<p>I plan on applying to colleges for Fall 2009 but I don't know when I should apply. The Common Application comes out July 1st and some colleges I'm applying to use that. If I apply in July for some colleges, will they still want to look at my Fall 2008 semester grades? One of the colleges is rolling admissions so would they make a decision before they even get to see my Fall grades? My Fall grades can make my GPA go higher so would it be better to just apply in September? I would be applying to the other colleges that don't use the Common Application in September. I just want to know how this all works. Thanks.</p>
<p>Why not just wait until you're GPA is the highest it can be and then apply?</p>
<p>I would wait until September to start sending out documents; sending out applications mid-summer, while half the Admissions Officers are out sipping on mimosas, baking in the sun, and trying to forget about applications, is most likely going to result in your application being lost, never reviewed, etc.</p>
<p>(The only thing I would say is, check the UC's, I know they have some early deadline dates.)</p>
<p>I recommend starting your applications/essays over the summer, collecting recommendation letters, etc., but I'd wait for awhile to send the Common Application, earliest September - I sent in my Common Application (I ended up hand writing it because I was worried about the essay cutoffs, in March of the application year, to give you an idea.) :)</p>
<p>I was thinking of sending out all my applications at once. I'll definitely collect everything over the summer and mail it all out in September. Thanks for the suggestion.</p>
<p>And yes, I am applying to a UC school and the deadline for them is Nov. 30th. That IS quite early compared to everyone else. But, you get to do it online and it's available starting Oct. 1st soo...if you're curious, the one I'm talking about is UCLA.</p>
<p>Yes, good idea. </p>
<p>The UC applications are beasts, so with them, early preparation is key. </p>
<p>(I already transferred, although I wouldn't mind a palm tree or two from UCLA, lol) :D</p>
<p>Actually, the UC application is available 2 months before the deadline, but you can only submit it during the one month prior to and on the deadline. For Fall 2008, the app was available on Sept. 1, 2007 to give students time to fill in their info and prepare their essays, but it could not actually be submitted until Oct. 1 through/including Nov. 30. (I submitted mine about 2 hours prior to the deadline at 10:00 pm-ish, which I don't recommend because their web server kept crashing from the overload.)</p>
<p>Most colleges have guidelines as to when to submit apps, and I would imagine a lot of them have deadlines. I would check the individual college sites for these guidelines, just to be sure. If the colleges that you are interested in don't have deadlines, then why not submit your common app to them at about the same time as the UC app? </p>
<p>Good luck with UCLA! Go Bruins! (from a Bear :)</p>