Admission probabilities fluctuate across rounds, urging early submission if feasible. While most schools encourage early applications, many refrain from officially stating differences between admission rounds. However, some institutions explicitly declare no variance. This holds true for both undergraduate and postgraduate programs.
Question is: Should you opt for early application, in round one?
Consider the following factors:
- Early rounds typically allocate more seats, as admission committees strive to fill classes with strong candidates promptly.
- Round 2 witnesses increased competition due to fewer available seats, compounded by unsuccessful round 1 applicants as well as successful applicants who aim for more selective schools after getting accepted.
- You may encounter applicants with profiles similar to yours. Schools prioritize fostering diversity across various dimensions such as gender, industry, race, and culture. While applying early could provide an edge, it might also result in rejection if another candidate with a comparable profile applied early, as schools aim to avoid admitting multiple students with identical backgrounds. This could also happen in the later rounds.
It’s advisable to plan ahead, build your profile, prepare the application – essays, recommendations, standardized tests etc. and apply early. However, if unable to have a good profile and application ready, wait for later rounds rather than submit early.