Let’s round out to an even three what has seemed to become a theme here on A Thing for Wor(l)ds–college applications. (And then enough! No more talk about the subject, at least for a while :) For many people the college admissions process was a dark and treacherous time that they wish to surpress completely, and all I can say is that this essay, written by an applicant to NYU, will in all likelihood make you further regret your own submission. The piece you wrote on how your high school volleyball team shaped your leadership skills, or growing up as the shortest and fattest kid made you an excellent judge of character, or how you hope to instill the same tradition of family dinners in your future kids that your parents so wisely instilled in you, will probably sound like utter clichés after reading this essay. (By the way, I vaguely remember my Spanish teacher in 7th grade telling our class about this “genius essay.” Was competition for college really on our minds in 7th grade??)

Read the essay here. You’ve been warned that you’ll wish you were more creative back in the day.

About The Author

Jenny

Jenny Marshall studied Language, Culture, and Society at the University of California Santa Barbara, and now teaches English in Spain. Here she writes about the intersection of language and culture, and lives a life translated by travel.