Tricks to the Admission Process?

[The Pseudo grad student]

So I know this is all wishful thinking on my part but it gives me solace during my waiting period.

Say if School A does not have a deadline until say May 1st but most schools have deadline earlier in the year so you decide to send it off extra early, does that get you ahead of the game of other applicants who apply later or not?

In my case, most of my applications are being reviewed later than usual because of complications with my transcripts but does this give me an edge in any way or disadvantage? I know that obviously, more spots would be open if I applied earlier (giving a greater probability of admission) but in doing so I'm competing with other very well qualified applicants so it's most likely that I'd get rejected. If my application and all it's materials is reviewed later with people the adcomms are on the fence about, maybe that gives me sort of a "more far competition" but also less space to get in (lower probability?). I know that because of my late review, funding will most likely not be available in my case but that's just one of the consequences I can overlook. I'm not sure which case if better if any Any thoughts? I might totally be over thinking this.

[mudlark]

You are absolutely overthinking this.

There is no way of knowing. You will only make yourself crazy.

Here's the explanation if it helps: every adcom has a different schedule and set of practices for reviewing applicants. Some places do rolling admissions, where they give out acceptances at any time. If you're applying to one of these, then getting in early is good, yes. But the vast, vast majority of grad programs do not have rolling admissions. Nobody looks at any part of your packet except a secretary who sorts the mail until all the applications are in. Then they sit down and go through them all at once, and the time of submission makes no difference. They also usually leave some time as a buffer between the deadline and their review, and between their review and the funding app deadline, so that late transcripts also usually make no difference.

But even if the grad chair takes an interest in what kind of apps are coming in and decides to take an early peek, there's no way of knowing if that's going to help or not. Maybe she read your app right after a crappy one and thinks it's brilliant. Maybe she read it after two great ones and thinks it's crap. Maybe she missed her morning coffee and decides that all apps are crap. Maybe she was interrupted by a phone call in the middle of reading your app, so that the first half is evaluated based on her early-term mood and the second half is evaluated based on her later-term mood and could one of you math people make a formula for figuring out how a GRE score with a high verbal but a mediocre quant would factor into the admissions process based on a numerical evaluation of each mood relevant to the level of competition in a standard year at each of the following schools and FOR GOD'S SAKE STOP THE INSANITY!

There is no way of knowing. You will only make yourself crazy.

[Tiglath-Pileser III]

There is no way of knowing. You will only make yourself crazy.

Crazy is all a part of being a waiting applicant. It is a sign of the times. We are all insane. And that is why we will win.

[The Pseudo grad student]

But even if the grad chair takes an interest in what kind of apps are coming in and decides to take an early peek, there's no way of knowing if that's going to help or not. Maybe she read your app right after a crappy one and thinks it's brilliant. Maybe she read it after two great ones and thinks it's crap. Maybe she missed her morning coffee and decides that all apps are crap. Maybe she was interrupted by a phone call in the middle of reading your app, so that the first half is evaluated based on her early-term mood and the second half is evaluated based on her later-term mood and could one of you math people make a formula for figuring out how a GRE score with a high verbal but a mediocre quant would factor into the admissions process based on a numerical evaluation of each mood relevant to the level of competition in a standard year at each of the following schools and FOR GOD'S SAKE STOP THE INSANITY!

@mudlark: You added a whole other can of worms for me to think about! JK, I know what you mean tho, to just leave it alone because they're no control over it. Thanks for trying to calm down my sanity while also adding to it

@Hermes: I really wish that to be true for all of us!

[focused]

Maybe she missed her morning coffee and decides that all apps are crap.

That will be me when I'm on an adcom! (though I VERY rarely miss my morning coffee!)