象所有teenager的孩子一样，女儿也是那种拖拖拉拉的孩子，不到最后一分钟是不会着急的。女儿的高中是州立大学的一所附属高中，是州立大学主动争取的对象，所以，senior的申请是特别提前的。学校的counselor三个礼拜前就告诉senior,十月九日是交申请的日子。可到了上个礼拜六，女儿还没有动笔填申请表呢。
到礼拜天，老爸再也沉不住气了，给女儿最后通牒：“You better get application done today. You have no school tomorrow, so you must get your essays done before we go out for dinner.”
“Ok, ok! I will work on it.” 还是一脸的漫不经心。
可到了礼拜天的傍晚，女儿还没完成她的表格。并且忙中出错，要重来。手中又没有多余的表格。女儿倒是大大咧咧：“Don't worry. I will get a new form Tuesday from the counselor, and refill it.” 老爸知道那是靠不住的承诺， 立刻从网上把表格打印出来，让女儿重填。
填完表格，老爸又和女儿讨论essay。女儿把她忙乎了一天的成果拿出来，老爸一看就知道是没有经过多少思考的产物。老爸提了几条意见，就让女儿自己改。晚上上了床，老爸却翻来覆去睡不着－－女儿还有一篇essay还没有思考过呢！没办法，只能老爸想点主意了。礼拜一天没亮，老爸就起床，把自己想好的思路赶在上班前写下来，等女儿起床后，按老爸思路，自己写essay。
到傍晚老爸下班回家，女儿说她喜欢老爸的idea，已经写出来了。老爸匆匆地扫了一遍，就带着全家上餐馆吃晚饭。边吃，老爸边谈了自己对女儿两篇essay的意见，女儿也很快从同学那里得到了反馈回来的信息。回到家，女儿就开始重新写essay。到十一点，老爸才放心去睡觉。
昨天回家，女儿高兴地给老爸汇报：“Ok, I turned my application in this afternoon. I did more modifications during lunch time, and my friends read for me. They thoungt they are ok.”
老爸知道多说也没有用了，就问：“You have to submit a list of colleges to your counselor so she can prepare recommendation letters. Which schools are on your list?”
“They are Amherst, Pomona, Wellesley, Northwest, U. of Chicago, and Washington.”女儿一脸地漫不经心。
“Do you have any idea about how hard to get into any of these colleges?” 老爸有点生气了。
“Don't worry, dad. This state university is my base. I am sure I can get in, and I will be happy if I get into its business school and take an account major. So I only chose these high-profiled schools to try my luck.....”
唉，女大不由爹娘。
(10/10/2007)
