College Apps and All That

November 30th--the deadline for entering college freshmen to submit applications for the 2011 fall school year. ::Play Jaws shark music.:: Many of you out there have been there and done that. Your kids are through the "getting into college" shtick and no doubt you are so glad those days are over. SO glad. Some of you still have this tortuous event to look forward to. And to you I say, Good luck my friends! No doubt you'll be glad to see it pass. And for those of you who didn't go the kid route, here's another data point to put on your "pro" list of reasons not to have kids. You've spared yourself some grey hairs, antacid swilling and restless nights.

My one and only got his applications filed Sunday--a day when apparently multitudes of college freshmen hopefuls were also filing their applications. Many of the school websites weren't processing information quickly or were unavailable on the last Sunday of Thanksgiving vacation when every self-respecting, king or queen of procrastination, college-wannabe was sending in their pleas for admissions. And all I have to say is, Hallelujah, Lord! It's done. Now we do a combination of waiting, hoping, breathing evenly, staying on track and waiting until--is it April?--when the decisions are mailed.

With one acceptance in his back pocket (Montana State--a place where he could both ski and major in biology--dream come true, right?) my son's California line-up is: CSU Sacramento, San Francisco, San Diego, Cal Poly SLO, and Humbolt and UC Davis and Santa Cruz. UC Merced was a realistic option but as I told him, there's no sense applying if you know you don't want to go there and he really doesn't want to go there despite the fact that he'd likely be accepted.

Every CSU application is 55$ and every UC application is 60$. Zoiks! It adds up quickly! This would be somewhat more palatable if I were currently employed but I am currently, most definitely not employed. No worries about boredom, but the lack of cash is extremely, uh...disconcerting? Yes. It's that. Disconcerting in extremis. As my credit card number flew far and wide over the internet I tried to remain calm. As much as his father, no longer my husband, doesn't enjoy hearing from me, I'll have to let him know he's on the hook for half the tab. Fair's fair, right? HE actually IS working.

I've been asking about my son about his personal essay--the thing that's supposed to accompany his applications--for literal months. I read one version of it in the summer--which needed some pretty ::cough, cough:: serious work--and never saw the final product. It's not that I didn't ask, it just never materialized. It's like that when your kid is half the time between the 'rents. He's here, he's there, he's bobbing and weaving as Mom tries (not hard enough) to get a bead on things. At least that's what I tell myself.  Then I chide myself that I should nag harder, louder and longer. But then I think--if I have to nag so hard maybe he doesn't want it that badly. Or should I push, muscle, propel, impel and proxy my concern onto him? Sadly, that's just not me. At some point, we'll find out if he appreciates me for that or resents me for it. My money's on the latter. Sigh.

Anyway, it's done. The applications are in. Theo's future weighs precariously and momentously in the balance. More grey hairs, antacids and restless nights to come. But let's be real, that goes with the territory--kids, or no kids.

I've got my fingers crossed and my hopes high. He is after all--my one and only baby.