What we love about these essays is that they proved something we’ve been telling our students for over fifteen years: that admissions officers want to see high schoolers expressing themselves, and that the way to get into a top college isn’t necessarily by bragging or boasting. The short answer is that trying to replicate the Costco essay or the Yale pizza essay isn’t going to do your child any good-but both can serve as models for writing outside-of-the-box personal statements. In the wake of those essays, we’ve fielded tons of questions from parents about whether or not a successful personal statement needs to contain that level of quirk. The essay prompt was, “Write about something you love to do.” William chose to reflect on ordering pizza from Papa John’s. People were especially intrigued when they learned about Stinson’s unusual essay topic: her experiences shopping at Costco over the years.Ī year later, Carolina William’s “ Yale pizza essay” also made the Internet rounds after she was accepted to Yale.

In 2016, Brittany Stinson’s Costco essay, went viral after she was accepted into five Ivy League colleges-Yale, Columbia, Dartmouth, University of Pennsylvania, and Cornell-along with Stanford and several other highly selective schools. Because as one high school applicant proved, a successful essay can also be about something as simple as their love for Costco. We’ve assembled a guide to writing an amazing Common App Essay that addresses all of those questions and many more.īut here, we want to discuss one unique way to tackle the Common App Essay. Many parents assume students should use the personal statement to brag about a noteworthy accomplishment or significant challenge they’ve overcome. And the Common App Essay prompts are broad enough that your child can write about any topic.

This essay is your child’s opportunity to showcase who they are beyond their ACT or SAT scores, grades, or extracurricular activities. You may have even heard of the “Costco essay” that earned one student an acceptance to several ivy league schools.īut first, let’s revisit the purpose of the Common App Essay. If your child is applying to college now or in the future, you’re probably familiar with the Common App Essay, or personal statement, required by many colleges.

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