Tuesday, December 30, 2003
I decided today, after finishing another book, to look at the packages I received from the universities. They were sent to me more than a month ago, and since then, I've opened them, took out the "Thank you Jenny, for applying to..." letters, put them back again without reading them, and took them out again two weeks ago and read through the whole thing. They do not make for very exciting reading. Much similar to math textbooks.
Though Waterloo's package is the most simple and organized, it is also the most demanding. In order to be considered, I must print and fill out an Admission Information Form, which is more like Tell Us All Your Nerdy Traits In Ten Pages. I can't believe they're making me print.
I have to answer questions about my summer activities, reading interests, goals, hobbies, et cetera, so that they - The University of Waterloo - can know about my "achievements and interests in all areas in school and in the community." They then said "We read every AIF", which I found very threatening. I don't know what to think of when I hear the word 'we'. Should I picture the buildings and lecture halls? The grass and basketball nets?
The questions are not difficult, and I can probably answer them with relative ease had a friend asked me. But to type the answers and mail them to Waterloo for inspection? That's like answering to a friend's mother. Except instead of being rejected, I would get something like "Sorry Jenny, from what I can tell through your little write-up, you're not fit to hang out with my son/daughter/chihuahua. Try again next year?"
When I'm asked about my hobbies in such a formal setting, I feel pressured to list the acceptable ones, such as reading, piano playing, coin collecting, and basket-weaving. Not that I do all of the things of course, just that if I had to list some acceptable hobbies, I'd put those down. But I also want to put down my actual hobbies, which are teeth brushing, blending (with a blender, not into surroundings), farming, and cook-book reading. What would Waterloo think of those? Would they embrace me into their arms and crown me with a W? Would they, upon seeing my incredible hobby list, automatically hand me my degree? Would my dashing potential seep through my list of spare time activities? Why am I being forced to list my hobbies?
Though Waterloo's package is the most simple and organized, it is also the most demanding. In order to be considered, I must print and fill out an Admission Information Form, which is more like Tell Us All Your Nerdy Traits In Ten Pages. I can't believe they're making me print.
I have to answer questions about my summer activities, reading interests, goals, hobbies, et cetera, so that they - The University of Waterloo - can know about my "achievements and interests in all areas in school and in the community." They then said "We read every AIF", which I found very threatening. I don't know what to think of when I hear the word 'we'. Should I picture the buildings and lecture halls? The grass and basketball nets?
The questions are not difficult, and I can probably answer them with relative ease had a friend asked me. But to type the answers and mail them to Waterloo for inspection? That's like answering to a friend's mother. Except instead of being rejected, I would get something like "Sorry Jenny, from what I can tell through your little write-up, you're not fit to hang out with my son/daughter/chihuahua. Try again next year?"
When I'm asked about my hobbies in such a formal setting, I feel pressured to list the acceptable ones, such as reading, piano playing, coin collecting, and basket-weaving. Not that I do all of the things of course, just that if I had to list some acceptable hobbies, I'd put those down. But I also want to put down my actual hobbies, which are teeth brushing, blending (with a blender, not into surroundings), farming, and cook-book reading. What would Waterloo think of those? Would they embrace me into their arms and crown me with a W? Would they, upon seeing my incredible hobby list, automatically hand me my degree? Would my dashing potential seep through my list of spare time activities? Why am I being forced to list my hobbies?
