For schools that have rolling admissions, which is likely with public universities, yes, get that app in ASAP. Rilling admissions means that they look at the applications as they get them and accept as the assess, though often in batches. At many state universities, admissions amounts to 3 Numbers, gpa or class rank, test score and date of your application. Get those schools sewn up early because it gets tougher, as a rule, as the application season gets intense and there are fewer seats. Once a department or major is full, that’s it. I’ve seen kids shut out before year end who apply to very popular programs.
As a general rule, many schools have Early Decision and/or Early Action. Do look up these terms and know what they mean and when you are putting together your school list, see what the various colleges you like have. ED means you commit to going to ONE school, apply to it early, by its ED deadline, and if accepted, you go there. Usually you get a bump in consideration for that commitment. An out is if the school does not give you sufficient financial aid. If you have a school that you know is first choice but you are under in its stats, that boost might do it. You can only pick one such school
Early Action, or EA has a similar deadline to ED, but while you get an answer from the school early, you have till May 1 to make that commitment t to it. You can usually apply to a number of such schools though some colleges like HPY are restricting this by choice what they call Single Choice Early Action, SCEA, where you cannot apply to any other EA or ED schools in conjunction with that app. Rolling admissions or state schoo EAs are usually excepted from this rule. You have to read the stipulations of these programs carefully for each scho because the rules are constantly changing and can differ from school to school.
You can APPLY early to any school, that is, as soon as the applications come out. But if you apply through these designations to schools that offer them, you get an answer back early from them. Usually before Christmas. That can cut down on your other applications based on what you get in your accept stack. You can see up your safeties that way and focus on the more selective schools since you now have a place to go if things don’t pan out.
The only possible glitch I see in this for you is that you need to take those tests ASAO if you want the possibility of higher test scores to be considered. Your scores are in the low side right now for the more selective schools and for merit money. Being URM will open up some scholarships earmarked for that, and a lot of schools do give more leeway in test scores for URMs but you cannot count on that. You certainly still need safety schools.
In addition to the big flagships and other large state schools, FL has New College which is much smaller and still public. Also you have some very nice LAC type schools, Rollins, Eckerd, Stetson come to mind. I don’t know how BF works irvthd FL state fund, but if you can use them for the private in state schools too, that’s a consideration.
