<p>On Alabama’s website it says the application for fall 2015 will be available July 1st. Is it a good idea to apply early? I have decent grades and a decent ACT/SAT score. I want to apply the day the application is available because I am set on Alabama. I visited their campus over spring break and fell in love. I was just curious if it is the right thing to do to apply early. </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Yes, you can apply then. Roll Tide!</p>
<p>There is no advantage to applying the very first day, but there is no penalty for applying early, either. It’s kinda cool to have that first application in, right? Good luck to you.</p>
<p>I’d definitely recommend applying early (even if it isn’t the first day the app opens). DS applied last summer and knew before his senior year started that he had a full tuition scholarship in the bag. It really took the pressure off and he could relax and enjoy his last year at home. By November he had decided on UA and while everyone else was focusing on their college applications DS had time to keep up with his tutoring, Academic League Team, two AP classes, and two college credit classes. The fact that the credit will transfer is icing on the cake. We love UA!</p>
<p>There’s no reason not to apply early. 3 years ago my D applied on the first day the application became available. However, her application wasn’t complete until October because her high school wasn’t open to send transcripts in the summer and then didn’t get around to sending it for over a month after school started. The more applications you can get out of the way early, the better, and the Alabama application takes about 5 minutes to complete.</p>
<p>Question with regards to the application and transcripts. Do the transcripts have to come directly from the school or are sealed unopened transcripts sent from the applicant acceptable?
Three years back my older son was able to get multiple sealed copies of his transcripts from his high school and then was able to send them easily during the summer months. All of the colleges and service academies he applied to accepted this.</p>
<p>My son sent in a Sealed and stamp with the registers stamp transcripts that he had sent to our house as soon as they were printed his Jr year. He just put that envelope in new envelope and sent it on its way to Alabama the first week of June last year.</p>
<p>^ Great. Thank you.</p>
<p>WAPacker my son applied to 11 schools and the only school that would not take the transcripts sent that way was Georgia Tech, they had to have them sent straight from DS high school. Which by the way took them a month after the DS requested them. Slow as a snail.</p>
<p>Good. Sounds like not much has changed in that area in the last three years. When we mail them ourselves we know it gets done. School officials will eventually get it done but not necessarily in the timely fashion we would prefer.</p>
<p>Our HS will no longer release the transcripts directly to the parent/student, so every transcript copy needs to be sent via the HS to whomever needs the transcript. This is a major pain, I can assure you, when applying for scholarships or other outside opportunities, and the app stipulates that the transcript needs to be sent along with other paperwork, all together. Agree that when you are in control of the situation and mail them yourself, you know it gets done. My S got notification back recently from one of his scholarship apps this semester, that his old HS transcript was never received. Ugh. Unfortunately, since S is over 18, the HS will no longer deal with me on this issue on his behalf…otherwise, you know I’d be marching in and giving them a barrel on Monday… >:P </p>
<p>I also an going to try to get my applications out of the way July/early August. I noticed that bama doesn’t use common app. I already had my ACT score sent. What do I need to get from my school in order to fill my application out? Will I need letters of recommendation? Essay? List of extra curriculars? </p>
<p>Also applying for OOS scholarship and honors college. Just mentioning in case that changes anything.</p>
<p>No letters, no essay, no list of EC needed for UA application.</p>
<p>Oh, and I believe there is a very short essay for Honors College application (if it’s like last year). Don’t sweat it, though :)</p>
<p>My son was admitted to the Honors College before he even submitted the HC application. He applied in late October and was accepted and awarded the Presidential Scholarship and admitted to HC within a couple of weeks. Easiest application he completed! </p>
<p>I can’t tell you how comforting it is to have acceptances from one or two solid schools before you go into the ED and January 1 RD decision process. Some kids won’t have any acceptances until late March and/or end up applying to way more schools than is necessary. Once you have your acceptances from one or two excellent safeties (two is preferable IMHO because it’s nice for every kid to feel like they have SOME kind of choice), you can focus your time, energy and MONEY on your reaches. </p>
<p>You will need to have your 9th-11th grade transcripts sent to UA that indicate your GPA.</p>