Does it hurt to apply a few days before the deadline?

<p>Will it hurt my chances to finish my application just a few days before the Jan. 15 deadline? I'm looking at a few liberal arts colleges with rolling admissions. Oh, and I'll be applying ED II to one of them. Thanks</p>

<p>It would, in fact, almost benefit you, especially if the schools you're applying to start reviewing the applications beforehand.
For rolling admissions, the earlier the better.
I don't see how submitting it right on/before the deadline would benefit in any way.</p>

<p>Yea, it doesn't matter, since they A. Don't care and B. Will not give you a decision any fast (unless rolling like above stated)</p>

<p>Although harvard does the reviewing process from Dec 1 onwards.</p>

<p>Rolling: earlier the better, before they fill up..</p>

<p>Otherwise, a deadline is a deadline, so just get it in.</p>

<p>BUT, every year there are horror stories about kids who waited until the very very last minute. An electric power failure due to winter weather in the North, a computer crash, a virus or flu, a relative who gets sick and dies so the whole family has to jump in a car and drive to another town...it's all happened and been written about on CC over the years.</p>

<p>Some of the very big schools like UCLA have so many people sending in on the same last day and last hour they can't quite take in all the applications. I've heard about crashes at the big universities themselves, although I don't know if they'd count that against you if it was their problem. Probably not.</p>

<p>The real question is: why play brinksmanship with something so important to you? Aim for a week before the deadline in case Life Happens, and you'll still be able to hit "send" a few days before the deadline. If you're on same-day, watch out for East Coast and West Coast time zones, if that's relevant to you. To meet a midnight deadline in Boston you have to send it before 9 p.m. from California, obviously.</p>

<p>I don't understand how ED-II works. My 3 are all through with this part, youngest being a freshman.</p>

<p>Actually, at some LA colleges (often the smaller ones), submitting your application just before the deadline is read as viewing the college as an "afterthought" or as indicative of the degree of interest in actually attending. It can influence an admissions outcome, particularly if being compared to an equally qualified student who submitted their application earlier. Heard this out of the mouths of admissions reps at info sessions.</p>

<p>Does anyone know if Macalester, Carleton, and Grinnell have rolling admissions? I can't find anything about it on their websites.</p>

<p>If they don't say they have rolling admissions, then they probably don't!
But if you look at the deadlines, a rolling admissions school won't have a cut-off deadline in January, it will be much later if not in August 2008!</p>

<p>hey cherrywood, they dont.</p>