Submitting Apps Early

[yeahgradschool!]

Anyone have thoughts on submitting your applications early? Is there any benefit to getting your apps in long before the deadline? Do the adcomms start going through them immediately or do they wait until the specified deadline date? One of my applications specifically states that I can check the status of submitted docs (i.e. transcript/gre scores) AFTER I have submitted the app. It seems like it would behoove an applicant to send the apps in as early as possible so that they could make sure to take care of any issues with the mailed docs, just in case admissions didn't receive them for some reason.

But then I think, if I send them in early, I might have a revelation about my life/goals/personal statement and it would be too late to change anything at that point. Eek!

Any thoughts on this matter? Thanks in advance for any advice!! I am starting to get anxious about this whole thing and it's not even decision time. I am going to be a wreck come March!

P.S. I am totally loving this forum and so glad I found it!

Edited November 18, 2010 by yeahgradschool!

[macmc]

Anyone have thoughts on submitting your applications early? Is there any benefit to getting your apps in long before the deadline? Do the adcomms start going through them immediately or do they wait until the specified deadline date? One of my applications specifically states that I can check the status of submitted docs (i.e. transcript/gre scores) AFTER I have submitted the app. It seems like it would behoove an applicant to send the apps in as early as possible so that they could make sure to take care of any issues with the mailed docs, just in case admissions didn't receive them for some reason.

But then I think, if I send them in early, I might have a revelation about my life/goals/personal statement and it would be too late to change anything at that point. Eek!

Any thoughts on this matter? Thanks in advance for any advice!! I am starting to get anxious about this whole thing and it's not even decision time. I am going to be a wreck come March!

P.S. I am totally loving this forum and so glad I found it!

There's really no benefit to submitting them early beyond your own peace of mind, which is why I will be submitting mine ahead of time. Adcomms aren't going to make any real decisions before the deadline, so the only reason I'll be submitting mine in early December is because I'm tired of obsessing over the things--I started my SoP in JULY.

[yeahgradschool!]

There's really no benefit to submitting them early beyond your own peace of mind, which is why I will be submitting mine ahead of time. Adcomms aren't going to make any real decisions before the deadline, so the only reason I'll be submitting mine in early December is because I'm tired of obsessing over the things--I started my SoP in JULY.

Thanks for the response! And I totally feel you. I have looked over my SOP and resume so much that at this point, unless I experience a major life-altering event that I could write about, I'll only be deleting commas and moving words around. Good luck to you!

[Bukharan]

I submitted everything early. Most of my friends who are applying this year are done as well. As said before, early applications give you peace of mind (and, in my case, time to prepare for December exams) but I doubt it makes a difference in the admissions process.

[cckrspnl56]

Also, keep in mind that some applications won't let your letter-writers upload their references until you have submitted your entire application. Just because you have everything prepared and organized does not actually mean they do!

[surprisecake]

There's definitely an advantage in *some* schools.

I have been submitting all my applications a day or so before the deadline, and I got the shock of my life when someone on this forum reported their admit to a school only a few days after I had submitted mine! In DECEMBER 0_o