Summer is almost here, making this the perfect time to share a brand new recording of “Cruel Summer.”

Having trudged through the college application process twice with my own kids—and having helped a few others since—I can’t overstate the pressure put on high school seniors to craft a tear-jerking application essay.

This story pokes fun at the whole inane system and the lengths parents will go to in order to guarantee their child admission into a top-tier college.

So yes, this is satire. And yet… when I posted a reel for the story on Instagram, I received HUNDREDS of comments and messages from real-life teens BEGGING for me to bring them on my next 10-mile, water-free march across the salt flats of Death Valley.

Enjoy.

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