Click. Click. Click. After five minutes of scrolling, I finally found the link that read “College Essay Prompt 2013.” I hope they don’t ask me to write about a person of influence or why I want to go to their school. I hate self-reflection.

The Web page finished loading, and the prompt, in bright bold letters, read “Write about What You Did this Past Summer.”

Oh. Piece of cake.

Over the summer, I went to Africa to teach underprivileged children in developing villages. I was flying on an inexpensive airline to save money, so it was no surprise when the plane crash-landed on a deserted island on the way there. But don’t worry, everyone was OK.

Luckily, my AP Physics and Girls Scouts skills came in handy, and I independently repaired the damage to the engine using makeshift parts found on the beach. My adroit outdoorsiness got the plane running again, and I continued my flight to Africa, undeterred.