I remember someone mentioning a renowned college essay that was submitted to NYU. Does anyone have the details of this essay, and why it became so popular? It would be great to analyze and learn from it for my own application.
Yes, the essay you're referring to might be the one by Hugh Gallagher. In this clever and humorous piece, Gallagher responded to the prompt asking him to elaborate on his particular interests and life experiences that he felt were noteworthy.
In a brilliantly satirical fashion, he detailed a fictional and highly exaggerated account of his achievements, from fluency in multiple foreign languages, to mastering classical music compositions, and even winning global recognition with an implied role in "world peace".
While it seems that he never actually submitted it as his application essay to NYU, the essay won a writing competition and was widely shared across the internet, becoming a sort of legend in the realm of college application essays. Gallagher did attend NYU for college which perhaps contributed to the myth.
This essay stood out because it was highly creative, humorous, and skillfully written, demonstrating the author's exceptional writing skills. However, it's important to note that while the essay has a certain fame, it doesn't resemble the majority of successful college application essays.
Most successful essays are personal, sincere, and deeply connected to the student's experiences or beliefs. They often center around a specific event or aspect of a student's life, and use this as a lens to provide insight into their character, values, and potential contribution to the college community. In other words, while a little humor can indeed be helpful, making your essay sound genuine, reflective, and insightful is usually more beneficial.
Therefore, while learning from Gallagher's essay, it's essential to not take its approach or contents as a standard. What made it popular was its uniqueness, humor, and absurdity—elements that might not necessarily result in a successful application essay for the average applicant.
The best lessons we can take from this legendary essay are to be creative, to take risks where appropriate, and to make sure your writing has a memorable impact to effectively communicate your individuality to admission officers.
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