essay about food college

How to Write a College Essay about Food

If there is one thing you should know about us at The Koppelman Group, we love food. We love cooking food, we love eating food, and we love working with students to write about food for a college essay. Food is a truly universal subject. We all eat, and so we each have a relationship with food. Over the years, we’ve helped dozens of students incorporate the universal nature of delicious (or not so delicious) carbs and condiments into acceptance-winning essays. 

If you’re stumped on what to write your college essay about, send us an email . We help students turn their passions, hobbies, and quirks into outstanding essays that stand out from the field.

In the world of food-themed college essays, there are three core types. We’re going to break them down here to help you see different ways food can fit into the narrative of your college application.

The Cooking Essay

The first, and probably the most common albeit not at all actually common, type of food essay is the cooking essay. Most high school students aren’t the next celebrity chef, but by 17 years old you’ve probably learned how to make a few things. Whether your specialty is toasting a bagel, or you have memorized your grandmother’s chicken soup recipe, the kitchen is a potent venue for a college essay to take place. We’ve even had a student write about how to cook an egg , and it helped him get into a dream school.

What matters here isn’t really what you’re cooking in your essay, but what it communicates about you. Perhaps you’re an aspiring engineer, and have put your analytical brain to work analyzing the ideal toast to butter ratio. Or you may be a fascinated by history and can trace a family recipe through three generations and two continents before you put your own spin on it. Either way, the food is really playing second fiddle to the bigger story at hand — and that’s exactly how you want it to be.

The Eating Essay

The next type of food-themed college essay is the eating essay. In this essay, you are engaging with food primarily as a consumer rather than a creator. This type of essay doesn’t even need to take place in a kitchen. You can be at a favorite taco truck, at the table you’ve always sat at in the neighborhood Italian restaurant, or at you Aunt Nicky’s sneaking a taste of a sauce before it’s time to sit down for dinner. The one place you probably shouldn’t be for an eating essay is on vacation. Application readers work throughout the holiday season, into the spring, and even over spring break so that they can let you know their decision as fast as possible, which means that they often don’t get to take standard vacations. Writing about eating ravioli in Italy may be beautiful, but you risk getting the reader distracted as they yearn for a view beyond their desk or home office. Instead, focus on eating close to home or with family.  

Like with the cooking essay, this piece isn’t simply about food. If it were, it’d be a restaurant review, not a college essay. What you are doing is sharing a piece of who you are through the story of food. In this case, the food you eat. Did you learn to love spicy food from a beloved caregiver, or not taste a green vegetable until you were 15? Perhaps you’ve navigated an allergy your whole life or there’s that one thing you’ve always wanted to try but have never had the chance to order. Whatever it is, what you choose to put in your belly (or not) says a ton about you.

The Food Adjacent Essay

Last but certainly not least, we have the food adjacent essay. These are essays that aren’t really about food, but food still plays an important role. Even if you aren’t writing a “food essay,” incorporating culture, history, and personality through flavor is a powerful move. Maybe it’s the smell wafting from a coffee cart on your morning walk to school, or picking between a soft pretzel and a corndog at a baseball game. By putting food into your essay, you have the opportunity to connect with the 25+ year old admissions committee readers on a human level that can honestly be difficult for high school students.

Writing about food offers a chance to build a bridge with your reader from the outset, identifying common ground and pulling the reader into your world. It’s a recipe for an acceptance-winning essay.

If you know what story you want to tell, but don’t quite know how to turn your story into an essay, send us an email . We help students craft outstanding applications.

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Six brilliant student essays on the power of food to spark social change.

Read winning essays from our fall 2018 “Feeding Ourselves, Feeding Our Revolutions,” student writing contest.

For the Fall 2018 student writing competition, “Feeding Ourselves, Feeding Our Revolutions,” we invited students to read the YES! Magazine article, “Cooking Stirs the Pot for Social Change,”   by Korsha Wilson and respond to this writing prompt: If you were to host a potluck or dinner to discuss a challenge facing your community or country, what food would you cook? Whom would you invite? On what issue would you deliberate? 

The Winners

From the hundreds of essays written, these six—on anti-Semitism, cultural identity, death row prisoners, coming out as transgender, climate change, and addiction—were chosen as essay winners.  Be sure to read the literary gems and catchy titles that caught our eye.

Middle School Winner: India Brown High School Winner: Grace Williams University Winner: Lillia Borodkin Powerful Voice Winner: Paisley Regester Powerful Voice Winner: Emma Lingo Powerful Voice Winner: Hayden Wilson

Literary Gems Clever Titles

Middle School Winner: India Brown  

A Feast for the Future

Close your eyes and imagine the not too distant future: The Statue of Liberty is up to her knees in water, the streets of lower Manhattan resemble the canals of Venice, and hurricanes arrive in the fall and stay until summer. Now, open your eyes and see the beautiful planet that we will destroy if we do not do something. Now is the time for change. Our future is in our control if we take actions, ranging from small steps, such as not using plastic straws, to large ones, such as reducing fossil fuel consumption and electing leaders who take the problem seriously.

 Hosting a dinner party is an extraordinary way to publicize what is at stake. At my potluck, I would serve linguini with clams. The clams would be sautéed in white wine sauce. The pasta tossed with a light coat of butter and topped with freshly shredded parmesan. I choose this meal because it cannot be made if global warming’s patterns persist. Soon enough, the ocean will be too warm to cultivate clams, vineyards will be too sweltering to grow grapes, and wheat fields will dry out, leaving us without pasta.

I think that giving my guests a delicious meal and then breaking the news to them that its ingredients would be unattainable if Earth continues to get hotter is a creative strategy to initiate action. Plus, on the off chance the conversation gets drastically tense, pasta is a relatively difficult food to throw.

In YES! Magazine’s article, “Cooking Stirs the Pot for Social Change,” Korsha Wilson says “…beyond the narrow definition of what cooking is, you can see that cooking is and has always been an act of resistance.” I hope that my dish inspires people to be aware of what’s at stake with increasing greenhouse gas emissions and work toward creating a clean energy future.

 My guest list for the potluck would include two groups of people: local farmers, who are directly and personally affected by rising temperatures, increased carbon dioxide, drought, and flooding, and people who either do not believe in human-caused climate change or don’t think it affects anyone. I would invite the farmers or farm owners because their jobs and crops are dependent on the weather. I hope that after hearing a farmer’s perspective, climate-deniers would be awakened by the truth and more receptive to the effort to reverse these catastrophic trends.

Earth is a beautiful planet that provides everything we’ll ever need, but because of our pattern of living—wasteful consumption, fossil fuel burning, and greenhouse gas emissions— our habitat is rapidly deteriorating. Whether you are a farmer, a long-shower-taking teenager, a worker in a pollution-producing factory, or a climate-denier, the future of humankind is in our hands. The choices we make and the actions we take will forever affect planet Earth.

 India Brown is an eighth grader who lives in New York City with her parents and older brother. She enjoys spending time with her friends, walking her dog, Morty, playing volleyball and lacrosse, and swimming.

