Typically, these colleges accept a higher proportion of early applicants than regular ones.

Does the school usually defer or reject early applicants who don't make it?

The earliest applicants were generally those with the strongest documentation and best cases.

It's barely autumn, but now's the time early applicants have to get their act together for university entry in 2009.

Most college officials surveyed said the geographic distribution of early applicants had changed little from previous years.

Some universities are already making offers to early applicants.

This month Penn admitted 808 out of 1,850 early applicants.

No doubt some schools give an advantage to early applicants.

Applying in the fall helped, too; early applicants at many schools are about twice as likely to get in.

The college gives early applicants a small advantage, admitting some who might have been rejected had they applied later.