<p>Does submitting applications for RD several weeks to over a month ahead of the deadline increase a student's chances of being accepted? I understand that colleges say that they will consider each and every application using the same criteria and using the same amount of time, but is this really true? I feel as though those who submitted theirs earlier will be the first to be considered for financial aid, and once the money is used out, those who submitted their applications later will not have the same opportunity. Thoughts?</p>
<p>That would be the case for rolling admissions but the regular decisions don’t work that way from everything I’ve read, despite your imagination. The file will only go to financial aid after the acceptance.</p>
<p>Financial aid doesn’t work that way. They work with CSS Or fAFSA deadlines for aid based on that as well as their own itnenral criteria which rarely has anyhting to do whith when the original admissions app was sent in! That’s like saying a job will pay you more simply because your application was submitted before someone else, even if that person has more experience or is interviewing for a higher-paying job!!! Crazy!!</p>
<p>BrownParent, when did you son/daughter submit his/her application with respect to the deadline?</p>
<p>And, this really isn’t about financial aid, but wouldn’t colleges look at your application first if you turn it in earlier? Thus giving you the first shot a gaining admittance?</p>
<p>As BrownParent said, this is called rolling admission. If you turn in your application earlier, you will theoretically have higher chances - the realistic outcome depends on what individual school you’re considering. But if a school doesn’t use rolling admission, then no, submitting your app earlier will not give you a better chance. At these schools, apps aren’t even reviewed in order of submission date.</p>
<p>Thanks, Invanov, for your insight. This is just what I heard from a parent whose son was accepted into Yale, UChicago, and several high caliber schools. Since I’m also applying to highly selective schools, I thought that what he said might have some sense to it.</p>