Trapped in town that resents that his "IQ is bigger than his shoe size" and unknowingly medicated by his drunken (and also EXTRAVAGANTLY medicated) mother, Carson (Chris Collifer) goes to desperate lengths to get accepted into northwestern university. He finds that the school has more secrets than he thought, and uses them to start a literary magazine to increase his chances of getting in. Carson learns a lot about people and how unfair life really can be. He helps some people, and hurts a few more, chasing inspiration waiting to be struck by lightening.