A Plot: Adam and Brea eagerly open their acceptance packets from NYU. Brea learns she has been accepted, but Adam is shocked to see Beverly's name on his acceptance letter. Beverly admits she applied so she could accompany her schmoo at college, but Adam has unfortunately been put on a wait list. Bev and Adam go to Glascott for advice, and Glascott strongly encourages Adam to visit the NYU acceptance department to make his case without Beverly. After Adam twice fails to convince the dean of admissions to reconsider his application, Beverly can't help but jump in.
B Plot: Erica learns that Lou Schwartz's animosity toward her stems from him believing that she once put his prized porcelain horse figurines in a compromising position as a joke, resulting in one being chipped. In reality, it was Lou's daughter Joanne who pulled the prank, then blamed it on Erica.
- Calling the Old Man Out: When Lou immediately forgives Joanne when she confesses, after spending years hating Erica for what Joanne had done, Geoff gives him an earful about it. This leads to Lou apologizing to both Geoff and Erica directly.
- Easily Forgiven: When Joanne finally admits to being the one who originally chipped the porcelain horses, Lou immediately forgives her, saying that she was just a child at the time. This outrages Geoff.
- Hollywood Tone-Deaf: Adam's final attempt to get admitted to NYU is to show off his performance skills by serenading the dean, but his voice is incredibly off-key.
- Mistaken for Romance: The dean briefly interprets Adam's romantic gesture as directed directly to her, rather than just being a show of "skill".
- Punny Name: Adam finds it hilarious that the dean of admissions at NYU is a woman named Martin, making her Dean Martin.
- The Scapegoat: Erica learns that she was used as one by Joanne. Given that Joanne's reputation with her parents has been back-and-forth as of late, she tries to pin the blame on other people when Erica can't take the animosity any more.
- Sheltered Aristocrat: Adam's rather sheltered lifestyle ends up being detrimental, as when the dean mentions favoritism for applicants that have overcome hardships, the hardest thing Adam and his friends consider him to have accomplished is beating Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. The dean eventually decides he has had a troubled upbringing after meeting Beverly and learning that she's clingy enough to try and join him as a fellow student.
- Taking the Heat: In an attempt to get Lou to stop judging Erica for something she didn't do without ratting out Joanne, both Geoff and Barry try to take the blame, only for Erica to get fed up and just continue covering for Joanne (and accidentally cause further damage in the process).
