<p>Can someone please define this? </p>
<p>If I need to "postmark by January 16th", I must go to the post-office on January 16th, have my essays "postmarked" and then I would be able to send them on time? Is it just something that indicates the time of arrival to the post office?</p>
<p>Does more stamps on the envelope ensure greater speed of delivery? :p</p>
<p>Thank you. I am obviously not very informed about these things. :D</p>
<p>The postmark is the stamp (not a paid stamp) that the local post office puts on a letter when they do their initial sorting. I doubt that they will add the postmark when you are there because it is part of their sorting process. It should be done by the local post office if you give them the mailings before their last pick-up. Because your applications will weigh more than a standard letter, you should have them weighed and stamped (paid stamps) with the right amount at the PO. </p>
<p>Could you do this early in the morning of the 16th to allow some margin for error? If you want better mail handling, send them priority mail, although this is not necessary. Be sure to keep copies of your applications.</p>
<p>If you have any ready today, it would be best to mail them today to avoid a last minute rush.</p>
<p>A postmarked indicates the day the PO received the letter/package for processing. It's the stamp you see on the front of the envelope over the stamp. Tell the postal clerk when you want your package to arrive at its destination and they will give you several shipping options (first class, priority, overnight, etc.) at various prices that meet your needs. </p>
<p>Don't just guess how many stamps to put on and hope for the best. You'll just be overpaying for first class WITHOUT the benefit of speedier delivery.</p>
<p>Ah, I see. So the postmark is really used for the post office's sorting and I can tell the postal clerk that I want it at the academies by Tuesday. I will have two of my applications finished today and I will be going to the post office in the afternoon. </p>
<p>First class is the fastest speed?</p>
<p>If you need to have it there by Tues., you may have to pay for overnight service. If the deadline is delivery by Tues., you might be better off going to FedEx. The PO is closed on Mon. so they may not be able to overnight it by Tues. I do not know this for a fact.</p>
<p>If the deadline is postmark by 1/16, the PO is your best bet. Brighty has a good point to ask the postal clerk what your options are.</p>
<p>The deadline is postmarked by 1/16. Therefore, the actual "deadline" time is an arbitrary date within the time period of a few days after Tuesday?</p>
<p>Yes. If that is what they say the deadline is, then you don't need to pay more to ensure delivery on Tues. I sent my son's applications Priority Mail because they get better handling for mail delivery.</p>
<p>I see. I that case, I will probably use Priority Mail. Thank you.</p>
<p>I did the same, Chaos. Mailed an application that required a January 10 postmark/deadline in a 8x11 envelope via priority mail. Cost about $4.50.
We will be doing the same for the Exeter application on the 16th.</p>
<p>On a different, but related topic, do you think if I sent off my SPS money and FA stuff today (overnight delivery) and had my application sent off by today online that they will accept all of it? I'm kind of worried that they might get there a day late.</p>
<p>I find myself in slight dilemmas often. Today is one such day. :D</p>
<p>What would happen if I find myself in the situation where I am not able to get the school\graded essay that Deerfield and Hotchkiss ask for to the post until until the seventeenth? I would have everything else finished.</p>
<p>What is their deadline? If it were me, I would keep the all the application materials together in the overnight package. And if it must reach there the next day, I would send it fedex which I think is more reliable, especially when delivering to a remote location. Be sure you know when delivery will be made if you are under a tight deadline. Some companies have different definitions of overnight if you are not in an urban location. If you send them separately, I don't see why they wouldn't accept it as long as it is within their deadline. If you send them separately, let them know that the remaining application was sent online. I think some people doing the Choate application had some slow server problems around the deadline, presumably because so many were trying to send it online. Good luck!</p>
<p>tommeister - not 100% sure but its supposed to be at sps by Monday which is a holiday. You better send it out today overnight and hope for the best. No other choice really that I can think of. Unless you want to hand deliver on Monday.</p>
<p>Chaos Theory - if you were my kid, I'd just tell you to work your butt off between now and Monday and get them out first thing Tuesday morning to get the postmark of the 16th on those apps. I would not wait until the 17th!</p>
<p>Yes, I will get my main applications all done by Tuesday morning. It is a graded\school essay that they want that I am worried about. It is possible to get it out on Tuesday if I am allowed to make copies at school. It can be done.</p>
<p>Chaos - you don't have a graded essay right now? Are you getting one on Tuesday?</p>
<p>I have sent off all of the pieces for my Exeter and SPS apps. All I can do now is wait, and hope that the overnight delivery of the SPS materials will get there in time. Thank you for the prompt replies.</p>
<p>Wait, the Exeter app had to include a graded essay?</p>
<p>I'm looking at the Phillips Exeter Academy Application Checklist, and it does not say that a graded essay must be submitted, nor does it say it is optional to submit an essay, nor did it say that one should on the student statement. I think you're fine, tommeister. If you're not, they hid it very well.</p>
<p>Thank whatever deity we're praying to these days! I was worried there for a moment.</p>
<p>The deity? Most people know him as God, but he refers to himself as Albert Einstein.</p>