<p>I was thinking of 'getting a leg up" and starting the whole process in August, can you send in your apps. that early? I am not talking about e.d. I am talking about regular and/or rolling decision. How early can you get applications in? I want to try and avoid that mad rush that everyone keeps referrring to that sends them over the edge. Thanks!</p>
<p>You can start applying with CommonApp in early July.</p>
<p>yea, but many schools have supplements so you have to wait for them to come out also, and you have to get your teacher reommendations as well.</p>
<p>But remember, if you send in your app as early as possible, you won't be able to put your senior year stuff on it. And I seem to recall from somewhere that sending in an RD app early doesn't increase your chances.</p>
<p>It might not increase your chances directly, but the sooner your file is complete (that includes mid year grades however) the sooner it will be read by an adcom, and the people might be in a better mood at the beginning of the reading season before having read 500 similar essays.</p>
<p>yea, what we mean is that we can have our essays over by school time so that we don't have to worry about that part of the application...</p>
<p>Here's a suggestion from a parent of a student who's just completed the process: believe it or not, you guys are still going through such rapid growth and development that what you want to tell the AdComs about yourself today (or over the summer) may be completely different from what you want to tell them about yourself in the winter. Give yourself some time to mull over exactly what it is you want to say and don't rush it. Yes, certainly complete everything in a timely way, and make sure all the necessary pieces of your application get to the colleges, but don't slam through an application just to have it done early. In the end, you will probably do a better job advocating for yourself if you give yourself the luxury of some time and reflection.</p>
<p>smile dog thats a great point, because its likely some of the things that might occur over the summer would have an impact on what we might write about or at least we might have a different perspective on things. Good point.</p>
<p>I plan to have all of my applications almost complete by the start of my senior year. For me, what will hold back the mailing date is teacher recs. My teachers have the deadlines I anticipate mailing the apps to each school (the latest is 15 September). I am meeting with my college counselor to finalise everything by early August. If they are all in when the recommenders said they actually would be, I can mail my apps before the school year starts.</p>
<p>The key for me was to get my rec requests in early and be clear that I wanted to mail my applications over the summer, not during senior year. Both teachers and my pastor anticipate having the recs completed and sitting at my school (sealed with a signature from the recommender over the seal) by the beginning of July. The latest school I know of that I'm applying to releases the app in mid-July, and the schools that have released them already, I have the applications on my desk right now. </p>
<p>I didn't decide to do everything so early because I thought it would increase my chances. First, I want to deal with the intial part of getting everything ready before my senior year kicks in and I get busy with my courseload. I understand that something will most likely go wrong and I'll be working hard on apps for the beginning of September, but I want to cut that down as much as possible. Second, for schools with rolling deadlines and even EA I deadlines, it will be nice to know early on where I'm going, instead of not getting some decisions until the beginning of May. The last school I will hear back from will be at the end of December, but I'll know at least two by October 1. </p>
<p>I have not started on my essay and free response answers for the apps I have. I will start them later in the summer, to allow for growth and change, and to think about it. So, OP, it sounds like we may be in similiar situations. I just wanted to share my plan of action with you. :)</p>
<p>what school applications are out before summer? Most come out during late August early september</p>