what are the advantages of applying early?

<p>..compared to someone who applies around 3 months from now after receiving the october SAT score.
I am really confused and not sure whether to wait or apply now.
thanks for any help.</p>

<p>[Early</a> Decision - Early Action - apply to colleges, search](<a href=“College Board - SAT, AP, College Search and Admission Tools”>Facts About Applying Early Decision or Early Action – BigFuture)</p>

<p>the link says applying in november is early.
I thought if I apply in aug-sep when the applications are out is called early !</p>

<p>can anyone correct me ?</p>

<p>70 + views but no one for help ?!</p>

<p>bump</p>

<p>Early Decision/Early Action and Regular Decision are different rounds of applications. Ignore the information from CollegeBoard for now, as it doesn’t talk about specifics.</p>

<p>Look here for an example: [Office</a> of Undergraduate Admissions: Early Action](<a href=“http://www.admissions.umich.edu/prospective/applying/earlyresponse.php]Office”>http://www.admissions.umich.edu/prospective/applying/earlyresponse.php) UMichigan is saying that if you apply before November 1st and you indicate on your application that you want to be considered for the Early Action round, you can get a decision by late December.</p>

<p>You can apply after that date, or you can indicate that you want to be considered for the Regular Decision round EVEN if you “technically” send your application before the “Early” date. As long as you meet the Feb 1st deadline, you’re good.</p>

<p>If you decide to go for Regular Decision, you will get your admission decision sometime in Mid-April.</p>

<p>The only schools that accept applications that early are those with rolling admissions. For most other schools, the application period begins around late October.</p>

<p>The Common Application for next application season went online a few days ago, so you could apply now if you want to.</p>

<p>If you apply now, you got those applications out of the way and can focus on school work. If you wait, you might have more time to research colleges and to mull over your essays and how you would like to present yourself in your application.</p>

<p>That’s basically it. With the exception of rolling admission schools, applying now vs waiting until closer to the application deadline will not make a difference for the actual application decision. (Your application wouldn’t get read now, but just stored in the office and read with all of the other applications later.)</p>

<p>but I can only apply to any ‘one’ school with rolling admissions right?
this is in accordance to the collegeboard link i posted.</p>

<p>thanks.</p>

<p>What you are thinking of is “Early Decision.” You only get to apply to a single university in the Early Decision round because you are making a commitment to attend if accepted.</p>

<p>Rolling admissions means that applications get read on a continual basis. If you apply in August, you might get a decision by September. That’s in contrast to colleges with a strict application deadline (most of the top universities fall into this categories): they will read all applications together after the deadline.</p>

<p>Colleges with strict application deadlines don’t care how close to the deadline your application gets submitted: you won’t get your decision any sooner and it won’t improve your chances. However, the date that your application gets submitted does matter with rolling admission schools because there will be fewer open spots left the longer you wait.</p>

<p>You can apply to as many rolling decision schools as you like. (As long as you are not signing an Early Decision agreement, of course.)</p>

<p>I’ve heard administrators say that you are actually at a disadvantage by applying early.</p>

<p>^^can someone please clarify this?</p>

<p>Unless goodManThinking comes back to elaborate, I suggest you ignore the post. He was posting vague (and often verifiably false) one-line statements in a dozen consecutive threads last night.</p>

<p>That being said, I have heard several times that applying ED might hurt for financial aid. Colleges don’t have incentives to make you an attractive financial aid offer because you have already made a commitment to attend if you can make the financial aid offer work out somehow (for many families that means additional loans).</p>

<p>One of the most common pieces of advice in the College Admissions and Parents Forums is, “Don’t apply ED if you need (or want) financial aid.”</p>