<p>Here's the quandary: Several schools have Part 1 or pre-aps which require a fee to be sent along with the first part of the app in order to open a file on the prospective student. If a student is applying ED elsewhere ... it seems in his/her best interest to complete all apps and have them "ready to go." However, should one wait until Dec 15 when notified about ED and THEN pay and send all parts of the other apps if denied to the ED school? Or ... is it worth it to pay the bucks and have the files opened now? If one waits ... what happens in the interim as the "other schools" receive teacher recs, transcripts, and SAT reports?</p>
<p>Are you anticipating financial aid? Are you getting a bump in housing assignment by application date? These are the reasons to pay and get a file started on a date earlier than after ED notification.</p>
<p>Hazmat makes a good point.
I think that GCs and teachers have a single rec they write for each student and append it to the college form. I believe some teachers do not even bother filling out the forms, and just attach the rec they've written. So if your child is applying ED, his/her teachers would already have a rec in their computer, ready to go at a moment's notice.
In our case, we were not concerned about housing or financial aid. S completed most of the non-EA applications by early December but did not send them off. He also gave rec forms to teachers and GC but told them to hold off on sending them. When he heard that he had been admitted EA, he immediately informed his GC and teachers so that they did not have to send off the recs. He did send one app that had a deadline of Dec. 15.</p>
<p>I thought that housing wasn't an issue until a deposit was sent in after acceptance. That never even crossed my mind.</p>