I finished my applications on Thanksgiving. I think (hope) that I applied to a few too many, but I am a pessimist. I feel rejections/waitlists coming, and my fingers are crossed for at least a couple acceptances. I like Gandhi’s quote, and I hope that I can keep it in mind next March/April. I worked so hard on college applications, SATs, grades, essays, the whole process, that the results of my applications should not be in the attainment of an acceptance, but rather in my effort.

But that is a bit idealistic. I would be crushed if I was rejected/waitlisted by all of the colleges, and the peace of mind I have now, I hope to have a bit of next spring.

In other matters of life, I am back to normalcy. I can focus on being a good family member and a good friend. I’ve abandoned all organization for the past few weeks – detrimental to both myself and my family. I’m making quite an effort to be less grumpy, more organized, and less stressed! Christmas is fast approaching (our tree is up!) and I realize how much my family means to me. Sometimes, I unconciously disrespect them, and I think this season is really when I remember how much I appreciate them.

Coming soon: book review, Quicksilver; book review, The Bretheren; baking, Christmas cookies

I guess, in that sense, I’m finished with the original twelve, with one subtracted (or at least for now). And I’ve been accepted to BigStateU, so I’m definitely GOING to college next year, the question just remains where. I still have two LAC that I added to my list. They are last minute because a friend I met at college this summer influenced me. I love Quaker values, and the academic intensity at these schools. I still have to send my apps to these schools, but over Thanksgiving. So 12/14 schools applied to, 1 more to add.

It’s finally hitting me that the college app process is almost over. No matter what I do now, I’m practically finished and I just have to wait as they judge me. My fingers are crossed, but I’m a pessimist at heart. I expect, for the most part, rejections. I hate to say, but I need to fall out of love with a couple schools. I’ve had my heart set on them, but I’ve little chance. Now, I just need to be at peace with my applications: I’ve showed who I am, even if my heart showed a bit too much. Hey, at least the SATs are over with! And it’s almost Christmas. College applications are not as much work as people say – they just take thought.

Speaking of college applications, I turned in my most important application last night. I have wanted to attend this school since my sophomore year, so I literally hovered my mouse above the submit button for three minutes. And then, the silly common application pops up a new screen, “are you positive you want to submit this application?” So I have to press submit again. I currently have turned in 6 applications – and I plan on turning in (ideally) 4 more this weekend. At that point, I’m hoping in general, life will be a bit more relaxed because that leaves only a couple colleges left (either 2 or 4, I’m a bit hesitant with a two LAC.) I can see the end in sight. Admission is another problem all together. I’m pretty pessimistic about my chances, since these colleges are ridiculously difficult to get into. No matter how high my SAT score is, my GPA, how good my essays are, many of these colleges are “luck of the draw” colleges, i.e. what time of day did the adcom pick up your file and is s/he in a good mood. Obviously, you have to be qualified (which I think I am…) but so many people apply to colleges now that the competition is high. Even ten years ago, the acceptance rate at my favorite school was 30%, and now it is 20%.

There was something else I was going to say, but now I’ve forgotten. Anyway, Keith Olbermann was suspended from MSNBC. I never watched his show, because I think it can be inflammatory. Senator Bernie Sander (I, VT) is calling for reinstatement because of free speech rights. But I have to agree with MSNBC – Olbermann violated his contract in donating to politicians. MSNBC requires employees check with them before making political donations. Not only did Olbermann not do that, he also donated to politicians who were not in his area, or had just appeared on the show. Because Olbermann violated his contract, MSNBC had every right to suspend him. I suspect he will be back by the end of next week, but I’m happy with their actions. I don’t want MSNBC to continue on the path of becoming the Fox News for the left. On Fox News, Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity outright ask for donations for Republican candidates on air, and they have Republican candidates on their payroll. I think this issue is pretty clear – there was a violation of contract. Liberals avoiding this fact are being hypocritical.

The work of many Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, and Independents all came down to yesterday. And there is still much work to be done – like in Alaska, with 40.2% of the vote consisting of write ins. Overall, the election is a mixed bag – the Democrats will keep control of the Senate, but will lose the House. However, I still think the President can and should work with the Republicans – the losses in the midterms reflect both bad public relations and weak bipartisanship.

One of the greatest losses in this election, I believe, is Senator Blanche Lincoln. More and more, both Democrats and Republicans tend to go to the extremes of their party: case in point, Christine O’Donnell, Sharron Angle (the Republicans more so… I can’t think of an extreme Democrat.) The moderate Republicans and moderate Democrats are disappearing – fast. Senator Lincoln was a valuable asset in the Senate for us fiscally conservative and socially liberal voters. Alongside Senators Snowe, Collins, and Specter, she was a voice of reason between two sides of vacillating power. I regret her loss.

Surprisingly, I’m not that downtrodden. My school levy passed, and I believe local politics are just as critical as national politics. I’m excited for the time when I can vote. If elections are this exciting when I can’t vote, what will they be like when I can?

