My younger will apply ED or at least to more EA options. Would be great to have an acceptance in-hand before the end of the year. This means a bit more research up front, in order to make college visits more thorough & meaningful. With a DS this time around, we will consider LACs which tend to have a fewer male applicants. Common app (including the main essay) will be 100% complete before the start of senior year. I guess in summary, we will push the process forward a bit in an effort to maximize early application opportunities.