<p>Hi,</p>
<p>Emerson's my dream school and I'm curious about my chances of getting in (if I do, paying for it would be the bigger hurdle). Currently in the very last stretch of completing a 2yr Associate's at a community college here in MA (Bristol CC in Fall River). I did apply also for the "Next Step" scholarship, which was just recently offered to students there. I've already met face-to-face with a transfer advisor from the school (on Feb. 28), and she was really very impressed with how I carried myself, and my personality (especially my sense of humor :D ). I mentioned by name several well-known alumni of the school (Jay Leno, Denis Leary, Henry "Fonzie" Winkler, just to name a few), and explained that I was interested because of the creative focus on the curriculum -- and the comedy-writing element too! She was very impressed that I "did my homework," and I laughed, because that's not something anyone could say I never do. :) She didn't use the word "shoo-in," but said I'd be a good fit, and naturally, I agreed. I'm looking to major in Writing, Literature, and Publishing (Writing minor). I've listed a few personal stats below:</p>
<ul>
<li>GPA is 3.85 (likely a 3.86 by the end of this semester). Graduating "officially" in August, with my last-ever course being just one dreaded math that I've been avoiding thus far, and which I'll have to take in the summer.</li>
<li>Have not taken SAT or ACT (which is why I started out at a CC); however, Emerson waives the requirement if you received a HS diploma more than three years ago (mine was in 2006).</li>
<li>Already completed application in full; also, the admissions office received a total of six faculty recommendation letters. These were all from instructors of humanities courses; most were English professors, plus a foreign-language professor who I've had for three semesters already (and who thinks very highly of me), and a history professor who wrote that I'm "the type of student she'd love to clone."</li>
<li>Member of Phi Theta Kappa; have even completed honors-level work at my school (with an A+, I might add!)</li>
<li>Extracurriculars haven't been much to "write" home about; however, I am heavily involved in the process of putting together my college's online literary and arts journal. Also, I placed second in a school-wide essay contest this past fall, and was published in the college journal (student staff members aren't excluded from consideration), for a satirical poetic piece (spoof of "The Raven," about one man's tell-tale heart after the ghost of Thanksgiving turkeys past gathers his flock and seeks revenge). It made the whole crew "LOL out loud"...including the faculty advisor! The Emerson transfer counselor asked me to forward her the works, which she then forwarded to the admissions committee.</li>
<li>I'm not auditioning for drama/theatre, but I was in several high-school chorus groups for three years (sophomore, junior, and senior). I also volunteered this past fall at 1) an on-campus Autism Awareness event and 2) at a soup kitchen and clothing warehouse run by a local ministry, where a family member is married to the pastor.</li>
</ul>
<p>After reading all that, riddle me this, and tell me what the chances are for a paradoxical A-student class clown...
- Emerson's big on extracurriculars there; is it a big knock-knock against me that my list of after-school activities now is basically a joke? I don't have a paying job, either; is that another banana-peel slip-up in the review board's opinion, one that would make this a "pie in the sky" goal?
- Even though the scores (or lack thereof) aren't taken into official consideration, does it look like I'm not willing to take the "extra step" never even having taken one standardized test...because I know I'd get rotten tomatoes thrown my way (in the form of lousy scores) and fall flat on my face? (I'm a very good writer, but the math would be abysmal -- although I know that's not of high importance there -- and I don't test well under time).
- On the opposite end, do I seem like a "nyah-nyah" (as my mother calls them, in general, while turning her nose like a doorknob), a "look-at-me" Boston Brahmin type who's plumping up my academic accomplishments (and over*exaggerating the *under*bite), and in doing so, unfortunately come across as a bookworm who doesn't have any fun? (Really cutting my Brown nose to spite my face, you know?) Is six letters of recommendation overkill (I've always been one to cover all bases...maybe I should go out for the Red Sox!), or is there ever such a thing as "too much praise"? I mean, it's too late now to get them back; is it bad, or really a big plus that my rec letters were written by professors who could testify to the quality of my writing -- because that's where I want my focus to be? I assure you, by no means am I Bottomtooth from *Family Guy. More like Brian Griffin, who comes across as a blend of Bukowski, Hemingway, Hunter S. Thompson, Holden Caulfield, and Winston Smith, because he's, you know, a real dog (and Snoopy, because he's, you know, a real dog ;) ).</p>
<p>As Tom Petty famously -- and rather aptly -- put it, "the waiting is the hardest part." I just would like to know what I ought to expect while awaiting their decision, and what I should be ready for on my part. And as a well-known government mule famously said, "Thanks for noticin' me." (No word on whether he ever got that pin out of his...tail. ;) )</p>
Now I will just have to pay my deposit ($500, but well worth it), accept my admission and decline the others in which I was accepted (Joint Admissions).</p>