Deadline #1 looms

I should probably hold back on daily post until the start of November, but I'm feeling engaged and this post will be stale by November.

The first college application deadline is November 1st. This isn't an optional application deadline, like early action or early decision. This one is mandatory and pretty prime for HSS (High School Senior).

For the last 12-13 years I've been socking away money every month into the Maryland Pre-Paid College Fund. I'll talk a bit about that in a future post, but for this post the important thing to keep in mind is that financially, a University of Maryland School System college choice is very attractive. For HSS two schools from this system have made her list - University of Maryland at College Park (the system's biggest university) and University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). These both rank pretty high for undergraduate engineering programs in the US News list (#24 & #95), so they are pretty attractive that way as well.

November 1st is their "priority deadline". That makes it sound like a deadline for over-achievers. It is, in fact the only deadline if you want to be considered for scholarships or special programs. Doesn't everyone want to be considered for scholarships and special programs? I know everyone won't receive them, but don't you at least want to ask? Honestly, why do they have any other deadline than November 1st?

I felt like we were moving along OK, but then I got an email titled "A Message to TERParents". Ack! Four days before the deadline and they're pinging me about the application? Maybe this is helpful for some people, but for me it's just another source of stress and a list of things that I probably should have done a month ago if I was a more organized or generally, just a better parent.

So here we are - essays to polish, and I guess I should proof-read everything that she's typed in to these online applications (College Park has their "roll your own" system, while UMBC uses the Common App). I've made sure they’ve gotten SAT and AP scores and HSS has told me the recommendations and transcripts have been submitted via the high school's on-line system. I guess I should double check that too. And stress a little more. And worry that I've forgotten something… or she has… or her school has...


I am now officially losing my mind; and this is just the first deadline of this whole stinking process.