<p>OP–I hear your pain but also can only tell you that kids are different and your schedule is not always theirs. I’ve told my story often–DS#1 was just a procrastinator/last-minute type of kid, so I really did not stress when he didn’t get a single college app in until mid-January of his senior year. DS#2 is so the opposite–sent half his applications off in early September and half in early November. DS#3 is a rising hs senior and I’ve spent the summer vacillating between wanting to say “So when are you going to get started on some of this stuff?” and thinking, “Oh just do it whenever you want.” Just this week I suggested maybe he set August 1st as a deadline to get started on <em>something</em> (common app info? draft the big essay? take a closer look at his preliminary list of schools?). (His school offers a college application “boot camp” for a few days in early August, which of course he’s refusing to attend.)</p>
<p>I think bottom line is not to let <em>yourself</em> get too crazy over all of this stuff. College applications do get done, admissions do come in, the decision does get made (maybe not until too close to May 1st for your taste, but still. . .). Hang in there.</p>