The Missing Essay

You know when the best time to start writing a college admission essay is? 10:00pm, one week before the application is due. I mean really, who needs all those rewrites anyway? Let's save a tree shall we? I'm good with one draft. Instantly I've proved to the admission essay that I can form sentences (noun + verb), that I'm witty (you can never go wrong with a blonde nurse joke) and that I'm: smart, driven, creative, people-oriented, task-oriented, capable of leading a team, capable of being led, flexible, patient, a quick learner, friendly, a team player, able to work by myself, well-traveled, capable of working under different management styles and most importantly an alumni. You know, all the stuff they look for in a 500-word nursing school essay.

But when you do start to write an essay at 10pm, not everything sounds good the first time around. You may type something that sounds absolutely brilliant and cliche free one minutes and a few seconds later, you a rereading a piece of crap sentence that is missing either a verb or noun - the two basic components of a sentence.

Luckily, to my right was my editor. . .AKA Mom. . .AKA the ex-English professor. I highly recommend everyone go out and get one of these right away before they sell out. There has never been anything so handy as having a parent who is brilliant in grammar and whose brain contains an entire Thesaurus. Except maybe living 1.2 miles from my elementary school when I would forget my glasses & lunch containing a PB&J sandwich - sans the crust - 4 times a week. Yes, that was pretty handy, otherwise I'd be the starved, blind nerd instead of just the nerd.

For some reason, my editor didn't think these thoughts deserved to remain on paper and shipped across the state (& country ?) to be read by people somewhere in a cold conference room with comfy chairs, that also holds lots of coffee and snacks, ready to determine my future career, happiness and sanity. (such power!) I hope you enjoy reading them I much as I enjoyed writing them: (that author cliche was meant to prepare you for the onslaught that is about to come)

**I was too busy taking advantage of the International Studies opportunities and playing tennis to consider my future after Linfield.
**Anything less than a full ride is unacceptable.
**Once again, I realized the weight placed on grades for nursing school and so I began PCC in 2006 with the same vigor & determination of achieving the perfection that was sought after & attained eight years prior in high school.
**I would love to be associated with a school that rewards merit financially. Please don't force to me to get knocked up. As you'll soon discover, I am a very competitive person and will go to great lengths to recieve financial aid. Apparantly some scholarship committees look down upon good grades, teacher recommendations & clear career directions.
**Did I mention I played tennis? OK, so I know it's no football, but did I mention there's a wall named in my honor in McMinnville? OK, so I realize there's no actual plaque or mention of my name but trust me - it's there. And if that's not enough, I was the 2001 Homecoming Twinkie Eating Champion.
**It turns out I am thankful for flying into a retaining wall and hitting the sidewalk
**Actually my third-grade essay said I would “own Nike” when I grew up, so maybe it’s not exactly as I envisioned.
**I finally mustered up the courage last year to quit my job.
**It was then, my life path steered in a new direction.
**I'm excited to journey down this new path life has presented me, except I think I'll travel on foot instead of my bike.

Even after reading all that, I'd still let me in!