It was sent on 08/14. I used certified mail with a return receipt which said it was received on August 17th.
I used a personal Check, that was deposited on Aug 23.
Got the receipt on 08/28.
My current EAD expires in November. After some research and talking to informed people and reading up stuff in this great portal, I decided to do it before 3 months. Especially since I am using my EAD.