Originally Posted by gloreglabert

Nope. The only number that shows up on your report (for each account) is the balance on the day of the month that the account info was sent to the bureaus. For all but a few issuers, that day is the same as your statement closing date. US Bank is a notable exception, which reports the balance on the 1st of the month, regardless of your statement closing.

The best way to maximize your score prior to new applications is to pay off all your cards, except one, in advance of the statement closing date -- that way, they all report zero to the bureaus. For the last card, let a small balance report (say 5-10% of the limit). Doing this will maximize your score when your report is pulled, as it will show everything zero except for the one card.

Note that doing the above is probably not necessary, as unless your regular utilization is high (e.g., >30%), it probably won't improve your score TOO much. However, if you really want to optimize, the above the way to do it.