Parents in Birmingham have just three days left to get a secondary school place for their child.
Education chiefs in Birmingham warned those failing to apply by the end of the week risked disappointment next year.
The Friday deadline is the earliest in the West Midlands and designed to give Europe's biggest education authority time to process tens of thousands of applications from 311 primaries.
Parents of children transferring to secondary school have to submit six preferences.
Julie Newbold, admissions and appeals co-ordinator for Birmingham City Council, said: "Schools fill with children whose parents have stated them as their preferences. If we haven't received an application on time there is no guarantee we can offer one of their preferences.
"We are hoping we will get through to all parents this year. We want to offer parents the school of their preference." Parents failing to get their applications in before the deadline can find themselves having to accept a place wherever it is offered, often many miles from their home.
They may end up on a long waiting list for a school near them and having to teach their child from home.
Despite repeated calls to parents, each year a small minority fail to submit their application before the deadline.
Parents applying for secondary school put down their preferences in descending order and give the form to their child's primary school.
The authority starts processing these next week and sends a list to each secondary of the children that have applied for a place with them.
The schools then uses a set admissions criteria to tell the authority whether a place is available or not.
Priority for places is given to children in care. Having a brother or sister at the school at the time of entry is the next priority followed by proximity to home.
Parents wanting guidance on getting into a particular school can call the admissions unit on 0121 303 4213/2536.
D-day for admissions in Dudley, Sandwell, Staffordshire, Wolverhampton and Worcestershire is November 4. Walsall's deadline is November 11, Solihull's October 14 and Warwickshire on October 21.
