When to Apply? Too late?

I haven't sent in any of my applications yet. I'll hopefully start sending them in the next week or two-- is that late? i'm just waiting for one more reference and i need to finish (i.e. start) my personal statement. when do most students send their applications in? am i running late or doing fine?

current postgrads: if any of you sent your applications in december, around what time of year did you hear back?

thanks!

I just did a bunch of applications in the last few days, they are very easy.
A heck of a lot easier than anything I filled out for my undergrad here in the usa.
so you shouldnt have too much problem being crunched for time. I think the St. Andrews application seriously took me 10 minutes to complete.

All in a large envelope, unfolded.
Seriously, how can the folding be that much of a problem?

anyone know a nice way to ask a professor to hurry up with a reference? i asked her about 6 weeks ago and she hasn't finished even though she said it would only take her a few weeks. i don't want to be rude b/c i'm sure she's busy, but i'm leaving the country next week and i'd really like to get a few applications out before that.

I had the same problem. Have you already sent a few polite emails? If you have, go visit her. You don't want to be rude as you say, but at the same time, if they said they would do it within a specific time period and they haven't, then that's rude as well. If they are insanely busy and don't have any time for us normal folk, like mine, then go to the departmental secretary, find out their timetable, then stalk them, or linger outside their office. I ended up lurking outside classrooms that I knew he was teaching in, so I could grab him at the end. You just have to be persistent really!