so far (as of 5:00pm PST anyways), Hufflepuff leads Squib by just a hair. Still, if it's a 3-way divide, then one house (Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw, as I have no votes for either Gryffindor or Slytherin) needs to pull 33.4% of the votes.

Can't please everyone all the time, or even some people some of the time... Kinda irks me that one comment said something like "life is more than just school" or "intellect is more than just school" (don't remember the wording)... to which I go "huh?" Where in my app did I say my life was school or school was my life? or that I equate intelligence to school? I said I had fun doing other things too - like going to the movies, hanging out with friends, etc. (I didn't mention traveling, but that wasn't part of my childhood too much.) so, again - I say "huh?"

Maybe I should just join MENSA. The application isn't as tough.

ok -now I'm surprised- someone actually voted Slytherin. more shocked than surprised. since I didn't think I was too ambitious (if I were, I'd interview for a supervisor position that everyone thinks I'm a shoe-in to get, but I don't like the politics and don't think it's worth $5/hr more for all the added stress/pressure). I thought the 'leadership' qualities I possess were more Gryffindor than Slytherin, but *shrug* - everyone reads it differently. When I think about myself though (and not only what I wrote in my app), I think Slytherin would fit certain characteristics (using rules to my advantage at work, although understanding the rules and their loopholes would possibly be Slytherclaw-ish). I'm also surprised that someone else actually looked at my journal.

I thought about trying to find a "bright side" to the Squib vote... the only thing I can think of is that not all Squibs are stupid (for lack of a better term). Didn't a squib try to defend Harry's actions (for using magic outside of school) in OotP? So, at least that's something. ;)

I'm going to go watch Nanny McPhee with my sister tomorrow. (Just because I want to watch a happy movie to cheer me up ;) and my sister likes Colin Firth (it's the Darcy reason). Too bad the library isn't open tomorrow; I need a new book. Maybe we could go to Barnes & Noble. :)

agh! I feel like I need to rewrite my entire app, although once squibbed - never can apply again. And like I said, I can't please everyone -- I had thought about changing Dolores Umbridge (but fairylights4189 thought what I had written was okay); as for the rest of the answers, she thought I said a lot without writing a lot - and thus, I only expanded on my positive characterisitcs and the house differences. although to me, the houses overlap a lot too. and the sorting is hard. bookwise, sorting deals with potential (aka what characteristics someone has and doesn't know it yet) while lj-sorting deals with qualities someone already knows they possess. of course, the essays under each house are very well-written and explained, since JKR didn't write their differences as detailed... but to write that much on an app? *sigh*

Pssst -- I'm from H_E, and I just wanted to throw an encouraging comment your way. I really liked your app and hope you get in.

Some people are just incredibly picky about sorting. And lots of times if we're borderline on a vote, we do check out the person's journal, if it's public, for a bit more of a feel.

You seem to be getting a lot more house votes than Squib votes now -- good luck!

Yes, things do seem to be looking up now. I've been watching your app and yelling at the screen when I see Squib votes (or sometimes even when I see Ravenclaw votes) because, while your application was a bit short, you're the most obvious Hufflepuff I've sorted in months. :)

And if you don't get in to H_E (or even if you do), come check out fourhouseunion when we open back up for apps in March. I like both communities, but 4hu is just that little bit less...harsh, perhaps, is the right word.

lol- yell at the screen? I can just imagine that. ;) Let's see if I can remember others' comments...

Hmm... I wrote Ravenclaws as "passive" just because I think if they were more vocal(like the spotlight) or ambitious they would be Gryffindor or Slytherin, because both of those houses have smart/intellectual people too. Not that Ravenclaws are pushovers; they can have animated/lively debates. But I tend to think of Ravenclaws as nerds (not in a bad sense), but like scientists, engineers (although engineers could be Hufflepuff too), doctors. It's like the question kids pose to adults - why don't "smart" (i.e. high IQ) people run for President? Usually because those "smart" people would rather do other things than play politics, or power isn't what they care to gain. I see those in Gryffindor or Slytherin caring more for power/politics than those in Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. *shrug*

"Smart people" don't run for President because they can't get on the ballot. (Sorry, I'm being a bitter Deaniac, what can I say?)

