Admissions Impossible?

By Nick Brokaw



Yes! I finally hit the “Submit Application” button! I have a life again … kinda. I officially completed the UC application, and now I’m on to more exciting things, like AP classes and the three projects I have to complete over Thanksgiving break. But, as I not-so-nostalgically look back on the ups and downs of the admissions process, I’ve come to realize that the process is, well, like getting your wisdom teeth pulled.

And I don’t just mean that figuratively.

The worst part about the application process is the anticipation. It’s as though just the sight of the “Submit” button causes a severe case of paralysis and makes the applicant cringe in fear: “Well maybe I should quadruple-check my application, you know, better to be safe than sorry.”

My own case of paralysis lasted two days. During that time, I spent what seemed like a good 10 minutes making sure my address was still listed the same way as it was two minutes before – anything to avoid the feeling that it was all finished and nothing could be left to change.

It was like the anticipation of visiting your favorite oral surgeon to deal with unrelenting pain. That wisdom tooth of yours just keeps cutting through your gums and the pain is nagging. But there’s no way around it, and eventually you know that once you’re through with the tortured process, all will be well again.

And how exactly is the admissions process literally like getting your wisdom teeth pulled? Well, for starters, it goes back quite a way, to that moment of utter despair when you are sitting in your sweat-drenched seat spending five fun-filled hours bubbling Scantrons taking the SATs. This, my friends, is the literal definition of having your wisdom pulled. Every test I take leaves me feeling slightly less “wisdomified.” See, I even just made up a word. With every ounce of geometry pulled out of me, with every vocabulary word yanked out of the back of my brain, I feel more empty. But I promise, admissions officers, all this wisdom loss is temporary and my intelligence is set to return to full strength just in time for me to begin my stay at UCLA. I promise!

And while it’s fun to visit a campus and feel the student life, I feel exactly like one of the contestants on "The Bachelor." I may fall in love with the campus, but all I can do is hope that I’ll be offered a rose by the end of the show.

So now that I’ve just told you about how the admissions process causes a condition and leads to a temporary loss of intelligence, I swear that the process has some good things as well.

Of course, there is that internal pride when you’re filling out the application. There is a sense of accomplishment that comes with recapping your academic achievements. And then there’s the satisfying reminder of all the hard work and pleasure that went into those extracurricular activities. But come on, nothing beats the feeling of clicking “Submit Application.”

And I still can’t believe how happy my mom was when I asked if I could borrow her credit card! I guess this application thing could be a good excuse for a Friday night. “Hey dad, can I … well, borrow your credit card tonight for ...umm … my college application?” It’s a flawless plan!

Nick Brokaw is a senior at Rio Americano High School in Sacramento.