When applications are genuinely reviewed on a rolling basis, timing can matter because interview capacity is being allocated as candidates arrive. A slightly better application six weeks later may be competing for fewer remaining slots.

That does not mean 'submit anything immediately.' If a material improvement is coming soon, such as a strong internship result, major grade update or meaningful referral, waiting can make sense.

The trap is delaying for cosmetic improvements: changing adjectives, rewriting the same bullet repeatedly or waiting for one more coffee chat. Those changes rarely justify a long delay once the core application is already strong.

Set a minimum quality bar before the application opens. Once you meet it, submit early and move your attention to assessments and interviews rather than chasing perfection.

I spent way too long polishing one application. In hindsight, the extra edits probably mattered less than just getting it in.

I could see waiting for a major internship update, but not for the fifth round of resume edits.

How much stronger would the application need to become before waiting actually makes sense?

A self-imposed deadline might be the only way I would stop tweaking my bullets.

There is also prep to do after submitting. Easy to forget that part.