man you're helpful, and i appreciate it.
okay, so i think with your great help, i am realizing that (feeling dumb...but this is a learning process - we all know) the "secondaries" to which i refer are really a couple of components--as you stated: one part's mine, and the other is the advisor's (or advisor committee's), so i need to focus on just getting my stuff wrapped up, so the schools can see the things flowing in timely from my end, which i can at least control.
the thing is - i have to get my 6/13 mcat back in order to see if the comittee will write a positive group letter for me (that's the way they roll, and i s'pose it's understandable, given my less-than-spotless background), which means, i will roll as follows:
1) send the amcas asap
2) complete the secondaries as soon as they hit me (+/- a reasonable duration)
3) continue to prod the committee to get it together, before, er, say, july/august - latest.
it's all about lead times, but when it all happens at once, it can be tough. working under pressure can be the best way to "git 'er done" though, i am starting to see, for sure.