Jos applied to Stanford, Reed, Pomona, UC San Diego, UC Santa Cruz, Colorado College, Puget Sound, and Lewis and Clark. Although his grades and SATs were not tops, he was admitted by every one of them. We don't know what his teachers wrote about him, but these application essays are real zingers!

1. [Pomona]   Do you have a personal philosophy?

2. Why do you want to go to Reed?   He abandoned his first draft.

3. [Pomona]   If you could bring one object into pre-industrial times, what would it be and why?

4. [Stanford]   If you had one year off to do anything you wanted, what would you do?
   Mumsie and Popster are glad he didn't use this this earlier version which is even more exuberant.

5. Describe the educational experience that has had the most significant impact on your life.

6. What would you like to change about American society?

7. Please write a letter to your future roommate.

8. Write about your life so far.   (Why Jos did not become a doctor.)

9. He abandoned this early draft application to Pomona College.

Parents purchased for Jos a book of college application essays. He refused to look at it before he finished and mailed his own creations. Afterwards he didn't look at it either.

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