<p>I'm only applying EA to 3 schools - UChicago, MIT, my safety, and the deadline is November 1st, but my parents insist that I should finish my essays before school starts, because I won't have any time afterward. I know I will have at least a few hours a day on weekends and will probably have an hour or so on a few weekdays - is it okay/normal that I'm still trying different rough drafts for all of my essays? </p>
<p>Or rather - what's a normal timeline for a good applicant to these schools?</p>
<p>Pfft. Getting them done during the summr is def. a good idea, but I don’t think you should <em>PUSH</em> for that deadline. You have time… make drafts, work with what you have, see what works, what you like, etc.</p>
<p>I didn’t do early action, but I definitely submitted all of my applications the minute before they were due, tweaking sentences to the very last minute. So I think it’s perfectly fine that you’re still playing around with rough drafts. :)</p>
<p>You have so many time to work on essays… It is better to do your essays right before the due. So you will have more time editing and enhancing your articles. Do it whenever you feel like, so you will not be stressed to much, as human brains will not work properly if you think you’re under pressure…</p>
<p>pleanty of time left</p>
<p>I don’t know if this answers your question but sometimes it’s a good idea to write a draft, not think about it for 2-3 weeks, and then read and revise. You will pick up on a lot of things, big and small, that you otherwise would have missed.</p>
<p>Also be sure to have an English teacher you trust (either your current or past teachers) to read it and offer criticism. Don’t take all of their advice but listen to all of their advice.</p>
<p>Alright, thanks everybody! This helped.</p>