<p>I'm early decisioning to Upenn- about when would I get a letter from them? Would there be enough time to start my regular decision applications after I get a letter (if rejected/deferred)?</p>
<p>december 16 or so.</p>
<p>In most cases ED decisions come out in mid-December. You would be able to get in RD apps if you don't get accepted ED, but if they have Jan. 1 deadlines, it will be a crunch.</p>
<p>My advice would be to get transcripts sent to your RD schools, as well as your letters of recommendation, and supplementary materials, test scores, etc. Basically everything but the application itself. If some of the RD schools have supplementary essays they require, you could at least do some thinking about those, write out rough drafts maybe... anything to do a little work in advance on them.</p>
<p>Some high school counseling offices exert a lot of control over these things and won't assist you in getting those RD transcripts out in advance, but do whatever you can to get some of the RD application work ahead of time. It's a short space of time between ED decisions and many RD deadlines, plus it's over the holidays and can be a near impossible time to get additional rec letters, transcripts, etc. because of people going on vacation and whatnot.</p>
<p>My son did this last year. As it turned out he was accepted ED, but he'd already sent in most everything but the application itself to his RD schools. It was some excess postage and test score reporting fees, but it would have made it much easier had he not gotten accepted by his ED school. </p>
<p>And if you are accepted you'll save all those additional application fees.</p>