<p>Do you think that applying early would increase my chances of getting into a university?
By "applying early" i dont mean early admission or early action, i mean sending my application a month or two before the RD deadline. Do you think that it would help?</p>
<p>Unless it's a rolling admissions school, then honestly, no. I don't think it makes a difference. In most schools, the process doesn't start until after the deadline, and the order they're assessed probably comes from other factors, not order of application receipt.</p>
<p>I think it would help, especially in the case where you're a borderline applicant as far as gpa or test scores go but have great recs and great essays. Schools aren't going to wait until the deadline to start reading thru the apps. When they evaluate them you are either immediately admitted, denied, or put on hold for later consideration. If you fall in this latter bucket, the stack of other essays and so on isn't as high if your app is in early, plus there are more open slots in the incoming class. I think its a small effect we're talking about here, but worth a shot.</p>
<p>It is my opinion that it COULD help. At most schools, your files are are opened and checked for completeness and put together for the adcom to assess as they are accepted. Until that file is complete, in many schools it is not assessed. Being first in a process is a psychological advantage many times as it is now a new fresh year and adcoms want to admit students. As the files are assesssed after the Jan 1 deluge, you are being compared to every student who has applied before you. If you are "just" another 1500, 4.0 with common ECs, you may not look as good as you would if you were the first. For example, if you pick up a file and the kid is great academically and has piano awards up the whazoo, you may be impressed, and give it an "admit". After looking at the 1000th file that is essentially the same, you are going to start comparing within the group, and not be so quick to admit. The same with majors that are very commonly picked. If you are in a major that requires certain facilities so they have to limit the number, and it is over subscribed that year, you certainly would have been advantaged to be one of the first assessed instead of after the seats are getting scarce.</p>
<p>Well, of course there's no reason not to, but my impression from reading admissions books/articles, is that they compile everything as it comes in, but start distributing after the deadline, in January usually. I agree that the order you're read in probably matters, but I'm not sure that they're read in the order they're received. Aren't they usually distributed geographically, for instance?</p>
<p>Be that as it may, obviously it can't hurt.</p>
<p>You are right, Garland. There is not insurance that sending your stuff in early is going to mean that you are going to be first to be assessed. That's why I said COULD. It is my opinion that it does increase those chances. I am sure that the app that is received 1/1 with all the attachments slowly wafting in after the holidays, is often not complete until late in the process. That is not to your advantage. But a complete app sitting there just might be looked at when the adcoms decide to start on the RD process, and there are advantages in being in that stack. Of course there could be disadvantages as well, if you have issues that would have made it better if you had applied a bit later. </p>
<p>It is interesting though that in my son's case, I noticed at many schools (we are doing audition rounds) that the date the app was complete and reviewed is prominently noted and some of the order of auditions were established in that way.</p>