What is considered late in the admission cycle?

LongDuration

I am unsure about whether to take the October or November test, but I also want to apply for 2021 matriculation. Would applying mid/late November be drastically different than applying mid October (assuming no ED)?

jIbooker

Jan/feb

LUCASIMMER2

I'm wondering a lot about this too. I've gotten different answers depending on who I've asked. Would be delighted to hear any insight from anyone else on this thread.

I'm certainly no expert, but I am dealing with the same thing, so here's what I know: Pretty much everyone I've talked to or heard from agrees October is still quite early, and many consider November early as well. Some schools (NYU for example) even say on their website that no applicant is at a competitive disadvantage as long as they apply by mid February, though I know most would consider that quite late. As best I can tell, it's a gradient. Earlier is obviously better, all things being equal, but not if you can get a significantly better score.

As far as your October vs November question, I think it depends on your score and how confident you're feeling about your chances on a retake. If you feel that extra month is only going to get you a point or two, you should probably just go ahead and apply. If you think it'll be more like a 4 or 5 point increase (or more, you never know), I'd say re-take it.