Cutting text down to meet arbitrary word/character limits happens to be a specialty of mine.

The below version (in Markdown instead of WikiText) is just under 1500 characters. I dropped the URL to the mailing list sign up, but other than that I think it's still got all the substance.  Figuring out how to sign up to this list becomes another application task, I guess.

Of course, feel free to take this & work with it.

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# Inkscape Application

Thanks for considering Inkscape for your summer of code!  To help us find a good candidate, we ask a few things:

## About You
- What is your name, email, & irc nick?
- What plans do you have for the summer in addition to GSoC (classes, thesis, job, vacation, etc.)?
- What programming projects have you completed?
- What are your favorite programming tools (editor, etc.)?
- Describe any work on other open-source projects.
- List other GSoC projects you're applying to.

## About Inkscape
- When did you hear about Inkscape?
- What do you create with Inkscape?
- What other open-source tools do you use?
- How have you participated in the Inkscape community (e.g. uploaded drawings, created tutorials, submitted bug reports, asked or answered questions)?
- How have you contributed to Inkscape development (e.g. bug fixes, translations, packaging, testing)?
- In exactly **2** sentences, why should we pick **YOU**?

## Tasks
- Submit a drawing you've made, showing how you use Inkscape.
- Introduce yourself on the inkscape-devel mailing list and post your project ideas for feedback, *before* submitting your application
- [Checkout](http://inkscape.org/bzr.php) the Inkscape sourcecode through Bazaar; review, compile & build it.
- Pick 2 [bugs](https://bugs.launchpad.net/inkscape/) (or add new ones). Create & upload patches for them; make sure we can connect these to your GSoC application.
- Prepare a detailed plan (with timetable) of the work you propose to do.