Dear J-Schools, Please Accept Me (and give me lots of scholarship $$)

I would say my journey began sometime around July.

I read every last word on Columbia's website, including pieces of the really boring student handbook, because I was so excited to apply there.

In October I made a bulletin board with calendars, application due dates, and placed push pins in a map on the cities where I might live next year.

I took the GRE twice. And forked over the testing fee twice.

Riley and Caitlin wrote and illustrated one of the best books I have ever read, entitled "The Adventures of Super Bailey," in which Bailey dominates the GRE, then goes on to dominate graduate school with her dissertation about her concert with Celine Dion. Dibbs the cat stars in this story as well, playing his guitar at the dissertation-inspiring concert.

My first applications were due December 15th. Today is February 2nd. A month and a half of my life devoted to essay writing, resume tweaking, more essay writing, and even more essay writing. If you would like my academic and professional goals in a written format, I can provide that for you, no problem.

Just now I was making the final payment on my last application and realized that I have my credit card number memorized. Considering I rarely set foot in shopping malls, that is downright depressing. But you too will know your credit card digits by heart if you pay six application fees, register twice for the GRE, pay to have your GRE scores sent to schools, pay to have a test proctored, pay to mail documents overnight, blah da bee blah da bee blah. I don't even want to do the full calculations on how much this entire endeavor has cost me.

I just hope it's worth it.

I just got off the phone with Nick, who offered his congratulations, and before that I had a water toast with my parents, and before that I left a message on Nick's phone telling him to pray "ten prayers" because my computer had frozen for the fifth time in two hours. He made a snide remark about PCs just now when he called, but I am letting it slide because

I am done applying to graduate school!!!! Finally!!!!

:) :) :)

Celebrate with me. Happy Groundhog Day, y'all.