Any benefit to applying early

[StPaulDad]

What I've told people about waiting is that it only makes sense when you have a concrete item to be added to your file: a winter sports team captaincy, another grading period to improve weak math scores, another round of standardized tests, and so on. At the start of the process Admissions is working with a blank canvas, but by the end they are filling blank spots and working around surpluses. You may seem amazing, but there is only room for so many Management majors from Virginia who play basketball and want to be on the Sandhurst team and sing in Glee Club, and doubly so if they are still short on midwesterners or ORDA majors or volleyball players.

 

[ProudMom7]

Is there a negative for applying Early Action? Seems like if you are not selected, then as long as you are competitive, you will be rolled over to the regular decision? If you are selected, it is non-binding, so you don't have to take the appointment. What am I missing?

Not everyone from EA is rolled over. You can be denied. If you apply EA, your possible outcomes are:
- full appointment to CGA
- conditional appointment (waiting on DODMERB to be completed or possible waiver) to CGA
- full appointment to CGAS
- conditional appointment to CGAS
- deferred to Regular application pool
- denied

If you apply Regular (or are deferred), then your possible outcomes are:
- full appointment to CGA
- conditional appointment to CGA
- full appointment to CGAS
- conditional appointment to CGAS
- waitlist
- denied

So perhaps your grades aren't good, but you've been on an upward trajectory and expect your fall semester grades to be stellar (even better if those grades are in Calc, Chem, and Physics). Or perhaps the SAT/ACT scores you submitted weren't great and you are retaking the test. Or you have something else significant that you think will have a big impact after fall semester. That is when you might wait.

However, even after submitting your application, you can still submit updates. So if you expect new SAT/ACT scores back in late October or November, I would still submit EA (if the rest of your package is strong) and then just send in your updated scores. Or if you want to improve your PFE but can't retake it til after the deadline, just send the update in to your AO.

The majority of the spots are filled from EA. So I fully recommend applying EA, and then just continue to update your AO of any significant things that may strengthen your application. It helps your application while continuing to show your AO you are still working to improve and not slacking off even if you already have a strong application.