Am I a Number?

They say we’re not a statistic,

But their actions prove them wrong.

We’re numbers on a paper,

And we’ve all sung this song.

They want us to be special,

To stand out among the crowd,

But how is that realistic

When everyone’s so fantastic?

They want us all well-rounded,

Renaissance men in the making

To be impossibly amazing.

But don’t they understand that

Year after year after year,

The imaginary bar rises,

And those poor souls in the next class

Must take more, do more, be more.

Am I still human?

Or did this game morph me?

Into a slender number

That is easier to pick

From that magician’s hat?

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The Power of Words

Now that college applications are out of the way, what better way to get over the frustration and anxiety than vent about college applications?

I think I’ve actually begun to hate the expression “Show, don’t tell.” I probably wouldn’t hate it so much if I were better at it, but after practicing a vicious cycle last year, I thought I was actually pretty good at it…until applications proved me wrong. Yeah, I understand that describing how you feel in a shaded room with a light breeze fluttering through the window is a million times stronger and more beautiful than saying “the wind blew into the room” and of course, I appreciate the artfulness of the way words are crafted, but is there not enough anxiety that comes with college applications that another two large burdens in the form of essays must accompany the application process?

My peers and I all say that we’re relieved that our applications are out of the way, but are they really? The end of November marks the end of our public applications being due. But what about the poor souls who must suffer yet another round come January? They don’t get to go outside and enjoy the brisk air and pure snow–though, who am I kidding? I live in southern California, and the closest we ever got to snow was this one crazy rainy day back in 2010. Ah, but you must ask, why put ourselves through all this misery? The answer remains simple: everyone is ambitious, and everyone wants to get into the best of the best. Where I come from, settling is not an option; you fight for what you think you deserve, and if whoever you’re fighting (in this case, California universities) thinks that you’re worth their while, then they welcome you with open arms and wipe away your anxious tears.

UC applications complete = Round 1 KO.