<p>I'll be a senior this fall and with all of my AP homeworking and after school activities this fall, I'm really hoping to get most of my college application work out of the way before school starts in September. When do most schools start making their Fall 2011 application availible? </p>
<p>Also, is it wise to apply to most of your school for early action? I have a rather detailed complex and like to get things done early and know things right away (waiting for SAT scores kills me! :P ) I'm also hoping to apply into music programs, and it would be helpful to know if I was accepted to a school before I audition for it. Does early action work as an advantage or disadvantage to most students? If you're rejected EA can you reapply regular decision?</p>
<p>I think the Common Application is opened on August first, although the preview has been released, so you could work on a hard copy ahead of time. The essay questions will be the same this year as last.</p>
<p>Washington University in St Louis has already released this year’s app on their website. It probably depends on the school. I’d go to the websites of the schools you’re interested in.</p>
<p>Speaking generally about early action: for many kids there is no downside to early action if their application is strong. But not all schools have early action. It might be a mistake to write off a school because it doesn’t have EA. Remember, too, that even for RD schools, you can submit a completed application as early as you would like to - my d completed and submitted all her applications before Thanksgiving, even though she had only one EA school.</p>
<p>If you’re sure of a school, you might want to go with EA. It usually will raise your chances and such. And most of the apps go up August 1st, but I would check.</p>
<p>Harvard sent me a copy of their application in the mail. This is the Common App portion of the app (so not including Harvard supplements). But as was previously stated, the 2010-2011 Common Application isn’t supposed to be released until August.</p>
<p>Could Harvard have received the final copy in advance?</p>
<p>You’ll need to check to see what your schools offer, in order to determine which ones needs what. You’d really benefit with your timing with schools that offer rolling decision. (Mich, UConn, PSU, and other several state schools). Those that offer EA tend to be the Catholic universities, although not exclusively (Georgetown, Notre Dame, BC, etc.) Then there’s the SCEA: single choice early action, which includes Yale & Stanford and others. You should also be aware of restrictions too: some schools DO NOT want you to apply anywhere else if you’re applying ED (such as Brown), even EA.</p>
<p>What you can do now is compile data, which you’ll need for the common app and other colleges. Create short answers about your “meaningful volunteer work” (or however it’s written) and draft the main essay. Since so much of the “college process” is in scheduling and timing, have you visited all the schools? Interviewed? Made an appointment where you’d like to audition? Investigated scholarships?</p>
<p>Some colleges are starting to release their supplement questions already (like UChicago), but others were terribly late last year (Johns Hopkins released their supplement mid-September), so you never know.</p>