It was the start of August. The sun was shining brightly in the sky. Many people were still at camp or on vacation. The idea of summer homework was in a whole other dimension.

However, Lexy Iannacone ’15 was spending her summer differently than most. She created a Common App account.

“The fact that this was for not one, not two but all my schools is crazy,” she said. Iannacone is referring to the fact that the 11 total schools she’s applying to all have deadlines earlier than November 15.

Guidance counselor Thomas Brown advises students to apply early if they have a strong interest in a school, especially given the binding contract of Early Decision.

“While it’s not a golden ticket, it can give you a little bump in acceptance,” Brown said.

Iannacone explained that she is applying early everywhere so that she can get the process over with sooner.

“It relieves the stress for later on,” she said.

With schools like Wellesley College  and University of Georgia having deadlines as soon as October 15, prospective students can find themselves in quite the time crunch. This means applications bite into the summer before senior year, as in Iannacone’s case.

There is also the practical issue in that students need to hand in all necessary forms, transcript requests and student information sheets to guidance no less than four weeks before their particular deadline. This year, guidance did not accept these forms until September 15. For students with an October 15 deadline, this gives them just one day to get their materials together.

“All the [actual completion of forms] can happen before September 15,” Brown assured. “This is just the first day we accept transcript requests.”

Connie Scrivens, Associate Director of Admissions at University of South Carolina (USC), explained that the college established their Early Action deadline for October 15 due to the demands from applicants.

“Students want to hear the news before the holidays and not have to wait until March,” Scrivens said. “Also, the sooner students apply, the sooner we have information on the size of the incoming freshman class.”

With USC on average receiving more than 20,000 applications each year, Scrivens said this large window of time to review between October and December is necessary.

In regards to the stress of such early deadlines, Scrivens reminded applicants that the university’s website offers advice on completing applications on time and in good quality.

Brown echoed a similar message. “Take a deep breath, use your counselor and stay organized,” he said.