<p>In reference to regular decision for which the typical deadline is Jan 1st. Is there any advantage in sending application now if you are ready? The only advantage I think of is, peace of mind, knowing the application is out of the way. </p>
<p>I have heard that one should submit financial application just before the deadline as you do not want to give Financial officers too much time so they can nitpick. </p>
<p>I'm not sure if same applies to application. You know when people have too much time to analyze your application, they can find more faults.</p>
<p>I doubt any college has so much time on their hands that they sit around looking at the first applications through the door and nitpick at them.</p>
<p>If it’s ready to go, send it in. Two reasons for that. When the new Common App system eats it, you’ll have plenty of time to correct the problem. And who knows how the system is going to react when we get close to the deadline dates (Nov. 1, Nov. 15, Dec. 1, and Jan. 1) and the system gets majorly stressed.</p>
<p>It depends on college. A lot of colleges with Jan deadlines are rolling admissions colleges that issue decisions as applications are received (often starting in Nov or early Dec) and those who apply on the tail end of the deadline may be at a disadvantage as a result. There are also a number of colleges with Jan application deadlines that require you to apply earlier if you want to be considered for any scholarships. </p>
<p>For regular admission, financial aid applications are not due for majority of colleges until after January application deadline, including because you need to submit parents’ end of year 2013 income information. Also, I don’t know where that giving too much time to nitpick advice comes from. For regular admission, you usually don’t even get the financial aid decision until March or April and thus the college always has plenty of time to nitpick if it actually wanted to (and generally they do not nitpick).</p>
<p>You also need to consider what has to be sent, not just application but usually also official test scores, transcript, and for many rec letters.It never ceases to amaze me how many applicants put things off to the last minute, like last week of Dec, only to discover that (surprise!) their school is closed for the holidays, teachers are away on vacation, and it is impossible for them to get a transcript or rec letters sent in time.</p>
<p>If it is through CommonApp, I will wait till after November 15 so that they can clear up the mess for EA/ED and hopefully fixed some of the problem. However, you may have your scores sent early. Also, you may have the grades from first quarter on your transcript if you can wait a little bit. But if the school has rolling admission, then you should send in earlier.</p>
<p>A few schools are reporting that some early applications are disappearing into the system. They get notified the student applied, but can’t find the application. This is rather rare, but it does happen.</p>
<p>D will be applying ED to a school with a Nov. 15 deadline. She’s just about ready to go, and will probably submit a few weeks early, just to have it gone, and to be able to fix any problems that might arise. We’re not taking any chances with a Nov. 14-15 meltdown, though I’m sure schools will be accommodating if that happens. But I’d rather not have the stress.</p>
<p>This is an interesting theory that seems to imply that FA officers are like tax auditors looking for mistakes. Another perspective is that an adherent to this theory has intentionally submitted false information and is trying to maximize chances of getting away with it.</p>
<p>I have heard that FA applications should be submitted as early as possible since most colleges have more need than aid available. They typically run out of money before they run out of applicants.</p>