Bear in mind that most colleges have multiple deadlines, one in the fall and one in the winter or early spring: applying earlier may boost your chance of getting in and qualifying for scholarships. 

Watch out for early action vs. early decision. "Early action" is what all public colleges have, like the ones listed below: you apply earlier but aren't required to attend if you get in. "Early decision" is different: it's binding. If you get into a college where you have applied before the "Early Decision" deadline, you are required to attend if you are accepted, so only apply to your #1 top choice college "Early Decision." If you don't have a top choice, you may want to stick to early action and regular decision deadlines.