Flieger is totally correct. He usually is. But let me give an opinion on getting your application completed early. I am one of the believers that completing your application early DOES have it's advantages. But I need to elaborate.
When I've spoken in the past of getting an application done early; I don't mean by November 1st. I don't consider that "Early". I consider that about "Average". Depending on the year, the application process has usually opened up in the june or july time frame. When I speak of doing an application "Early"; I'm speaking of getting the application process 100% completed; including CFA, DODMRB medical, and ALO interview; 100% completed within 30-45 days. I'm talking done PRIOR to the 1st day of school starting. THAT is what I consider "Early".
There is absolutely no disadvantage to completing your application in the 30-45 day time period that I mention. Now; if you RUSH it; meaning you do the entire application over the weekend, then yes, you could be providing a sloppy and bad application. But 30-45 days is MORE THAN ENOUGH TIME to do this application. But in order to do this, you have to be "Prepared" in your Junior Year. It is so easy to present a quality application in 30-45 days. Especially if you start as soon as the process opens. Your school admin and counsellors aren't busy with hundreds of kids. They can get your GPA, School profile, class rank, senior schedule, etc... sent without any problems. You can write your essay in a weekend. If you can't, you need mentoring help. The actual online application is simple. Mostly "FACT" questions. Nothing to think about. The essays require a couple days to think about and a couple hours to actually write them. School does their part. ACT/SAT does their part and sends the scores. DODMRB makes sure you don't have 3 legs or only 1 eye. 30-45 days is easy, reasonable, and can produce a very high quality application. Again; procrastinating and doing it all in 3-4 days is not quality.
Again; I'm talking 30-45 days. Having it completed before school starts senior year. The advantages are: It frees up your time to also apply to other schools. It frees up your time to give your attention to classes and activities. It shows your ALO and MOC that you truly care about applying. When your ALO looks at you wanting to do an interview, and sees you are otherwise 100% complete in the application; that means A LOT!!! When you interview with your MOC and they discover you completed the application 100% back in August, that is VERY IMPRESSIVE!!! These are none scored areas of the process. Just like showing up for the interview in a shirt and tie compared to jeans. When your ALO and MOC see how MOTIVATED you were in the application process; they remember that. So does the selection board.
To think that a quality application can't be done in 30-45 days is totally wrong. It can EASILY be done. Those who wait until the end, in my opinion, tend to give too LITTLE attention to the application at one time, and they wind up rushing it towards the end. If instead; you use the summer, when you have no classes; your school isn't rushed; your ALO isn't rushed; and you can spend QUALITY TIME on the application; you can have a quality application completed by August. That to me is EARLY. Not November. So when some hear me speak of doing the application early, I'm not talking October, November, December. I'm talking July-August. Mike....