<p>As a student with an unaffordable EFC, I have been aiming mostly for colleges where I will very likely be admitted and have a good shot at significant merit aid. Right now, I have five merit/admissions matches and three merit reaches (maybe four). Most of them have EA deadlines so I will be notified of the admissions decision and merit aid by February.</p>
<p>I also have three potential safeties with guaranteed merit aid for my stats. Two are rolling admissions and one has a March 1 deadline. While I like the colleges and each has its good points, each also has its drawbacks. I would likely choose any of my matches over the safeties at a comparable cost.</p>
<p>So my question is, should I apply early to one or two of my safety colleges and have that acceptance in hand before the others start to come in? Or should I save the application fees and wait until February, then apply if my matches/reaches don't work out? (This is unlikely but possible.)</p>
<p>Check if any of the big-merit safeties gives out the automatic scholarships on a first-come-first-served basis, has an earlier deadline for scholarship eligibility, or is more likely to offer additional scholarships beyond the automatic ones to early applicants. A rolling admission school may give other advantages to early applicants (e.g. a major or division may get full if a lot of earlier applicants select it, leaving later applicants not in their desired major).</p>
<p>Still, having an acceptance and scholarship in the bag early reduces stress levels through the winter.</p>
<p>As long as the school’s program is rolling admissions or non-binding Early Action where you don’t need to accept or reject the admission offer before May, then there is no reason not to get your application in early. It does take a lot of stress off to have an affordable acceptance in hand. You should not apply to any safety school that uses a binding Early Decision program.</p>
<p>Apply early so that you can get the money for sure (some are first-come-first-served and the money does run out), and so that you can get in line for any other goodies that they have to hand out such as admissions to an honors program, priority registration for classes, and priority for housing.</p>