Because I have just learnt that that is how long we have left. DS#2 starts school next Sept and we have to apply by 18th October. Only learnt by accident because I was chatting to a friend who's son is same age as mine. I have approx 1 week until the open evening of the school we want him to go to. We are having a 'discussion' with DS about this whole subject as he wants to go to the school where his friends are going and I'd rather have my arm chewed off by a rabid lion than let him! I rang the LEA whose attitude was that it was his primary schools fault for not passing on the documentation soon enough (he's been on a 5 day residential field trip since the term began) but totally failed to see that whether we got the stuff on 3rd Sept or 10th September makes very little difference - the deadline is too short!
Anyway. I will pause for breath now and try to stop panicking.