I took a semester off and now, I am applying for Spring 2016, seeing as the Common App reopens on 1 August. Will it affect my admission chances if I submit my application in the first week of August? Assuming all my application essays and recommendations etc. are ready.
no
Seeing as Spring 2016 applications are considered on a rolling basis, how early can i expect my admission decision?
Usually such information will vary by college and is often listed on the admissions webpages for the college.
Apart from the tangible benefits that may or may not exist, you should also think about the essays portion of the application. Applying early means that the adcom reading your essay has only read a few essays so far and is relatively fresh and relaxed (as the the application deadline nears usually more applications come flooding in and it is a stressful time for admissions). This may mean that on a psychological level, you stand to gain a marginal advantage by having a still enthusiastic reader who is willing to go over all the details and take time to reflect upon them (not saying that essays submitted later would not be examined in detail) but IMO it’s human nature. If you’ve already read thousands of essays on conflict, struggles etc., would it be harder to impress an adcom with yet another one of these essays? As well written and superior as your essay may be, it may not stand out as much as it would if it were to be submitted early. If submitting early or late means no difference at all, why wouldn’t you submit the application early? Who knows, perhaps some adcom is in a good mood that day and fancies your essay! Don’t take this too seriously as this is very possibly incorrect, but just my opinion on the topic. Even if it were true, it would have no major impact on your application: it may help if you’re borderline accept/deny and the decision is up to the whims of the person reading.
It’s way better to apply early. You avoid irritable guidance counselors who stress out on getting everything out on time, and you don’t have a lot of pressure. That doesn’t mean you should rush your essays, of course. However, encountering a glitch or problem on the common app, say, 3 weeks in advance is much more manageable that encountering said glitch a day before the application is due.
I think Harvard reads the applications as they are turned in. For good, or for bad.