Apply in the first round if your application is genuinely ready; waiting purely for the sake of waiting rarely helps.

Early windows may offer more interview opportunities in some processes, but a rushed resume or weak case preparation can be more damaging than a later eligible deadline. The firm and office matter.

If you can make meaningful improvements to your evidence of impact in two weeks, the trade-off is different from waiting a month with no specific plan.

Work backward from each firm’s actual deadline. Decide whether your resume, networking, and assessment preparation will be strong enough to apply early; the guidance on when Master’s students should apply can help you organize the trade-off.

I held off for a "perfect" CV last year. By the time I applied, all I'd changed was a couple of bullets.