<p>does getting your application turned in well before the application deadline give you any advantage (for non-rolling admissions colleges)?</p>
<p>No. Why would it?</p>
<p>I didn't think so. I just wanted to verify that.</p>
<p>I thought it might because your application won't be at the bottom of the pile.</p>
<p>Anyone else agree?</p>
<p>It varies from school to school, and how they conduct their application process. In my own case, sending my EDII application very early to Swarthmore, probably turned out to be a bad idea. Apparently, my app got lost somehow, and they didn't file my app until 3 days before the decisions came out. And of course, I was rejected.
But mine was probably one of those few exceptions. When you're early, you can't go wrong. Your app is filed earlier, and no errors are made, especially when things aren't that hectic yet at the admissions office. You can correct any mistakes, etc.
There may be an advantage, or not. But, definitely, a late application is a disadvantage.</p>
<p><i>I thought it might because your application won't be at the bottom of the pile.</i></p>
<p>Hmm...well, if it's a physical pile that is literally built as the applications come in...then turning it in early would put yours at the bottom of the pile, not the top. But if they read chronologically, that's another story. Hey, for all we know they could read alphabetically. Or randomly. I don't think we have any way to know what will help or not.</p>
<p>exactly. For example, at Williams, they have admissions officers for each region of the country and various regions of the world. So after the deadline, when everything has been entered into the system or filed, they might even consider them region by region, who knows?
Early submission, however, shouldn't hurt. It only ensures that your stuff gets filed early, and if you have any additions, or any corrections, you have more time to rectify the situation. But then, too early, and things might go wrong [as happened in my case]...</p>
<p>It would be great if Dean J. or one of the other admissions people on the board would weigh in! Anyone?</p>
<p>or better still, someone who's worked in an admissions. Although has someone has already pointed out, the process varies from place to place. And this is not worth worrying too much about, either:)</p>
<p>The only possible advantage to sending things in early is the reassurance that if anything does get lost you will have time to rectify the issue. </p>
<p>If 'being on the bottom of the pile' is hurting someone's chances that school has issues.</p>