Hi Eileen,

I read your article a few years ago and I couldn't read the full article here since my nationality prevents me from applying for MPP. But I remember the article vividly since a question has been hunting me.

To stand out from thousands of applications, a person must have a diverse life or remarkable self-improvement or a transformation from alcoholic or drug addict to be a writer.

Childhood dream, boring. Find the passion for writing at 32, can it be more cliché?

Even you live in a conservative country where a 30-year- old changes his job from government official to challenge to be a technical entrepreneur, such baffling and reckless decision that it became the breaking news for two days.

MFA chooses the best, talented, and potential NY best-seller, and distinguish those dedicated, persistent, and passionate mediocre's fire.

Yeah, go to be a hungry artist. A writer who is willing to edit their articles for many times and do the research and write for 10 hous per day is worthless. We only need an already shinning masterpiece that will list the school's name in their books.

Even my parent happen to have a peculiar job, and I just state the fact. I can stand out among thousands of applications with same writing abilities?

If two writing samples compete with each other shoulder to shoulder, would you choose the one with the first sentence grinded in your mind: subject + be verb+article + a job (that 0.5/10 people do.)

Is it an alternative priority?Chosen by the family background, by being a first generation of immigrant, by recovering from an addiction to be a motivational writer, by having a tragedy life.

I never think I can be a good writer. (Well, the first time I read an English novel was at 30, and it's been three years living in a non-English speaking country.)

My writing can mute me, not because it's too good, but because I have no chance to use this language interacting with people.

But the reason why I still write cannot put into the writing sample- English writing is my passion and I prepare for using my rest of life to be a craftsmanship in it.