High School Winner: Grace Williams

Apple Pie Embrace

It’s 1:47 a.m. Thanksgiving smells fill the kitchen. The sweet aroma of sugar-covered apples and buttery dough swirls into my nostrils. Fragrant orange and rosemary permeate the room and every corner smells like a stroll past the open door of a French bakery. My eleven-year-old eyes water, red with drowsiness, and refocus on the oven timer counting down. Behind me, my mom and aunt chat to no end, fueled by the seemingly self-replenishable coffee pot stashed in the corner. Their hands work fast, mashing potatoes, crumbling cornbread, and covering finished dishes in a thin layer of plastic wrap. The most my tired body can do is sit slouched on the backless wooden footstool. I bask in the heat escaping under the oven door.

 As a child, I enjoyed Thanksgiving and the preparations that came with it, but it seemed like more of a bridge between my birthday and Christmas than an actual holiday. Now, it’s a time of year I look forward to, dedicated to family, memories, and, most importantly, food. What I realized as I grew older was that my homemade Thanksgiving apple pie was more than its flaky crust and soft-fruit center. This American food symbolized a rite of passage, my Iraqi family’s ticket to assimilation. 

 Some argue that by adopting American customs like the apple pie, we lose our culture. I would argue that while American culture influences what my family eats and celebrates, it doesn’t define our character. In my family, we eat Iraqi dishes like mesta and tahini, but we also eat Cinnamon Toast Crunch for breakfast. This doesn’t mean we favor one culture over the other; instead, we create a beautiful blend of the two, adapting traditions to make them our own.

 That said, my family has always been more than the “mashed potatoes and turkey” type.

My mom’s family immigrated to the United States in 1976. Upon their arrival, they encountered a deeply divided America. Racism thrived, even after the significant freedoms gained from the Civil Rights Movement a few years before. Here, my family was thrust into a completely unknown world: they didn’t speak the language, they didn’t dress normally, and dinners like riza maraka seemed strange in comparison to the Pop Tarts and Oreos lining grocery store shelves.

 If I were to host a dinner party, it would be like Thanksgiving with my Chaldean family. The guests, my extended family, are a diverse people, distinct ingredients in a sweet potato casserole, coming together to create a delicious dish.

In her article “Cooking Stirs the Pot for Social Change,” Korsha Wilson writes, “each ingredient that we use, every technique, every spice tells a story about our access, our privilege, our heritage, and our culture.” Voices around the room will echo off the walls into the late hours of the night while the hot apple pie steams at the table’s center.

We will play concan on the blanketed floor and I’ll try to understand my Toto, who, after forty years, still speaks broken English. I’ll listen to my elders as they tell stories about growing up in Unionville, Michigan, a predominately white town where they always felt like outsiders, stories of racism that I have the privilege not to experience. While snacking on sunflower seeds and salted pistachios, we’ll talk about the news- how thousands of people across the country are protesting for justice among immigrants. No one protested to give my family a voice.

Our Thanksgiving food is more than just sustenance, it is a physical representation of my family ’s blended and ever-changing culture, even after 40 years in the United States. No matter how the food on our plates changes, it will always symbolize our sense of family—immediate and extended—and our unbreakable bond.

Grace Williams, a student at Kirkwood High School in Kirkwood, Missouri, enjoys playing tennis, baking, and spending time with her family. Grace also enjoys her time as a writing editor for her school’s yearbook, the Pioneer. In the future, Grace hopes to continue her travels abroad, as well as live near extended family along the sunny beaches of La Jolla, California.

University Winner: Lillia Borodkin

Nourishing Change After Tragedy Strikes

In the Jewish community, food is paramount. We often spend our holidays gathered around a table, sharing a meal and reveling in our people’s story. On other sacred days, we fast, focusing instead on reflection, atonement, and forgiveness.

As a child, I delighted in the comfort of matzo ball soup, the sweetness of hamantaschen, and the beauty of braided challah. But as I grew older and more knowledgeable about my faith, I learned that the origins of these foods are not rooted in joy, but in sacrifice.

The matzo of matzo balls was a necessity as the Jewish people did not have time for their bread to rise as they fled slavery in Egypt. The hamantaschen was an homage to the hat of Haman, the villain of the Purim story who plotted the Jewish people’s destruction. The unbaked portion of braided challah was tithed by commandment to the kohen  or priests. Our food is an expression of our history, commemorating both our struggles and our triumphs.

As I write this, only days have passed since eleven Jews were killed at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. These people, intending only to pray and celebrate the Sabbath with their community, were murdered simply for being Jewish. This brutal event, in a temple and city much like my own, is a reminder that anti-Semitism still exists in this country. A reminder that hatred of Jews, of me, my family, and my community, is alive and flourishing in America today. The thought that a difference in religion would make some believe that others do not have the right to exist is frightening and sickening.  

 This is why, if given the chance, I would sit down the entire Jewish American community at one giant Shabbat table. I’d serve matzo ball soup, pass around loaves of challah, and do my best to offer comfort. We would take time to remember the beautiful souls lost to anti-Semitism this October and the countless others who have been victims of such hatred in the past. I would then ask that we channel all we are feeling—all the fear, confusion, and anger —into the fight.

As suggested in Korsha Wilson’s “Cooking Stirs the Pot for Social Change,” I would urge my guests to direct our passion for justice and the comfort and care provided by the food we are eating into resisting anti-Semitism and hatred of all kinds.

We must use the courage this sustenance provides to create change and honor our people’s suffering and strength. We must remind our neighbors, both Jewish and non-Jewish, that anti-Semitism is alive and well today. We must shout and scream and vote until our elected leaders take this threat to our community seriously. And, we must stand with, support, and listen to other communities that are subjected to vengeful hate today in the same way that many of these groups have supported us in the wake of this tragedy.

This terrible shooting is not the first of its kind, and if conflict and loathing are permitted to grow, I fear it will not be the last. While political change may help, the best way to target this hate is through smaller-scale actions in our own communities.

It is critical that we as a Jewish people take time to congregate and heal together, but it is equally necessary to include those outside the Jewish community to build a powerful crusade against hatred and bigotry. While convening with these individuals, we will work to end the dangerous “otherizing” that plagues our society and seek to understand that we share far more in common than we thought. As disagreements arise during our discussions, we will learn to respect and treat each other with the fairness we each desire. Together, we shall share the comfort, strength, and courage that traditional Jewish foods provide and use them to fuel our revolution. 

We are not alone in the fight despite what extremists and anti-semites might like us to believe.  So, like any Jew would do, I invite you to join me at the Shabbat table. First, we will eat. Then, we will get to work.  

Lillia Borodkin is a senior at Kent State University majoring in Psychology with a concentration in Child Psychology. She plans to attend graduate school and become a school psychologist while continuing to pursue her passion for reading and writing. Outside of class, Lillia is involved in research in the psychology department and volunteers at the Women’s Center on campus.   

