<p>I'm interested in applying to state schools like Maryland, UConn, Delaware, Rutgers, Penn State, UMass, and URI . My understanding is that these schools do rolling admissions. </p>
<p>Is there any benefit to submitting my application in during September? </p>
<p>Might it be to my benefit to wait until I have grades from the first marking period (or semester) of senior year, or can I submit those afterwards? I may take the SAT again in Oct so should I wait until those scores come out or should I submit those separately as well?</p>
<p>The earlier the better for rolling admit schools. However you have Public Us from 7 different states listed. Can you afford them all? You’d be OOS for at least 6 of them. Run the Net Price Calculators for each and talk to your parents.</p>
<p>@Erinsdad Yes my parents are aware of tuition. </p>
<p>When is the earliest I can apply? What are the benefits of applying early? Are there any costs to applying early? For example, a fall SAT score not getting considered? </p>
<p>The “earliest you can apply” depends on each school so check the individual schools’ websites to find the earliest application dates. The benefits of applying early are that the school has more spots and scholarship opportunities earlier in the application period than later. Thus you, theoretically, have a higher chance of getting admitted, and getting a scholarship, if you apply earlier. Of course you shouldn’t ruin your application or anything by trying to make a really early application deadline, but keep in mind that the earlier you apply to a rolling admission school the better. </p>
<p>@saif235 What I don’t understand is how to find these application dates. I am finding when the rolling priority period ends but not when it beings.</p>
<p>Also, when you say “ruin your application” what do you have in mind? Do you mean not proofreading the personal statement, for example, just to get it in a few days earlier?</p>
<p>As far as I know you can submit an application to most schools starting on August 1st since that’s when the Common App opens.
That’s essentially what I mean by ruining you application. </p>
<p>You know what sucks? When 6/7 schools you’re applying to don’t use the common application and you have to fill out applications one by one. [-( </p>
<p>The University of Maryland-College Park is not a rolling admissions school. It has a priority deadline of November 1 and decisions are released at the end of January. Pitt is another school that has rolling admission and is accepting applications now.</p>
<p>Getting a very early admission from any school you want to attend is a great feeling. It takes a lot of the pressure off to know you ARE going to college, and a lot of the tension is released.</p>
<p>Our experience was that schools would still consider additional GPA and test scores for merit awards if those numbers were submitted by a certain date (usually Feb or Mar), so that probably shouldn’t stop you from submitting early applications.</p>
<p>The rolling admit forms usually have a field where you can say that you plant to take the SAT / ACT in x month. That way the school knows to expect future scores.
You should ask the school what their exact policy is.</p>
<p>The benefit of applying early to rolling admission schools is that if you get an acceptance to a school that you know that you can afford, you have a safety. However, if you get a string of rejections from what should be match or safety schools early, then you may want to re-evaluate the general selectivity level of the schools on your application list.</p>
<p>Applying early may also be helpful if you are applying to a popular major that may fill up early, or if there are scholarships which prefer early applicants.</p>
<p>The disadvantage is that you may not have later test scores or other things available for an early application.</p>
<p>@scholarme @twoinanddone Thank you for letting me know I could still submit materials after I apply. As background, my SAT is ok. It’s roughly the median at the places I’m interested in. Some places below but nowhere am I below the 25-75 range. And 1 or 2 where I’m above the 25-75 range or nearly above it. </p>
<p>Anyhow, I ask for 2 reasons:
What if the Oct SAT doesn’t go well and I decide not to send it after all to the score choice places? Would it be better for me to have seen that score first and decide what to put on the application? Or by checking that I plan to take it in Oct, it is not assumed that I will definitely do so? Does writing I plan to take it in Oct. mean that I may take it on Oct but that I’m simply considering it?
What if my current SAT score does not make me competitive enough? Might that give a bad first impression that ends up being costly? </p>
<p>@ucbalumnus Does applying early not actually help your chances of getting in? </p>
<p>If I plan to take the SAT in October, are you implying that there’s not much point in applying before then? </p>
<p>I already took the SAT, and my score for each section is ok. Nothing to brag about, but I’m not upset either. As I wrote earlier, I’m at least in the range of anywhere I’d like to apply to. I’d like to boost my Reading score by about 50-100 points, and I’m fine with where the Math and Writing are at. I’m sure I could boost the others too with a lot of studying, but I’ll probably put most of my studying into Reading to hopefully improve the superscore.</p>
<p>@javislife1998 - It’s on the web site for both schools. Also, My D applied to both Pitt and UMD-CP last year. She submitted her Pitt App in August and got her acceptance in October. She submitted her UMD-CP app in late October and got her acceptance at the end of January. You can check out the Pitt and UMD-CP forums to see how things went last year. </p>
<p>The general view is that if you application is ready, then send it. But if you feel you can improve on you application with strong early senior year grades or by retaking standardized tests, then hold off.
Also, our HS was not ready to send out transcripts until October so that may be a constraint as well.</p>
<p>@SoofDad That’s an amazing story! May I ask where your daughter stood roughly relative to the average applicant at Pitt? Like was Pitt her safety school and her stats were so great that it was obvious that they’d take her? So to them it was a no brainer to let her in right away? Or do you think she might have been more on par with typical applicants who are accepted but because she applied her they just happen to let her know early? I take it that she did not take the SAT again as a senior?</p>
<p>I believe @happy1 is saying your app will not be complete until your transcript is received. If your HS takes until Oct then you won’t know until after that, no matter how early you apply.</p>