Applying early

[TooCool]

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Is it true that if you apply early it will increase your chances of getting accepted cause the colleges see that you are prepared? I read that somewhere but Ive also heard that applying early could hurt your chances?

Does it make any difference whether you apply at the beginning of the college accepting the apps or towards the deadline of them accepting the apps?

 

[NeophyteParkour]

Yes, it does help your chances to apply early.

If a college has a hard deadline of 10/15, but a soft deadline of 4/15, then they most likely begin accepting people into the program (after early decision people were accepted) in september. The way the schools have worded it to me in their emails and on PTCAS, is that they basically accept a given number of people each month until the the class fills up. They could fill up all spots in december, even though they keep accepting applications through april, technically. Therefore if you apply after all spots have been taken, you're left to compete with the waitlist.

 

[TooCool]

So people with not-so-great stats would prob get accepted if they applied early over the ones that have great stats but apply later?

 

[jchen707]

It is in your best interest to apply early to schools with rolling admission (although if you do PTCAS, those that don't do rolling admission won't look at your app until their deadline has past but those that do rolling admission will look at your app as soon as it is submitted). For example, Emory does rolling admission, and so they began reviewing apps as early as Sept (even though their deadline is technically in Feb). Same goes for Temple. When you apply on PTCAS, you submit your app to all of the schools listed. If, for example you submit in late Aug, those that do rolling admission will start looking at your app as soon as they can. Those that don't do rolling admission won't look at your app until after their deadline has past, so it doesn't hurt to apply early to any school.

The notion that applicants with bad stats should apply early depends on what your stats are, I feel. That is because if you apply early, you are competing against fewer applicants, which will increase your chances, but if your stats are not good enough to even meet the minimum requirements of the school, then the school will likely still reject you. So there is still that chance you might not get accepted even if you apply early, but it does significantly increase your chances.