Powerful Voice Winner: Paisley Regester

As a kid, I remember asking my friends jokingly, ”If you were stuck on a deserted island, what single item of food would you bring?” Some of my friends answered practically and said they’d bring water. Others answered comically and said they’d bring snacks like Flamin’ Hot Cheetos or a banana. However, most of my friends answered sentimentally and listed the foods that made them happy. This seems like fun and games, but what happens if the hypothetical changes? Imagine being asked, on the eve of your death, to choose the final meal you will ever eat. What food would you pick? Something practical? Comical? Sentimental?  

This situation is the reality for the 2,747 American prisoners who are currently awaiting execution on death row. The grim ritual of “last meals,” when prisoners choose their final meal before execution, can reveal a lot about these individuals and what they valued throughout their lives.

It is difficult for us to imagine someone eating steak, lobster tail, apple pie, and vanilla ice cream one moment and being killed by state-approved lethal injection the next. The prisoner can only hope that the apple pie he requested tastes as good as his mom’s. Surprisingly, many people in prison decline the option to request a special last meal. We often think of food as something that keeps us alive, so is there really any point to eating if someone knows they are going to die?

“Controlling food is a means of controlling power,” said chef Sean Sherman in the YES! Magazine article “Cooking Stirs the Pot for Social Change,” by Korsha Wilson. There are deeper stories that lie behind the final meals of individuals on death row.

I want to bring awareness to the complex and often controversial conditions of this country’s criminal justice system and change the common perception of prisoners as inhuman. To accomplish this, I would host a potluck where I would recreate the last meals of prisoners sentenced to death.

In front of each plate, there would be a place card with the prisoner’s full name, the date of execution, and the method of execution. These meals could range from a plate of fried chicken, peas with butter, apple pie, and a Dr. Pepper, reminiscent of a Sunday dinner at Grandma’s, to a single olive.

Seeing these meals up close, meals that many may eat at their own table or feed to their own kids, would force attendees to face the reality of the death penalty. It will urge my guests to look at these individuals not just as prisoners, assigned a number and a death date, but as people, capable of love and rehabilitation.  

This potluck is not only about realizing a prisoner’s humanity, but it is also about recognizing a flawed criminal justice system. Over the years, I have become skeptical of the American judicial system, especially when only seven states have judges who ethnically represent the people they serve. I was shocked when I found out that the officers who killed Michael Brown and Anthony Lamar Smith were exonerated for their actions. How could that be possible when so many teens and adults of color have spent years in prison, some even executed, for crimes they never committed?  

Lawmakers, police officers, city officials, and young constituents, along with former prisoners and their families, would be invited to my potluck to start an honest conversation about the role and application of inequality, dehumanization, and racism in the death penalty. Food served at the potluck would represent the humanity of prisoners and push people to acknowledge that many inmates are victims of a racist and corrupt judicial system.

Recognizing these injustices is only the first step towards a more equitable society. The second step would be acting on these injustices to ensure that every voice is heard, even ones separated from us by prison walls. Let’s leave that for the next potluck, where I plan to serve humble pie.

Paisley Regester is a high school senior and devotes her life to activism, the arts, and adventure. Inspired by her experiences traveling abroad to Nicaragua, Mexico, and Scotland, Paisley hopes to someday write about the diverse people and places she has encountered and share her stories with the rest of the world.

Powerful Voice Winner: Emma Lingo

The Empty Seat

“If you aren’t sober, then I don’t want to see you on Christmas.”

Harsh words for my father to hear from his daughter but words he needed to hear. Words I needed him to understand and words he seemed to consider as he fiddled with his wine glass at the head of the table. Our guests, my grandma, and her neighbors remained resolutely silent. They were not about to defend my drunken father–or Charles as I call him–from my anger or my ultimatum.

This was the first dinner we had had together in a year. The last meal we shared ended with Charles slopping his drink all over my birthday presents and my mother explaining heroin addiction to me. So, I wasn’t surprised when Charles threw down some liquid valor before dinner in anticipation of my anger. If he wanted to be welcomed on Christmas, he needed to be sober—or he needed to be gone.

Countless dinners, holidays, and birthdays taught me that my demands for sobriety would fall on deaf ears. But not this time. Charles gave me a gift—a one of a kind, limited edition, absolutely awkward treat. One that I didn’t know how to deal with at all. Charles went home that night, smacked a bright red bow on my father, and hand-delivered him to me on Christmas morning.

He arrived for breakfast freshly showered and looking flustered. He would remember this day for once only because his daughter had scolded him into sobriety. Dad teetered between happiness and shame. Grandma distracted us from Dad’s presence by bringing the piping hot bacon and biscuits from the kitchen to the table, theatrically announcing their arrival. Although these foods were the alleged focus of the meal, the real spotlight shined on the unopened liquor cabinet in my grandma’s kitchen—the cabinet I know Charles was begging Dad to open.

I’ve isolated myself from Charles. My family has too. It means we don’t see Dad, but it’s the best way to avoid confrontation and heartache. Sometimes I find myself wondering what it would be like if we talked with him more or if he still lived nearby. Would he be less inclined to use? If all families with an addict tried to hang on to a relationship with the user, would there be fewer addicts in the world? Christmas breakfast with Dad was followed by Charles whisking him away to Colorado where pot had just been legalized. I haven’t talked to Dad since that Christmas.

As Korsha Wilson stated in her YES! Magazine article, “Cooking Stirs the Pot for Social Change,” “Sometimes what we don’t cook says more than what we do cook.” When it comes to addiction, what isn’t served is more important than what is. In quiet moments, I like to imagine a meal with my family–including Dad. He’d have a spot at the table in my little fantasy. No alcohol would push him out of his chair, the cigarettes would remain seated in his back pocket, and the stench of weed wouldn’t invade the dining room. Fruit salad and gumbo would fill the table—foods that Dad likes. We’d talk about trivial matters in life, like how school is going and what we watched last night on TV.

Dad would feel loved. We would connect. He would feel less alone. At the end of the night, he’d walk me to the door and promise to see me again soon. And I would believe him.

Emma Lingo spends her time working as an editor for her school paper, reading, and being vocal about social justice issues. Emma is active with many clubs such as Youth and Government, KHS Cares, and Peer Helpers. She hopes to be a journalist one day and to be able to continue helping out people by volunteering at local nonprofits.

Powerful Voice Winner: Hayden Wilson

Bittersweet Reunion

I close my eyes and envision a dinner of my wildest dreams. I would invite all of my relatives. Not just my sister who doesn’t ask how I am anymore. Not just my nephews who I’m told are too young to understand me. No, I would gather all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins to introduce them to the me they haven’t met.

For almost two years, I’ve gone by a different name that most of my family refuses to acknowledge. My aunt, a nun of 40 years, told me at a recent birthday dinner that she’d heard of my “nickname.” I didn’t want to start a fight, so I decided not to correct her. Even the ones who’ve adjusted to my name have yet to recognize the bigger issue.

Last year on Facebook, I announced to my friends and family that I am transgender. No one in my family has talked to me about it, but they have plenty to say to my parents. I feel as if this is about my parents more than me—that they’ve made some big parenting mistake. Maybe if I invited everyone to dinner and opened up a discussion, they would voice their concerns to me instead of my parents.

