Hi Madison,
Applying around a month in advance is generally fine, even for rolling firms. Being earlier can help at the margins, but it isn’t the case that applications submitted slightly later are automatically discounted. Strong and well-thought applications are still read and progressed throughout the cycle.
For reference, I applied to White and Case a day before their deadline and despite timings, the quality of the application itself was enough to get me through to the AC stage.
On numbers, there really isn’t a magic figure. For most people, something in the 10–15 range is very normal, and 11 is already a solid spread. The fact that 15 felt right is probably a good sign that you’re thinking about your own capacity rather than forcing a number because others are doing more or less.
What matters far more now is whether you can keep the same level of quality across the rest of your applications, and whether your firm list makes sense for you. If that’s the case, you’re not under-applying, and you’re definitely not behind.
It’s easy to second guess at this stage, especially when you hear lots of conflicting advice, but from the outside this sounds like a sensible and well-balanced approach!
