As the rest of the family ate turkey, others hope that Thursday, Nov. 30 would be farther away.

The deadline for transferring students and those applying for grad school is around the corner and a lot of procrastinating students will be stressing at the last minute, or at least they should be.

Have you done the final version of your personal statement?

Sent your transcripts?

Received your recommendation letters?

Received the appropriate test scores on required tests?

Fulfilled other requirements?

It seems that we go through life constantly taking tests and filling out applications.

When you were in high school, you filled out an application to attend college; now that you are finishing your undergrad degree, you are applying for graduate school or looking to transfer to a school better for your education.

The application process can be stressful but it is necessary.

You should send in your application with plenty of time to meet deadlines.

When students send in their application a few minutes after midnight on Nov. 30 going into Dec.1, they are late and it is very risky because it shows that you lack discipline and an ability to follow directions. So do not be late!

As the application process takes place, financial difficulties may occur. There is pressure on parents to provide the expected contribution.

Parents with more than one college student in the family may want to encourage them to apply for scholarships.

Look out for free money people.

Fee waivers and scholarships are an excellent way to get some pocket change. By not applying, people limit themselves.

As financial aid deadlines come up, whether you are completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or applying for scholarships, you should put every important date on your admissions calendar.

To be safe, give yourself personal deadlines well before the official date that an application is due.

This will help you keep yourself in check and be on time.

During the holidays, weekends, or whenever convenient, you should try to schedule dates to go see colleges.

For those of you who have some time before you apply, start to put a school list together, you should schedule visits to as many of those colleges as possible.