If your child is accepted by the first-choice college early, all other applications must be withdrawn.

如果你很早就被你的首选学校录取，你必须撤销你的其他申请。 通常，学校会要求在五月一日之前支付占位费，占位费不退还。

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In part for this reason, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is likely to see increased numbers of provisional applications, which if done properly can be a cost-effective way to obtain an early priority date for a patent application.

FORBES: March 16, 2013: The United States Transitions To A 'First-Inventor-To-File' Patent System