I would serve two different meals of comfort food to remind my family of our good times. For my dad’s family, I would cook heavily salted breakfast food, the kind my grandpa used to enjoy. He took all of his kids to IHOP every Sunday and ordered the least healthy option he could find, usually some combination of an overcooked omelet and a loaded Classic Burger. For my mom’s family, I would buy shakes and burgers from Hardee’s. In my grandma’s final weeks, she let aluminum tins of sympathy meals pile up on her dining table while she made my uncle take her to Hardee’s every day.

In her article on cooking and activism, food writer Korsha Wilson writes, “Everyone puts down their guard over a good meal, and in that space, change is possible.” Hopefully the same will apply to my guests.

When I first thought of this idea, my mind rushed to the endless negative possibilities. My nun-aunt and my two non-nun aunts who live like nuns would whip out their Bibles before I even finished my first sentence. My very liberal, state representative cousin would say how proud she is of the guy I’m becoming, but this would trigger my aunts to accuse her of corrupting my mind. My sister, who has never spoken to me about my genderidentity, would cover her children’s ears and rush them out of the house. My Great-Depression-raised grandparents would roll over in their graves, mumbling about how kids have it easy nowadays.

After mentally mapping out every imaginable terrible outcome this dinner could have, I realized a conversation is unavoidable if I want my family to accept who I am. I long to restore the deep connection I used to have with them. Though I often think these former relationships are out of reach, I won’t know until I try to repair them. For a year and a half, I’ve relied on Facebook and my parents to relay messages about my identity, but I need to tell my own story.

At first, I thought Korsha Wilson’s idea of a cooked meal leading the way to social change was too optimistic, but now I understand that I need to think more like her. Maybe, just maybe, my family could all gather around a table, enjoy some overpriced shakes, and be as close as we were when I was a little girl.

 Hayden Wilson is a 17-year-old high school junior from Missouri. He loves writing, making music, and painting. He’s a part of his school’s writing club, as well as the GSA and a few service clubs.

 Literary Gems

We received many outstanding essays for the Fall 2018 Writing Competition. Though not every participant can win the contest, we’d like to share some excerpts that caught our eye.

Thinking of the main staple of the dish—potatoes, the starchy vegetable that provides sustenance for people around the globe. The onion, the layers of sorrow and joy—a base for this dish served during the holidays.  The oil, symbolic of hope and perseverance. All of these elements come together to form this delicious oval pancake permeating with possibilities. I wonder about future possibilities as I flip the latkes.

—Nikki Markman, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, California

The egg is a treasure. It is a fragile heart of gold that once broken, flows over the blemishless surface of the egg white in dandelion colored streams, like ribbon unraveling from its spool.

—Kaylin Ku, West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South, Princeton Junction, New Jersey

If I were to bring one food to a potluck to create social change by addressing anti-Semitism, I would bring gefilte fish because it is different from other fish, just like the Jews are different from other people.  It looks more like a matzo ball than fish, smells extraordinarily fishy, and tastes like sweet brine with the consistency of a crab cake.

—Noah Glassman, Ethical Culture Fieldston School,  Bronx, New York

I would not only be serving them something to digest, I would serve them a one-of-a-kind taste of the past, a taste of fear that is felt in the souls of those whose home and land were taken away, a taste of ancestral power that still lives upon us, and a taste of the voices that want to be heard and that want the suffering of the Natives to end.

—Citlalic Anima Guevara, Wichita North High School, Wichita, Kansas

It’s the one thing that your parents make sure you have because they didn’t.  Food is what your mother gives you as she lies, telling you she already ate. It’s something not everybody is fortunate to have and it’s also what we throw away without hesitation.  Food is a blessing to me, but what is it to you?

—Mohamed Omar, Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood, Missouri

Filleted and fried humphead wrasse, mangrove crab with coconut milk, pounded taro, a whole roast pig, and caramelized nuts—cuisines that will not be simplified to just “food.” Because what we eat is the diligence and pride of our people—a culture that has survived and continues to thrive.

—Mayumi Remengesau, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, California

Some people automatically think I’m kosher or ask me to say prayers in Hebrew.  However, guess what? I don’t know many prayers and I eat bacon.

—Hannah Reing, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, The Bronx, New York

Everything was placed before me. Rolling up my sleeves I started cracking eggs, mixing flour, and sampling some chocolate chips, because you can never be too sure. Three separate bowls. All different sizes. Carefully, I tipped the smallest, and the medium-sized bowls into the biggest. Next, I plugged in my hand-held mixer and flicked on the switch. The beaters whirl to life. I lowered it into the bowl and witnessed the creation of something magnificent. Cookie dough.

—Cassandra Amaya, Owen Goodnight Middle School, San Marcos, Texas

Biscuits and bisexuality are both things that are in my life…My grandmother’s biscuits are the best: the good old classic Southern biscuits, crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. Except it is mostly Southern people who don’t accept me.

—Jaden Huckaby, Arbor Montessori, Decatur, Georgia

We zest the bright yellow lemons and the peels of flavor fall lightly into the batter.  To make frosting, we keep adding more and more powdered sugar until it looks like fluffy clouds with raspberry seed rain.

—Jane Minus, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Bronx, New York

Tamales for my grandma, I can still remember her skillfully spreading the perfect layer of masa on every corn husk, looking at me pitifully as my young hands fumbled with the corn wrapper, always too thick or too thin.

—Brenna Eliaz, San Marcos High School, San Marcos, Texas

Just like fry bread, MRE’s (Meals Ready to Eat) remind New Orleanians and others affected by disasters of the devastation throughout our city and the little amount of help we got afterward.

—Madeline Johnson, Spring Hill College, Mobile, Alabama

I would bring cream corn and buckeyes and have a big debate on whether marijuana should be illegal or not.

—Lillian Martinez, Miller Middle School, San Marcos, Texas

We would finish the meal off with a delicious apple strudel, topped with schlag, schlag, schlag, more schlag, and a cherry, and finally…more schlag (in case you were wondering, schlag is like whipped cream, but 10 times better because it is heavier and sweeter).

—Morgan Sheehan, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Bronx, New York

Clever Titles

This year we decided to do something different. We were so impressed by the number of catchy titles that we decided to feature some of our favorites. 

“Eat Like a Baby: Why Shame Has No Place at a Baby’s Dinner Plate”

—Tate Miller, Wichita North High School, Wichita, Kansas 

“The Cheese in Between”

—Jedd Horowitz, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Bronx, New York

“Harvey, Michael, Florence or Katrina? Invite Them All Because Now We Are Prepared”

—Molly Mendoza, Spring Hill College, Mobile, Alabama

“Neglecting Our Children: From Broccoli to Bullets”

—Kylie Rollings, Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood, Missouri  

“The Lasagna of Life”

—Max Williams, Wichita North High School, Wichita, Kansas

“Yum, Yum, Carbon Dioxide In Our Lungs”

—Melanie Eickmeyer, Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood, Missouri

“My Potluck, My Choice”

—Francesca Grossberg, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Bronx, New York

“Trumping with Tacos”

—Maya Goncalves, Lincoln Middle School, Ypsilanti, Michigan

“Quiche and Climate Change”

—Bernie Waldman, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Bronx, New York

“Biscuits and Bisexuality”

“W(health)”

—Miles Oshan, San Marcos High School, San Marcos, Texas

“Bubula, Come Eat!”

