Current Status : H1B (expiring Oct 11, 2010)
Converting to: F1 - Will send in paperwork for COS by April 28, 2010
Start date on I- 20 : August 30, 2010

Should I request a start date for F1 (July 30, based on 30 day rule) when applying for COS in my cover letter?

I am planning to leave my job on June 30 and take a vacation within the US. As I understand I can continue to live in US while my COS is in progress. Given the current 2.5 month wait of F1 COS, I assume that I will be notified of F1 approval (or not!) by July 15

Will I be out-of-status between July 15 and July 30th (start date on F1)? Do I have to leave the country for those 15 days or is there a grace period?

Can my application of COS be rejected as it is 15 days early? Or should I just wait 15 days to apply?