I don't think that specific careers "belong" to particular houses - the same line of work could attract people from any house, all with their own reasons for being there. My husband, who is the most flaming Gryffindor I've ever met, is studying to be a CPA. Doesn't sound very Gryffindor, does it? ;) However, what he's particularly interested in is forensic accounting, i.e. doing investigative work to shut down the Enrons of the world.

They can't get on the ballot because of lack of money or lack of charisma? ;)

I didn't mean to say specific careers belong to specific houses; more like a generalization... Like most people would equate lawyers = slytherin because of the bad reputation/joke lawyers get. They're slytherin in some ways because they know how to find loopholes (that's what they're paid for) in the law, but that could be a ravenclaw quality too. My sister is a lawyer and she's more hufflepuff than either slytherin or ravenclaw because she works her butt off doing the research; maybe her supervisors (who are lawyers as well) fall under gryffindor or slytherin.

Forensic accounting? that sounds interesting!

Most of the law students in H_E are Gryffindors, Slytherin stereotype notwithstanding. :)

I started out as a journalism student, then ran into too much Rita Skeeter-like behavior and realized I could never make a living that way. I thought about going to graduate school for English literature and going into teaching, but realized that I'd rather research something more tangible and useful, so now I'm a graduate student in Public Administration. I'm a candidate for a two-year internship with the New York State government (just found out I made the second round of cuts - yay!) and probably going to go on for a PhD once I'm done with the program.

ah! I guess it depends on how someone perceives themselves vs how others perceive them. ;) it's like in interviews - sometimes people look so good/competent on paper or in person, but when you hire them, they're lazy and stupid. In my sister's class (law school), I'd say they were mainly slytherin and gryffindor-ish; only a handful (maybe three of them) were hufflepuff-ish.

I do wish though - that the people who vote "squib" just say "squib" and be done with it. I already know "why" (they think it's too short) but I don't agree with the "cookie-cutter" answers remark. "Cookie-cutter"???? I spent a month working on it and revising it to say it's "cookie-cutter"???? The only "cookie-cutter" part I can think of is the house descriptions, but honestly- how many different ways can you say the same thing that has already been said? (e.g. slytherin=ambitious, gryffindor=bold/brave, ravenclaw=smart, hufflepuff=hard-working)??? If the app were to change, I'd change the question - to maybe something like - give an example of one person (preferably fact instead of fiction, or at least non-HP fiction) that exemplifies in your mind the qualities of each house, and elaborate. Then, you'd get a slew of different answers. Maybe Oprah Winfrey for Gryffindor, or John Walsh (host of America's Most Wanted) for Hufflepuff, or Bill Gates for Ravenclaw, or someone/something other than the generic "cookie-cutter" answers. Or a question like "analyze why Hermione's personality fit into Gryffindor instead of Ravenclaw, or why Neville is in Gryffindor instead of Hufflepuff".

Well, you have to remember that most of us read at least five apps a week, and after a while many of them do start to sound alike (although, I didn't think your app was "cookie cutter").

a couple of other user comments said "cookie-cutter" and the only thing I could think of as being "cookie-cutter" would be the house descriptions.

Currently, as of this time/date, Hufflepuff's leading Squib by about 10 votes, Squib being trailed by Ravenclaw by about the same, and Slytherin on the board with one (still makes me lol re: Slytherin).

Currently, it's about the same as before... both Hufflepuff and Squib are rising, but still have about the same margin between. Ravenclaw is creeping up slightly, but not so much to narrow the difference between it and Squib. And still only one for Slytherin, although another person who voted for H or R thought again I sounded Slytherin-ish.