I applied on the first day- and the first hour, actually - that the portal was made available. I heard back from them on the 24th of December with an acceptance letter.
Is there an essay or narrative portion of the applications for SLS (or NASS) ?
I was going to add that as well. Our RC has only told us January, but it will be later than previous years.For the 2011 SLS, no.
Also, note: 2012 SLS application will be available in mid- to late-January instead of December of the previous year.