Grinnell College is a place where students come to be part of a distinctive community. Tell us what makes you an individual and what you could bring to Grinnell. Let's forget, for a moment, that I'm basically a National Merit Finalist, because there are like 15,000 of us, so that doesn't make me very distinct. And I guess my 34 on the ACT and my 2220 on the SAT don't matter, either, because let's face it: people get 36 and 2400 all the time, right? I mean, enough to make me less than them. And once you take away the Model United Nations, Mock Trial, Robotics, Peer Support, Assistant Directing a friend's show, and drumming on the side (I'm not the only one who gets involved), there's really just me. What can I bring to your school? I can bring a life-threatening illness that started in my head, the chance of heart attacks when walking up the stairs. I'll bring a scale that reads not only my weight but my percent body fat. I'll bring a diet of lettuce and air, the distinct feeling of insecurity and low self-confidence that you just can't place. You're in the middle of Iowa? That's even better; less people to look out for me means I won't bring attention or too much worry. I promise I'll be as dedicated to doing my classwork as I am to getting thinner, but eventually one may have to cede to the other and I can't say I know which it'll be yet. Your psychologist will get a lot of work, probably around the end of the first semester when I'm stuck between being terrified it'll get out of control and being thrilled it'll get ouf of control. I'll bring cold-weather clothes back in fashion in the spring, when I'm shivering in class. I'll write more, maybe, but they'll be horribly vague and probably quite a bit autobiographical. I can bring my SAT scores, my ACT scores, my accolades, my extra-cirriculars, and my hobbies, because I can bring my eating disorder and unfortunately, that's the only thing that gives me any identity right now. I hope it's enough.