Argh! Colleges have to know that I can’t define myself in an application. Yes, you know my grades, my SAT scores, my AP scores, my extracurriculars, my most important activity, and my family information. But how can you possibly know from the info on my Mom that she likes brain/cognitive science and that influenced me? Or that her organization has helped me? How can a college know about everyday things that I do that I think set me apart? They won’t know. So please, don’t tell me that I’m defining myself! I’m trying to give you a picture of myself, my academics, and my life. I’ll forget some things, undoubtedly, and I’ll never have enough space to write how my family has impacted me.

Obviously, I’m in the process of writing my applications. I hate waiting, and I hate knowing that there’s a point you get to with SATs, GPAs, essays, etc. where it really is just luck of the draw. The worst part is I made two small mistakes on my common application. One is similar to [a but the problem was resolved]. See that extra a? Isn’t it annoying? I hope the readers don’t notice or don’t care. Another is just schoolyear instead of school year. I’m okay with that one. I’m just so paranoid that I have more mistakes. I’ve read it ten times, and only found those two. Hopefully, since they read it ONCE, they won’t see them.

Anyway, I am submitting two more applications today. I was going to submit three, but I have not had an interview for the third. I just want to be able to click the check box “off campus interview.”

I hope anyone who actually reads this blog has a happy halloween. Good luck to all my friends applying.

Sigh. Three applications down – Big State U, Ivy League 1, LAC. I find it amusing that the three I’ve submitted are all SO different. Well, the Ivy is practically a LAC, so I guess just the first. Still have ten or eleven left. Now, I’m going to go write that supplement for my FAVORITE LAC.

College applications are so much work!

I think, for me, what helps the most in editing and rewriting is physically, handwriting the entire paper again, with the changes. That way, I see the flow and am more concious of word choice. I’ve probably already spent 16 hours on ONE essay. I’m determined to make it the best I can. I have been so aggravated – I literally yelled at my parents in an editing session last weekend (not a smart move).

But after editing today, I had such an amazing satisfaction finishing the most recent draft. Knowing that I have crafted each sentence and analyzed its structure really gives a satisfaction that doesn’t come from writing a forty minute DBQ. And now come all the supplementals (as well as about four more edits of this draft…)

I wish we learned sooner. I mean, I’m going to turn my applications in in November, but I won’t learn (except for StateU) until MARCH or APRIL! I’ve been placating my nervousness with work – I figure I need to make my app essays the best possible. I found two sites that have great reviews of colleges Unigo and this blog.

To stray away from college applications, I am a senior in high school and my schedule rocks! I have Ind. Study, AP English, AP Art History, and AP Calculus this semester. I love Calculus, because it’s easy and fun to solve the problems. Art History is the most work, surprisingly, but it’s fascinating to see how man’s point of view changed throughout history. How we changed from composite to optical views, and how perceptions of what art is changed (art is NOT everything). I also have senior lunch, so I come home everyday.

Oh, and I love the tv show The West Wing. I’m sad that it’s over, but I have a ton of episodes to watch. I also have begun to read my Dad’s subscription to The Economist, and I love that it’s a smart magazine without photos on every page, like Time and Newsweek.

So, I have this melty, mushy, chocolate chip cookie dough. Ruined, I figured. The chocolate was so melty that it merged into the dough. Oh, well, might as well bake them in the toaster oven. So I put ten in the oven, left for ten minutes and came back. Turns out, toaster ovens don’t cook very evenly. Six of them were black and the other four were half baked. That’s alright, though, because the chocolate had deliciously melted into the dough, and visa versa. There were still some yummy chips left, and the cookies were half baked, so there was dough on the inside. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to replicate this cookies again.

The description from Amazon, which doesn’t do The Explosionist any justice:

A series of mysteries.

An explosion of truths.

The Explosionist: Someone sets off a bomb outside fifteen-year-old Sophie’s boarding school, but no one can figure out who.

The Medium: Soothsayers and séance leaders are regular guests at her great-aunt’s house in Scotland, but only one delivers a terrifying prophecy, directed at Sophie herself.

The Murder: When the medium is found dead, Sophie and her friend Mikael know they must get to the bottom of these three mysteries in order to save themselves—even as the fate of all Europe hangs in the balance.

Set in a time of subversive politics, homegrown terrorism, and rapidly changing alliances, The Explosionist is an extraordinarily accomplished debut novel for teens that delivers a glimpse of the world as it might have been—had one moment in history been altered.

Alarmingly similar to modern day technology and politics, the setting of the The Explosionist will haunt you. Honestly, I did not have time to read this book. I’m leaving for three weeks, and I should have been packing. But just like Interface, this book can’t be stopped half way through. I need the sequel NOW, and since it comes out around my birthday, it will be number one on my wishlist. I highly recommend The Explosionist. If you read nothing else this summer, just read this one book.