—Jordan Fienberg, Ethical Culture Fieldston School,  Bronx, New York

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How An Essay About Food Landed Me at My Top College

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May 1st is fast approaching, and the time for the high school class of 2019 to make their final college decisions is dwindling. Choosing which college to go to is overwhelming, but the dozens of essays one has to write to merely apply is even more daunting. It also doesn't help when you apply to way too many schools (13 to be exact), nearly all of which want you to outline what makes their school stand out. It was all too easy to get trapped in the cycle of repetitive phrases and "smart-sounding language."

However, when it came to writing my actual college essay which was to be sent to every school, it seemed to just flow onto the paper. Despite not choosing a specific Common App prompt, I knew exactly what I was going to write about—food. 

Unlike fellow applicants, I did not have an incredible story to tell, nor an obstacle that I overcame worth a college admission officer's time. What I did have standing behind me was a passion for peanut butter and jelly , the best desserts in New Jersey , and outlandish food gadgets that probably no one needs .

I am a massive foodie. By definition, I am a person who really appreciates a good meal. It also makes me the person who makes dinner reservations for a vacation before the plane tickets and hotel rooms are booked, and one that celebrates a ten mile run with a slice of  Cheesecake Factory’s Ultimate Red Velvet Cheesecake . Is it the most healthy hobby? Probably not. But fun? Of course.

I am not sure what drew me to food, but maybe it is the fact that my earliest memories are of grabbing every sample possible at Sam’s Club, eating holiday dinners of kugel and brisket, and standing on the countertop making a batch of Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies. I learned to read a nutrition label before I could read a book and I learned the basics of food before I could count to ten. From childhood until now, although my taste buds have changed, and I have grown a liking for broccoli and lasagna, my infatuation with food remains constant.

Or maybe it is because I love how food is a social event. My family makes a point to eat our dinners as a unit. You can even count on my dog joining us in the kitchen when dinner is served. Whether we are eating one of my mom’s extravagant home-cooked meals or scarfing down a delivery pizza before we have to run out of the house, my family congregates at the table to catch up with each other.

Fridays are our nights out to dinner to celebrate the fact that we made it through another week. The choice of restaurant depends on whoever’s turn it is. My brother, not at all a food fanatic, always says anywhere. My dad loves to joke that Anywhere is too far or too expensive or whatever excuse he could make to get a chuckle out of me. To this day, I can always count on Friday night plans, even if it means eating dinner out with my parents. After dinner, you might discover my sister and I binge-watching the latest documentary about the juice cleanse (we’ve seen all three) while munching on a bag of Chex Mix.

This communion continues with my friends. You can find me on any given Saturday night chatting about the latest gossip and sharing our opinions on last night’s Bachelor in Paradise episode. This conversation isn’t complete unless we are chowing down on a smorgasbord of chicken chow mein , mozzarella sticks, and Pringles. Our way of celebrating our gratefulness towards one another is by hosting a Friendsgiving. Our annual feast boasts piles of our favorite foods. Luckily, when you are with friends, calories do not count.

I adore food. Not in the way where I don’t have a limit, but in the way that food just so happens to be a vital part of so many happy moments. I’m not a glutton, I just really like to smile. I cannot remember a time when food did not in one way or another make me or someone else happy. Even during the saddest or most stressful of situations, spending some quality time with Ben and Jerry can make it all better. Food is one of the most basic human needs, but it has grown into an integral aspect of our society where people look to it for comfort. When you are surrounded by foods and people who care for you, you don’t need much more. Although, extra dessert never hurts.

Where the Essay Led Me

After a few rejections, long college road-trips, and some delicious college cookies as seen in the photo above, I have officially committed to Northeastern University. I am so excited to start the next journey of my education as a Husky. Although my time at Spoon High School comes to a close, Spoon Northeastern awaits. 

I'm lovin' it.

Adventurous, no time to wine. buff it out with your ro-say cheeks., who doesn't love food.

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Food College Essays Samples For Students

4410 samples of this type

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Giancarlo had a couple of hours in the country and he went to visit some of his relatives. His face shone with sweat, his eyes glowed with sadness and fatigue, his long hair covered his ears and his black beard continued to grow. He greeted all with affection, but he didn’t seem excited. Actually, he does not speak much whenever he arrives. As reality was checking in on him, anxiety of an uncertain future and imminent tragedy overtook his ideas and encouragement.

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- It is alarming that in 2010 about 1.9 million new cases of diabetes were diagnosed in people aged 20 years or older.

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“Yale University loved her Papa John’s Pizza college application essay.”  Carolina Williams’ supplemental essay for Yale has gone viral thanks to headlines like this one.

Now let’s get some perspective on the situation , understand what really matters about this application essay, analyze how it can help you come up with compelling angles in your own narratives , and map out how this essay connects to other Yale supplemental essay topics .

BUSTING THE MYTH OF THE PIZZA ESSAY GETTING A STUDENT INTO YALE

Let’s face an essential fact.

Saying that an essay on pizza got Carolina into Yale is a bit of an exaggeration.

Take a look at the handwritten letter from Yale:

“I absolutely loved reading your application. Your essay on reading 100 books in a year was so passionate, fun, and likable , and, as a fellow lover of pizza, I laughed out loud (then ordered pizza) after reading your application.”

Her regional admissions officer wrote to say:

“I am so glad that I had the opportunity to read your application. As someone who kept trying to read books for fun on top of thousands of applications this winter, I really loved reading your essay on reading 100 books in a year and I laughed so hard on your pizza essay. I kept thinking that you are the kind of person that I would love to be best friends with. I want you to know that every part of your application stood out in our process and we are thrilled to be able to offer you a spot at Yale.”

Hmmmm. . . .

Interesting, isn’t it?

The first essay both admissions officers commented on was the one on reading, but. . . .

The media  is  only picking up and promoting the pizza essay .

Stories about essays on books just aren’t very likely to go viral.

That’s sad but true.

However, what’s also true is that the Yale team felt that every single part of her application stood out.

Trust me, no admissions officer or committee is going to say, “Wow. . .this one essay on pizza is so clever. . .it made me laugh so hard. . .we have to let her in.”

WHAT’S SO IMPORTANT ABOUT THIS PIZZA ESSAY?

On the surface, it might seem that Carolina’s pizza essay is just some sort of gimmicky hook, but it’s not.

Let’s consider her perspective:

“When I read the prompt, `Write about what do you love to do,’  ordering pizza was literally the first thing that came to my mind . So I just ran with it. I thought that even if I wanted to change it I would just start writing and see how it went. And it flowed so well , and I loved it so much and I didn’t want to change it and I was so proud of it. It was so reflective of my personality that if they wanted me they would really know what they are getting. So I decided to submit it.”

