<p>Hey, I'm applying early to Harvard and I read this on their admissions timeline:</p>
<p>As soon as possible</p>
<p>Please Send:</p>
<pre><code>The Common Application or the Universal College Application.
The $75 application fee or a fee waiver request.
</code></pre>
<p>Without your Common Application/Universal Application, we cannot open your admission file, track supporting documents for your application, or send your name to our alumni/ae for a possible interview in your area. </p>
<p>I also found this:</p>
<p>For Students Applying Online through the Common Application Website:</p>
<p>Important: If you plan to/expect to submit an online application through the Common Application website, you should complete and submit your online materials as soon as possible. The Common Application requires the submission of your application (or supplement) before releasing to a college your supporting application materials (SSR, Teacher Reports, etc.) To ensure full and timely consideration of your application you should submit your own application materials at the earliest possible time. Until you do so, your application will not be transmitted to the Harvard Admissions Office.</p>
<p>Does this mean that I have to submit the common app before sending in ANYTHING of mine, like SAT scores, transcripts from summer programs, etc.? Will they not make an application file for me if I haven't submitted the common application? Or does it just mean that I should submit my common app as early as possible, but don't have to submit it before SAT scores and transcripts?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>It sounds like once you submit the common application, a electronic file is created for you. At that time, they can then add LORs, transcripts, etc into your file, but without that first step if you send your scores, etc. they may disappear. I’m not entirely sure how this works but once you submit your finished application, your name probably goes into a database system where they can then look up your file, and review things there. </p>
<p>To be safe, I would contact admissions. Or wait until someone who actually knows the answer, answers you on here! GOOD LUCK! :)</p>
<p>OK, thank you! I sent the admissions staff an email through the form on their website but they’re taking a while to reply. </p>
<p>Anyone else know anything about this?</p>
<p>I was wondering the same thing… And can I submit my Common App and Supplement before my transcript is ready? Or do they want everything at once?</p>
<p>I asked a Harvard admissions officer (when they visited NYC at a forum) and she told me that you can submit anything in any order! You can submit SAT scores, transcripts, the supplement, etc. before you submit the Common App. What they meant on their website is that you have to submit the common app before they’ll be able to see all the things related to it, like school forms and your teacher recommendations.</p>
<p>CollegeFears, your school should be responsible for submitting your transcript so you should ask them how/when they upload it. Since teachers can submit their recommendations after you submit the common app (according to a teacher who’s writing my rec), I think you can also submit the common app before the school sends in your transcript. But I’m not so sure so you should ask your school.</p>