Earliest Date For Next Cycle

[ThorMan]

Whats the earliest date that all materials should/could be sent for next cycle, to maximize chances? In other words, what date must everything be in by to have the best chance in rolling admissions--including early action and early decision.

Appreciate it

[ThorMan]

In terms of the top 10-20 schools, whats the earliest possible date?

[benr_roth]

Its different for different schools, go look at their websites.

[ndun]

There's no advantage to applying ridiculously early
versus just early.

So long as you apply before the EA deadline, or,
if there is no EA deadline, November 1st, I don't
think it makes much difference.

They probably won't even look at your app before
November 1st anyway. A lot of the adcomms aren't
even around in early fall -- they're off doing
campus visits.

Just get your stuff together by September, and wait
until the schools say they're accepting applications.
Then go ahead and apply.

I'm not saying you should apply in February or March.
I'm just saying that October is probably just as good
as September.

[vjm]

I agree that the rush to get apps in shouldn't start before August, but I was actually encouraged by an adcomm at my target school to apply in the very beginning of September. He made it clear that evaluation of apps started that early.

I also kind of like the idea that they get to look at mine before they get run off their feet with a deluge of apps.

Of course, I f'ed this up and didn't get my last transcript in until October.

[ndun]

Hmm. Interesting.

I think the bottom line though is that the adcomms
generally don't make any decisions before November,
with few exceptions (e.g., Duke, GULC).

So you may get first read ... but you're still competing
against the same group of applicants.

[LuvHurtz]

Hmm. Interesting.

I think the bottom line though is that the adcomms
generally don't make any decisions before November,
with few exceptions (e.g., Duke, GULC).

So you may get first read ... but you're still competing
against the same group of applicants.

And even schools that start accepting in late September/early October are usually only accepting auto-admits that would have gotten in anyway. Applying early does make a difference if you are looking at September vs December.  But applying in September as opposed to October doesn't really seem to make a difference to me. If you sent all of your applications out in mid-Oct you would still be applying pretty early. Applying early doesn't mean you apply first day.

[ThorMan]

Yea, I also heard--from an adcomm--that it is best to get your application in as soon as possible, especially if you're a traditional undergrad/no great extra curriculars/white. The logic was: being early in the cycle--as a bland candidate--insured that your application did not get lost among the more 'interesting' candidates when the majority of apps started to roll in. Basically, a decision will be made more so on your numbers--which adcomms rely more on earlier in the cycle, as its the only quantitative measurement--than on how 'appealing' you seem in comparison to many more candidates.
With that being said, early September is when first reviews start at the earliest schools?