So many students stress out about being super serious and trying to impress admissions officers by telling them what they think they want to hear .

Guess what?

That often backfires .

Carolina’s essay works so well precisely because it’s so real and relatable. It isn’t pretentious. There are no veiled brag alerts.

She’s simply describing something she loves:

“The sound of my doorbell starts off high, then the pitch mellows out, and the whole effect mimics an instrumental interpretation of rain finally finding a steady pace at which to fall. I have spent several minutes analyzing its tone because I have had many opportunities to do so, as one thing I love to do is order pizza and have it delivered to my house. When the delivery person rings my doorbell, I instantly morph into one of Pavlov’s dogs, salivating to the sound that signals the arrival of the cheesy, circular glory. It smells like celebration, as I love to rejoice a happy occasion by calling Papa John’s for my favorite food. It tastes like comfort, since having pizza delivered to my quiet home is a way for me to unwind. It looks like self-sufficiency, because when I was young, ordering pizza made me feel grown-up, and it still provides that satisfaction for my child at heart. Accepting those warm cardboard boxes is second nature to me, but I will always love ordering pizza because of the way eight slices of something so ordinary are able to evoke feelings of independence, consolation, and joy .”

Her essay is refreshingly simple and straightforward, but also humorous and serious.

REMEMBER. . . .

Admissions officers are genuinely curious about what you love to do.

That’s why Yale gives you the option of writing a 200-word supplemental essay to share “something that you love to do.”

That’s also why MIT has a similar 100-word essay: “We know you lead a busy life, full of activities, many of which are required of you. Tell us about something you do for the pleasure of it .”

One of my students who recently graduated from Yale wrote his MIT essay on glowsticking. It was awesome.

(Obviously, that’s not a video of my student.)

YALE SUPPLEMENTAL ESSAYS

As I mentioned earlier, it’s important to keep in mind that the pizza essay was one of a few additional essays that Yale requires.

Yale asks you “choose two of the following topics and respond to each in 200 words or fewer”:

1. What is a community to which you belong? Reflect on the footprint that you have left. (You may define community and footprint in any way you like.)

2. Reflect on a time in the last few years when you felt genuine excitement learning about something.

3. Write about something that you love to do.

There’s also a very short (100 words or less) “Why Yale?” essay:

Why does Yale appeal to you?

1. Who or what is a source of inspiration for you?

2. If you could live for a day as another person, past or present, who would it be? Why?

3. You are teaching a Yale course. What is it called?

4. Most Yale freshmen live in suites of four to six students. What would you contribute to the dynamic of your suite?

If you’re applying to computer science or engineering, you’re asked to write another essay: 

“Please tell us more about what has led you to an interest in this field of study, what experiences (if any) you have had in computer science or engineering, and what it is about Yale’s program in this area that appeals to you.(Please answer in 500 words or fewer).”

CLICK HERE to read my article on how to successfully apply to engineering programs .

CLICK HERE to read my article on Yale’s evaluative alumni interviews .

MY PERSPECTIVE ON SHORT SUPPLEMENTAL ESSAY TOPICS

I’m not sure if Carolina’s essay would have worked so well if it were expanded into a longer 650-word essay like the one you have to write for the Common Application .

My sense is that it packed a nice punch precisely because it was short and part of multiple short narratives .

You should think about how each of your essays –long or short– offer additional insight into who you are.

Are you coming across as one-dimensional? Is everything in your application very serious? Then, you need to consider how you can show more range .

Are you coming across as totally scattered? Will admissions officers walk away not having a clear sense of who you are? Then, you need to consider how you can tactfully and subtly tweak your narratives so there’s more unity .

WAYS TO WORK WITH DR. BERNSTEIN!

Click here to learn how to schedule a private consultation with Dr. Bernstein.

Click here to learn more about Dr. Bernstein’s ongoing private college preparation and college admissions support .

Click here to learn about the online Get Yourself Into College® program .

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For many previous years, Anaheim High school has had a couple lunch system changes finally settling on two lunches, both being half an hour long. With both lunches only being half an hour long, for certain, more than one thousand students being in each, imagine the lunch lines! Making line to get your lunch takes already about fifteen minutes, half of a person’s time already, which leaves little time for a student to enjoy their so called meal and free time with friends.Based on other student’s experiences dealing with school lunch, one can rightfully assume that high schoolers would much rather hold in their hunger until after school rather than have the food being provided. There is not a single day that goes by in which a high schooler does not complain about the “worst than jail” food being served to them. This proposal will go into detail about why having an hour off-campus lunch can increase healthier eating habits between the undergraduates of Anahiem High School. In this layout, you will read about the issue of why we believe off- campus lunch would be a healthier choice for Anaheim High school students, you will also encounter our plan of how we intend to carry out this idea, what exactly needs to be done, with the help of who, and so on.

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Have you ever thought why you’re school lunch looks so disgusting? Have you ever thought what it’s actually made of? Or why doesn’t this look like the way I ate it at home? For some schools, lunches lack in many different categories from visual pleasure to taste. If the school lunches taste so bad, why don’t we try another way to make them better. For a school in Greeley, Colorado, they’re doing just that. They’re firing up their stoves and are ready to get the ball rolling. There are many reasons on why the school is taking such a huge step backwards. Like, the routine of buying reheated foods and serving them without hesitation. The schools budget cuts or the kitchen being too old and small for the process of preparing such foods. As well as, the list of ingredients that do not need to be in the foods and the risks of diseases/bacteria in the reheated lunches.

The Inefficiency of the College Meal Plan

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The University of a Florida offers meal plans for students who wish to have a meal ready for them rather than worrying about what they are going to eat, or perhaps cook, throughout the day. The problem with this idea however, is that students oftentimes do not take full advantage of this system. Whether it is cooking, eating out, or even going home on the weekends, there are several factors that can get in the way of taking full advantage of the meal plan. This dilemma often leaves families asking the same question: is buying the meal plan that is provided by colleges actually worth the money? While buying a meal plan for college appears to make sense for many incoming freshmen, it does not always translate into the most efficient use of

Obesity In Mississippi

School lunches are not the epitome of meals in the world. Raising the level of nutritional output would highly increase the healthiness of the student’s body. For example, if a child were to drink only water at school the health benefits would help that student, just by cutting out the sugar and the calorie intake. If schools were to serve grilled chicken instead of fried chicken, the student would not have that extreme carb intake just from the fried part alone. Chicken and vegetables should be the entrée for most school lunches, of course, this does not allow for a great variety of meals, but the healthiness of the students would increase over time and could possibly be the healthiest thing they eat that day, but the only thing that they eat at all. The poverty in Mississippi is abundant, which may mean that children do not get three square meals a day, but maybe only one, which is at school. Therefore, the best way to affect student’s healthiness is by putting good, nutritious, and energizing food on the plate in front of

An Open Campus Lunch Program Essay

The lunches served in Frederick County Schools, and Urbana High School in particular lack nutritional value and are unappetizing. When interviewing Casey Ballow (a student who buys lunch everyday) about whether the school lunches are nutrional she said “The majority of students walk out [of the lunch line] without the most nutritional part of their lunch”. FCPS has made snacks whole grain, which usually makes them less tasty. Packing a lunch is a hassle because it is both time consuming and expensive, not to mention you cannot bring any warm foods. When asked why Casey chooses to buy a lunch, despite getting “soggy chicken patties and burnt french fries” she said “Buying a lunch saves me time in morning”. There is not a wide enough selection of lunch foods for students.

