But the social studies concentrator from Quincy House says her resume didn't adequately convey the amount of time she spends on extra-curricular activities. Her advice to future classes of recruits: "Go to OCS early. I didn't."

12:25 p.m.

The line has swelled out the door of the drop-off room, and, like a grade-school teacher on a field trip, Milstein is prodding and berating the disoriented and disorganized students to stay in line and have their applications in numerical order.

John C. Lin '97, a biology concentrator from Pforzheimer House, says he finished his applications at noon. "I chose companies that didn't require cover letters," he says.

12:40 p.m.

Joe Zawadzki '96, an English concentrator, went beyond the no-cover letter rule. "I chose any company that didn't require a transcript," he says.

The line has turned into an unruly mob, and Milstein is tirelessly telling them to "just relax" and, of course, to order their applications numerically.

12:48 p.m.

Out of pity, this reporter is now directing incoming droves of students to the end of the line. The plentiful and brightly-colored directional signs are not working, and newly-arriving students are wandering erratically, hands shaking, hyperventilating.

12:50 p.m.

Milstein tells the students on their way out not to talk to students still in line. "They haven't turned in their materials yet. They're bad," she yells. She turns her attention to the frantic students in line: "You're all going to work for the recruiting office now. It's $10 an hour for the rest of your life!"

12:59 p.m.

By now, with the line snaking up the stairs and into the lobby, students begin to realize 1 p.m. will not be an ironclad deadline.

One student cracks that "OCS is open until five because they know we'll be turning in our stuff until then."

Milstein admits in private that the recruiting office won't have to bring the applications to a dropoff at Boston University until 3 p.m.