubt it has a big effect but they say that you should get them in by Dec. 1 and Dec 15 respectively even though the deadline is Jan. 1.</p>
<p>Getting the applications in early for Harvard just makes it easier for alumni to be found to interview the students, something that Harvard attempts to be done for all of its applicants who live in the U.S. Lots of alum have more free time during the Dec. holidays than they do in Jan. and Feb. I know this because I've chaired my regional alumni interviewing committee for Harvard.</p>
<p>It also makes it easier for office staff to create the applicants' files and do the other organization of the application paperwork if their workload is spread out more.</p>