Food Insecurity College Students

Students need healthy, nutritious food choices to fuel their mind and bodies. Students experiencing food insecurity either don’t have enough food to eat or are eating a poor, nutrient- deficient diet. Either way, poor diets can affect the student’s physical and mental health which can lead to interruptions in their learning. Universities need to gather statistics on the portion of their student population affected by food insecurity and work towards a remedy. Not only does the student benefit from university interventions, but the university benefits by graduating students that are healthy, well-educated and have an instilled sense of the community involvement needed to invest in the future.

Freshman College Meal Plans . Should Freshman In College

Having bad eating habits can cause vastly eating disorders and illnesses. Students attending college that do not eat right are most likely to conceive an illness or become overweight. “An unhealthy diet is a major risk factor for becoming overweight and obese,” (McNight). Freshman 15 is most likely to get to the students that have This is something to think about when it comes to meal plans. The majority of the meal plans offered at any college are high in fats and calories. By consuming all of these foods you are more likely to having this problem.

Obesity on College Campuses Essay

• 7 Works Cited

Thousands of college students eat more than one meal in the dining hall each day. In most colleges, such as UC Berkeley and UC Riverside, the dining halls are buffet

Essay about The College Diet and Its Effect On Eating Habits

To many, Northeastern’s dining halls rank fairly well in comparison with other schools. Although there have been many complaints that the menu is rarely changed, Northeastern does tend to offer a varied selection of food. In a recent survey, students were asked to rate Northeastern’s dining halls on a scale of 1-5, 5 being the best. About 36 percent surveyed ranked the food a “3” and about 57 percent ranked it a “4.” In general, Northeastern students think decent things about the dining halls. Some of the complaints however, included that there are a lot of fried and fattening foods, repetitive menus, and that vegetarian food is not always readily available; you sometimes have to wait for it to be cooked for you (e.g., veggie burgers).

The Importance Of Food Choices On School Canteens

For this objective, the first action would be to get schools to tax and subside different foods sold within their canteens. Currently, unhealthy food and drink options are much cheaper than the healthier options, making people more inclined to purchase the unhealthy choice. If schools were to increase the price of unhealthy options and decrease that of healthy options by taxing the former and subsiding the latter, it could result in a change in behaviour with children opting to buy the healthy options over unhealthier ones. It is known that food price has a big effect on consumption choices and according to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Population-based approach to Childhood Obesity Prevention, changes in price can be used to improve population health and studies have shown that altering the prices of foods often leads to changes in children’s consumption patterns. (who pop). When targeting obesity, focus cannot be solely on levels of physical activity as dietary habits plays an important role in contributing to child health and weight.
The Ottawa Charter areas this action fits into are; building health public policy - as it will encourage the policy makers among schools to be aware of the health consequences of their decisions regarding canteens, creative supportive environments - because it brings to light the fact that school environments influence children’s health and should be a source of health while also making the healthy choice the easy

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• Main content

A teen's college essay all about burrito bowls earned him free food for a year and a spot at his dream school

• Alex Tiso, 18, wrote his college application essay on burrito bowls and got into his dream school. 
• The New York teen compared aspects of his personality to a Qdoba burrito bowl. 
• After Tiso emailed the chain about his essay, the CEO surprised him with a year's supply of free food from Qdoba. 
• Qdoba's executive chef also named a burrito bowl after Tiso, which will appear on the menu at the location right by his new school. 
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories .

Countless college essays explore athletic feats, trips overseas, and those all-important future goals. But how many are an ode to burrito bowls? 

At least one thanks to Alex Tiso, whose essay on a Qdoba burrito bowl helped earn him a spot at his dream school. 

Little did Tiso know, those 543 words dedicated to brisket and queso would also get him a year's supply of free food — and his own bowl on the Qdoba menu . 

Alex Tiso wanted to write a college essay that would stand out

The 18-year-old, who lives in New York, told Insider that he got the idea for his University of Delaware application essay after receiving advice from an English teacher. 

"You have to make the story unique," she told him. "There's so many people who write about a loss in their family, or a sports injury, and more bad stories that turn into good. Even though that story is meaningful to you, that's not going to stick out. You want to write something different, that no one's done before." 

The teacher then told Tiso about someone she knew who had written about their favorite food. A light bulb went off. 

"I was like, 'Okay, no one's written about a Qdoba bowl,'" he said.

Tiso has loved Qdoba since his older brother took him there for dinner as a high-school freshman

The teen said the staff at his local Qdoba knows him so well that the manager greets him when he walks in every week. And Tiso's order is always the same: A burrito bowl with white rice, brisket, black beans, bacon, extra queso, and every single topping.

Tiso turned these ingredients into the foundation of his essay, using the layers of a burrito bowl to explore different aspects of his personality. 

"There is another side of me that can be a 'social butterfly' which makes me 'the cheese' of the bowl," he explains in one section of the essay. "Just like queso, I can adapt to any situation, an ability that is especially prominent when it comes to interacting with new people." 

"Like me, guacamole always brings 'something else' to the party," he writes in another. "You have chips? Add guac. Got pita bread? Make guac. You made eggs and toast? Get the guac! I add another perspective to any conversation or setting." 

Months after Tiso turned in his application, he got a call from the English teacher who inspired his essay 

The teacher told Tiso that someone she knew had been talking to an admissions counselor at the University of Delaware, who was praising one of the best college essays they'd read. It was about a burrito bowl. 

"I was extremely shocked," Tiso said. "What are the odds that someone else is writing about a burrito bowl the same year as me?" 

Not long after, Tiso got his acceptance letter.

When the pandemic hit, Tiso decided it would be a good time to thank Qdoba

"I wanted to say thank you for helping me get into college," he said. "But I also knew that one of the biggest industries affected by this pandemic was the restaurant industry , and I wanted to brighten someone's day and let someone know that their restaurant had such an impact on me and helped me get into this school." 

Tiso sent a note through the contact form on Qdoba's website and was shocked when, a few hours later, there was a response from Keith Guilbault, the company's CEO, waiting in his inbox. 

An executive invited Tiso on a Zoom call so he could meet members of the Qdoba team. It was then that Tiso got the surprise of his dreams. 

"We're really excited about your journey to the University of Delaware and I know, based on your essay, you're going to be an amazing asset for them," Guilbault told Tiso during the call. "We're going to help you, to make sure that you're not a starving college student, and we're going to provide you Qdoba for a year." 

