BooksBarbecue
Back Admission
Chapters (56)
  1. Cover
  2. Also by Julie Buxbaum
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. CHAPTER ONE
  6. CHAPTER TWO
  7. CHAPTER THREE
  8. CHAPTER FOUR
  9. CHAPTER FIVE
  10. CHAPTER SIX
  11. CHAPTER SEVEN
  12. CHAPTER EIGHT
  13. CHAPTER NINE
  14. CHAPTER TEN
  15. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  16. CHAPTER TWELVE
  17. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  18. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  19. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  20. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  21. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  22. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  23. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  24. CHAPTER TWENTY
  25. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  34. CHAPTER THIRTY
  35. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  44. CHAPTER FORTY
  45. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  46. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  47. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  48. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  49. CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
  50. CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
  51. CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
  52. EPILOGUE
  53. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  54. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  55. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  56. What’s next onyour reading list?

“You sure you want to do this?” Shola asks after I tell her my new plan, which I devised during English 4 while Mrs. Pollack droned on about The Picture of Dorian Gray—another book I haven’t read, this time because I have no interest in spending 320 pages with a spoiled narcissist. I want to spare myself the drama of having to watch my parents feel the sucker punch of my last rejection. I want to check my SCC application online with Shola during free period instead of waiting till later. “Your mom’s going to be mad. She’s told me you’re going to SCC, like, no less than five times.”

We’re in the far corner of the library, away from prying eyes, at the computer station. Because of the giant screens, if I cry, the only person who will witness it is my best friend. Later, I’ll seek out Cesar, take him for ice cream to celebrate that I’m officially going to AIU, which, according to US News & World Report, ranks 115th in the nation. That’s pretty good.

“Exactly. She’s going to be devastated. This way I don’t have to see her disappointment in real time.” After my rejection is confirmed, I’ll send my parents a text that says SCC a no. I’m really sorry but go AIU! Maybe I’ll throw in a sunglass-face emoji.

So far, Shola’s been accepted to six schools—three UCs, Columbia, Stanford, and UPenn—and rejected by only one: Princeton. She has not yet heard from Harvard or Yale. She’ll be checking SCC at the same time I am, though of course she’s not nervous. For her, the only question is whether they’ll give her enough scholarship money.

“On the count of three?” Shola asks.

“Okay.” We navigate to the landing page, and I stumble a minute, trying to remember my password.

“One, two, three,” I say, and we click. At first, when the page loads, I keep my eyes closed. I’m not ready, I decide. I can’t handle another We regret to inform you…I don’t want to let my parents down, by text or otherwise.

“Seriously?” Shola says, disappointment in her voice. “I got wait-listed. I thought I might get a full ride and I got wait-listed? Well, that sucks.”