it is better that you don't apply online

I never applied online. But from what I heard from others, it is better to apply by mail. If you are in a hurry, send out application via O/N mail.
If you apply online, you might need to do fingerprint to get your EAD, which makes the procedure more compliated. You can search here and you will find that a lot of people who had experience of applyiing on line complained about that.