Early Decision and Early Action are usually 1 or 15 November. Regular Decision most commonly falls between 1 January and 15 January, though it ranges from December to March. Rolling admissions have no fixed date but fill up, so earlier is genuinely better.

Early Decision is binding, if you're admitted, you're committing to attend and withdrawing other applications. Early Action is not binding; you simply hear back sooner. Only apply Early Decision to a school you would attend without comparing aid offers.

At least a month before your earliest deadline, and ideally before the summer ends. Teachers write dozens of these, and the ones written under time pressure read like it.

The FAFSA opens on 1 October for the following academic year, and some aid is awarded first-come. Several states and schools have their own earlier priority deadlines, track those here too, as a separate line.

No, nothing is uploaded and there's no account. Use the calendar export so the dates land in the calendar you already check.