When do colleges start to look at you?

The time when colleges start looking at you depends on whether you're applying through the Early Action/Early Decision process or the Regular Decision process, and also on the specific college's policies. There's no single answer, but here's a breakdown:

* Early Action/Early Decision (EAD/ED): Colleges begin reviewing applications submitted through these programs much earlier, typically starting in October or November for applications with deadlines in November or December. They often want to make decisions before the regular decision application pool gets overwhelming.

* Regular Decision: Colleges begin seriously reviewing applications submitted through the regular decision process closer to the application deadline. This usually starts in December or January, but some may start reviewing applications even earlier in the fall, depending on their application volume.

Factors influencing when colleges look at your application:

* Application Completeness: Colleges usually wait until your entire application (including transcripts, test scores, letters of recommendation, etc.) is complete before reviewing it.

* Application Deadline: The closer the deadline, the more intensely the admissions committee will review applications.

* College Size and Selectivity: More selective colleges with higher application volumes might begin reviewing earlier to manage the workload.

In short, while the specifics vary, you can generally assume colleges begin their serious review process several weeks before their respective decision release dates.