The one question you hear all the time as a child is "what do you want to be when you grow up". Most children give the same three answers: doctor, lawyer or astronaut. The adult who asked the question usually responds with a chuckle under his breath because he knows what achieving one of these prestigious jobs entails. In today's world only the elite will have the chance to receive such an amazing career opportunity. Now, looking at the top three answers given by children, the reality of becoming a doctor or a lawyer is much more likely than receiving a job as an astronaut. Today the qualifications you must meet to qualify for this career include: excelling in a variety of required skills, passing rigorous physical exams, all while finding a unique way to stand out from the thousands of other hopeful applicants. When you ask former astronaut Robert Lee Gibson about his experiences at NASA a question comes to mind: "What do you tell kids when they say they want to be an astronaut?" He said, I always tell each of them the same thing: “excel in school, get your pilot's license and learn to play the piano.” He believes that having a complete application is the only way NASA will remember your name. Thousands of applicants apply with the same boring information about all their advanced degrees, fancy awards, and prestigious education. However, I am constantly looking for someone unique who brings a new set of skills to the table. NASA currently receives between 4,000 and 8,000 applications per rotation and of all these applicants only 35 are selected per minute. In 2013, however, NASA received 6,000 applications and, I'm telling you... middle of the paper... they're on a mission right now, they applied to the program several times before they were accepted, but they never gave up on their dream and they achieved everything they had ever wanted. Getting into the space program comes with many challenges that require things to be done over and over again, even if they fail every time. Perseverance is a quality that every member of the NASA team possesses because the science is unknown and experiments take time. So, after reading all this, is becoming an astronaut really worth all the effort and time it takes? It's up to you to figure it out. Having to pass rigorous physical exams, acquire skills unexpected by anyone else, and have perseverance is what it takes to become part of the one percent who can reach the unknown we call space. So, if you want to become an astronaut, go out and make all your wildest dreams come true.