Are admissions decisions for Graduate programs based on when the student applies?
Will a student who applies on February 14th (if the deadline for applications is Februray 15) be assessed differently for admission compared to a student who applies earlier, say in October? Or does that not matter, and as long as the student applies by February 15, everyone is judged equally?
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No applications are considered until all are received.
Having said that, an application that arrives the day before the deadline MIGHT be interpreted as a lack of serious interest, or as evidence of disorganization. And what if your application is missing something? You will want to have some time to correct the problem.
Just make sure everything arrives at least a week before the deadline.
Regardless of when you apply, get in touch with the Director of Graduate Studies at each program in which you are interested WELL before the deadline. Months, preferably. If you’d like to visit, the DGS can help make arrangements.
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Earlier is better. When I applied for graduate school, I sent all of my applications in somewhat early (a couple of weeks to a month early). I remember getting called before the deadline regarding an interview at the school so applying early helped me out there. If you wait, you might not get an interview spot or there might be too many good candidates that they wait list you.
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They shouldn’t be. That’s why its a deadline, meaning you have until that date to be considered as an applicant. But you may want to get your application in earlier. Most programs require that you get accepted to the university first and then apply to the graduate college and specific program. Also, keep in mind that it may take a few weeks for the university to process all of your application materials, so the earlier you get them in, the better.
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