One such standout piece is the now-infamous Costco essay.
Not only does Stinson use shopping at Costco to illustrate her intellectual curiosity—in listing her interests and activities, Stinson also explicitly links her topic to the rest of her application. In this way, the essay helps to create an overarching narrative or story about who Stinson is, a story that admissions counselors likely remembered as they reviewed the rest of her materials and moved forward in the admissions process.
Downvote this all you want. Don't get me wrong, I think it's definitely a GOOD essay, but does it deserve the hype? Probably not, imo. The topic itself is pretty unique (the exploration of Costco and how it relates to the author's own inquisitive nature) which is why I think it stands out--most essays are a variant on some cliche or trope--but the message it sends about Stinson is still somewhat trite and overdone (basically: I love learning and have been a curious person my entire life).
Here's the issue I have with the Costco analogy though: it's unique, for sure, but the analogy doesn't quite work. It's a clumsy attempt to turn a childhood experience into a meaningful comparison. A childhood experience which--two years old? I'm not saying I don't believe her, and that a good deal of nonfiction and narrative writing is spent piecing together stuff you remember into an actually coherent experience, and yeah, she could have definitely just asked her mom, but trying to quantify the immense wonder you felt as a toddler and trying to turn those few moments into 3 paragraphs illustrating your lifelong hunger for knowledge and advanced philosophical musings? It's overblown. It doesn't work, and it wouldn't work if it wasn't concealed by (sometimes overly) artistic language, a good sprinkling of (sometimes forced) humor, and the obligatory food comparisons. I'm not saying that this essay is BAD. I'm saying it would be bad if Stinson was an even average writer (and I say average in terms of the average Ivy essay, so I mean above-average with regards to most seniors). It's not intrinsically good or creative. For the most part, it's a lot of almost-purple prose with very little stage direction.
She wrote her “Ivy League Essay” about Costco. And hot dogs.
By now you have probably heard about or read the college essay by high schooler Brittany Stinson detailing how her routine trips to Costco shaped her life and world. In the piece, now , Stinson paints a vivid picture of how wandering up and down the aisles at her favorite big box store inspired her to ponder the addictive nature of Nutella, imagine physics experiments involving 3-pound tubs of sour cream and converse with her father about historical figures who share their aliases with . The essay is clever, warm and highly observant and introspective. If Costco is a kingdom, as Brittany claims, she is currently its reigning Queen. […]
Stinson writes in a fun, approachable tone. Humor permeates the piece, which has a conversational feel. In this way, the Costco essay hints at what she might be like to hang out with in the dining hall or after class, that is, it helps create a picture of her personality.
In this essay, Stinson seems like someone who might be likely to start long philosophical discussions in the residential hall or encourage her physics study group to take a fifteen-minute break for an impromptu dance party or, of course, corral her roommates for a weekend trip to Costco. In other words, her essay suggests that she will be a great addition to her college community.
I've been encouraged time and time again to look at the iconic Costco essay for a shining example of what the common app essay/personal statement should look like. This essay has been hailed as the quintessential college essay and has gained a lot of notoriety for its supposedly unparalleled quality and uniqueness.
Ok Fine. Ill Write About the Awe-inspiring Costco Essay
Within this sentence, Stinson takes a simple object, a jar of Nutella, and uses it to playfully ponder a philosophical question. These kinds of moves suggest that she is a thoughtful, curious person who will ask engaging questions inside and outside of the classroom. They also lead to the final turn of the essay, where Stinson opens up her topic in showing how her experiences in Costco inform who she is as a curious individual even when she’s not shopping for Nutella.
The Costco Essay: What Makes It So Good?
This may seem obvious, but your child shouldn’t replicate the Costco essay by, say, writing about Costco, or Kroger, or Stop and Shop, or Safeway. (This goes for ordering from Papa Johns or another pizza place, too.) Stinson’s choice in topic worked because it was something truly specific and meaningful to her.
Essay About Love for Costco Wins Student Admission to Five Ivies
Here are some additional prompts to help them zero in on their own “Costco.” (The Common App Essay prompts are broad enough that your child should be able to fit whatever they want to write about to one of them.)
Lessons from a Winning Ivy League Essay on Costco
While on the surface level Stinson’s essay is about Costco, she uses the topic to demonstrate her intellectual curiosity. One of the most memorable lines is, “I contemplated the philosophical: If there exists a thirty-three ounce of Nutella, do we really have free will?”
Why The Costco College Essay Is Crucial Reading
First thoughts: It’s aight. I see why she got in places. My biggest negative towards the whole thing was actually how calculated and polished the piece was. Yes, it’s a wacky Costco essay. But to a trained eye, it’s the work of a professional writer expertly crafting a work that will make a student come off well. One of the greatest magic tricks we as consultants play is making it seem like we were never there at all. The much rougher version of this type of essay is the essay I can tell a parent wrote. Those tend to be calculated as hell but never polished and usually really bad. This is a much higher level of touch-up.