I'm in the second week of my workshop on "How to Write the College Admissions Essay." My little group of seven soon-to-be-seniors is doing very well with this. I love little writing groups. I love the little teenagers. They are so dear. God, am I becoming a grandma or what? I can almost feel the white hair taking over my highlights. Where's my walker?

I have tried very hard to remember what my own college application essay was about, and I'm sure it was pretty horrible. Trying to reintroduce all my various extracurriculars through wordplay, trying to brag without looking like it. Yikes. Students today are expected to really pour part of themselves into these essays that could have such a big impact on them. Or do they? Cynics maintain admissions officers don't read all the essays. We're moving ahead as if they do. And besides, when is self-reflection through writing ever a bad thing? I mean except when you have file drawers filled with spiral notebooks detailing every bowl of Rice Krispies you ever binged on, even though you'd been abstinent from overeating for months and you held positions within the 12-step world...