<p>This question is asked every year, and tasmom has provided an accurate answer. What happens each year, however, is that each time the answer is passed on, the amount of time after December 1st gets extended until they are talking about submitting materials significantly past the deadline.</p>
<p>Here is a thread from 2010 that tried to sum up the answer <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-southern-california/819609-2010-applicants-answer-dec-1st-deadline-everything.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-southern-california/819609-2010-applicants-answer-dec-1st-deadline-everything.html</a> and provides some timeline info that explains why you do indeed want to get your materials in ASAP.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>