<p>As the daughter of a senior in college, we're facing a lot of different issues (like "what do I do when I grow up/graduate...") than most of you parents of HS seniors. But we do have some issues in common.</p>
<p>For example, today, I got on my D's X*!# list as a result of a discussion of deadlines. Today she has a deadline for getting two postgrad scholarship application packages in the mail. Conversation:</p>
<p>NMD (that's me): Have you sent them yet?
DD (my daughter: No, they're due to be postmarked today (i.e. what's the rush?)
NMD: You gonna mail them this morning?
DD: No. I was going to do it after work and after classes.
NMD: When is that?
DD: sometime after 4 PM.
NMD: Isn't that kinda late?
DD: Why? I was going to fedex them.
NMD: Will they accept fedex instead of a postmark?
DD: Why not?</p>
<p>That led to a bit of a discussion regarding the fact that some organizations DON'T accept fedex receipts as proof of mailing etc. </p>
<p>At any rate fellow parents, as various deadlines approach, our kids may need some help understanding that UPS, USPS and FEDEX are all separate organizations whose services may NOT be interchangeable.</p>
<p>And they may need help understanding how "stuff happens" at the last minute, and that receiving organizations are not typically known for sympathy (unless it is a widespread calamity like hurricane Katrina!).</p>
<p>I would be annoyed, too, but I can't imagine a program rejecting someone for applying by FedEx rather than by mail. (I hope she has non-PO-box mailing addresses for them, though.) Educational programs aren't the IRS (and even the IRS isn't that bad).</p>
<p>My kids didn't understand that they couldn't go to the post office 24 hours a day; well they could, but they would not get a postmark at midnight! I get in trouble for correcting them on things like this; they feel I am criticizing them as oppose to trying to teach them.</p>
<p>Other things students don't just know: You usually can not make an appt. for the doctor, a haircut, an interview for the same day you call. No, the mall is not opened at 7:00 on Sunday night to get the required shirt you need Monday morning for a program. </p>
<p>My son wrote a thank you note after an interview, yet let it sit on his desk for over two weeks. What was the rush he wanted to know? My daughter leaves 15 minutes before an appt. that would only take 15 minutes if she was the only car on the road, because when she went once before it only took a little while to get there. Of course she didn't factor in this time that she was leaving during rush hour traffic!</p>
<p>newmassdad,
tell your D to go to the USPS website and print out a prepaid sticker-stamp for her envelopes. That way she will have today's date stamp and all night to get the package ready. :)</p>
<p>All I know is that it only takes one day for mail to reach son's dorm from home, but it can take weeks to get required mail (a proof of purchase for a rebate) to reach us- the front desk to buy stamps from and the big blue mailbox are literally only a few steps out of the way as he passes them many times a day... And e-mail reminders must get through as requests are received easily, as are our item sent notes.</p>