Order Amongst Chaos: UCLA submitted

Hey ppl,

Just submitted UCLA application!!!!
But the path undertaken has been anything but as simple as the four-worded-sentence above. Nothing went as planned.

First, the essays weren't coming that good. I think I hit a wall on new ideas. There was a complete and utter lack of it. Not that my essays were so good that I couldn't improve on it, but I knew that these essays are shitty and can be bettered but just didn't know how. The first essay was gr8 and I loved it so much that it was finalized long ago. Readability stats : 52 on the flesch scale...... I just loved that essay. But the other two essays were killing me...... 8 reworks and still no sight of the finish line. Finally, yesterday night I had to shut my eyes (not easy but had to force myself) to not look for more errors.

The state of the govt. universities here in India is pitiful. I am talking , of course of the university to which my alma mater is affiliated. Hopeless situation. Firstly, if you are not present personally, they don't even care for your work (which actually is "their" work, so to say). Even if you are present there, you'll be on the verge of crying when you comprehend the messy way in which the documents are strewen about the place. The so-called official had to literally "fish" out my application from a pile of scrap. Even after that the story was far from over. The people incharge were absent. So, I was asked to stay in the city overnight as my home is nearly 400kms from the gates of hell. Did so. Next day, it dawned that one of the persons showed up and the otherr one called for a leave for a week. Gr8. I was stuck without a set of transcripts up untill yesterday till which time I lost my patience and cursed the university officers to hell. I went to my Alma Mater and got the work done there easily (looks like I still have influence there). All in all, an extremely frustrating trip.

The problems didn't end here, the audio essay of UCLA came out to be of 1:02 mins. Cutting that 2 seconds meant cutting a whole sentence and I was fumbled as to which sentence to cut. I tried speaking faster, but it was evident very early that clarity is essential here. Anyhow, did it all night yesterday and came up with a super sounding 4th essay.

Took a leave today to submit. Ya, those are some of your perks for being an entrepreneur, voluntary leave announcement :) But the recos weren't in yet. Completed the online app. and uploaded everything but I still did not want to submit without recos. Coz I cant stand the sight of the status changing twice: From "Submitted: waiting recos" to "Submitted: under review".

I decided to personally go to both my recommenders and talk on gunpoint:)
[DISCLAIMER: This sort of thing can be risky if you try it on your superior.]
Call it another perk of entreprenuership - No Bosses.
The personal visit had the desired effect and both my recommenders ended up submitting within half hour of each other. I pressed the submit button after that.

It is just one down yet and I am writing pages of my ordeal....... What will happen to me???? God only knows (Or does He???)....... Till next time.....

Peace