Tiso's reaction was priceless.

Katy Velazquez, the company's executive chef, told Tiso that she had also named a burrito bowl after him

"It's going to have all of your favorite things," Velazquez said. "Rice, black beans, brisket, and double queso." 

Tiso's mouth dropped as he learned that his bowl would appear on the menu at the Qdoba right next to the University of Delaware's campus. 

"That meeting was one of the only times I've been speechless," he told Insider. "I was just sitting there in so much shock. My brother was standing behind the computer, ecstatic. He was like, 'I'm getting free food!'" 

While Tiso is looking forward to a year of free burrito bowls, he won't be at Qdoba every single day. 

"I'm gonna try and limit that freshman 15," he said. "But I'm definitely going to be there a lot."

Representatives for the University of Delaware did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

• Chipotle is going through a painful existential crisis — here's why you should eat at its biggest Tex-Mex rival instead
• I taste tested 6 frozen burritos and Amy's organic breakfast burrito easily came out on top
• I'm a meat lover, but I tried Taco Bell's new all-vegetarian menu and was pleasantly surprised
• A college admissions consultant says students shouldn't write application essays on the coronavirus, because everyone else will too

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College Essay About Food

Show More Food, sweet food. I am so glad that I attend a university that has the national ranked dining system in the whole country.I am not some crazy food lover, nor a picky person on food, but after I came to this strange country far away from my home, I realized that food matters. For the last 10 years, I am always trying to get weight because I am too weak and thin, and eating more foods seems the only way to do so. So I almost eat everything eatable that I got and my parents are always try to cook new foods for me to eat so that I can eat more. Unfortunately, because of my rapid metabolism and some other biological reasons, I just cannot get weight no matter how much I eat. The good thing is, I become tolerant to almost every foods and I nearly …show more content… (Lanchester) I was born in China, and my eating habits are formed in China. As a teenage boy, I used to be a fan of American fast foods: McDonald’s, KFC or Pizza Hut, which are also very popular among Chinese children and teenagers. I used to beg my mom and dad to take me to one of those above every weekends, and at that time I love the taste of chicken wings, burgers and fries, etc. Ironically, I am now in America, and I have access to those food everyday, I barely look at them in the dinging hall. It seems that before came to America, I was always want to go to western countries, and live a American-modern-style life. The reason why I always choose Chinese foods and ignore those junk food I used to love, is because maybe I want to back home, and live in a Chinese living style. For the last 18 years of my life, I always want to eat with my families and friends, instead of eating alone. But college life is different, I got far away form my family and everyone in the school has their own schedule, in this way, I have to eat alone sometimes. Surprisingly, eating alone didn 't make me feel lonely, but gave me more chance to observe my surroundings. I like to analyze someone according to what he or she eats. For example, people who eat a lot fried foods or cheese or people who puts many ices in their drinks mostly born as a native America. We can more …show more content… This sounds pretty creepy and nonsense but actually is do make sense. Yes, foods can represent many things. We can tell where is a man from by observing what he eat, we can tell the ages of them, the live habits of them or even their moods. For me, when you see me with a plate full of tofu and rice and spring rolls and noodles, and also a pair of Chopsticks next to them, you may know that I am a hungry homesick boy who comes from China and who is already can’t wait to come home and eat some delicious foods cooked by my

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Search form, resources for, how tofu got me into college: my common app essay.

December 17, 2010

Eli Goldberg ’12

Today is an exciting day for me, for two reasons. Not only is it the last day of term here in London -- which means all of my papers, exams, and lab reports are due, what fun -- but it's also my third getting-into-Oberlin-versary!

Luckily for you, the former has prevented me from writing a long, sappy post about the latter. (I guess I've already done that before , anyway.) To mark the occasion, I figured I'd throw out something a little more entertaining: my Common App essay -- completely unedited, in all its original glory. I don't remember what the prompt was, but man, did I have fun writing it.

So, if you applied Early Decision for the class of 2015, here's a small distraction from the long, painful wait by the mailbox! And if you're working frenetically on your Regular Decision essays, hopefully this will serve as inspiration ... or maybe a model of what not to do ...

Since becoming a vegetarian seven years ago, I've come out many times and faced an almost universal reaction. People hesitate, subtly eye me as though searching for missed tip-offs ("Birkenstocks! How could I have been so blind?") and then venture, "Well . . . but you don't eat tofu, right?!"

Yes. Let the record show, once and for all, horrifying as the truth may be: I eat tofu. I recognize that this may shatter my good social standing and destroy any chance of college admission, but please! - let me explain.

According to my father, tofu was my first solid food (allowing for a generous definition of "solid food"). A vegetarian himself, he found that cubes of raw tofu were a highly effective means of quieting a wailing, toothless infant. This somewhat unorthodox diet brought me to the wonderful world of food politics at a young age. As a precocious if confused three-year-old, I declared my intention to become a vegetarian - the kind of vegetarian that ate chicken. Seven years later, morals met willpower, and I gave up meat for good. Since then, tofu has been my constant companion.

But a diet of Tofurkey sandwiches, stir-fried tofu and vegetables, and tofu tetrazzini has awoken me to the vast injustices that tofu faces in our society. Why tofu, of all things? What about this simple coagulated soybean product inspires such passionate disgust?

I believe that tofu holds countless lessons for America. Consider, for example, its texture. An old proverb advises us that it is wiser to bend like the willow than to break like the oak. Better to aspire toward tofu's gentle malleability - its squishiness, if you will - than the unyielding, fibrous firmness of its culinary comrades such as the apple or the carrot. Tofu inspires us to greet life with flexibility and remain open to new experiences that can transform our lives. (Food processors, for example.)

Those who remain skeptical will wish to consider tofu's versatility. By itself, tofu is admittedly bland and unappetizing, yet it combines with any other spice, sauce, or flavor to create a delicious and nutritious recipe. It is eminently suited to all types of cuisine. Imagine if, just as tofu fuses with its fellow ingredients to create a delicious and nutritious whole, the whole spectrum of humanity could unite to make the world a better place. Clearly tofu is a model of global harmony.

I have dedicated myself to combating tofu's social stigma because I believe it embodies the values that will guide us into a shining future. Make no mistake - tofu-eaters will be the leaders of the 21st century.

• Tag: Applying To Oberlin

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Eating On Campus Essay

People do not think about this often but deciding where and what one will eat is an everyday decision. Often, this decision is one of the most difficult to make specifically for students on campus.Unfortunately, Dixie State University does not have much to offer on campus for students who face this problem making other dilemmas difficult to manage. With that being said, Dixie State University should allow private food vendors to rent a space on campus to help facilitate time, variety, and convenience for students. First, allowing private food vendors to rent a space will save students time. For example, students will no longer have to drive to get something to eat, giving them plenty of time to make the next class on time. Also, now that students …show more content…

Further, students also now have time to run other urgent errands. Now that students have the luxury of eating on campus students can now use their excess time to run errands. It is common for students to have multiple things to do, in situations like that students sacrifice a meal in order to complete urgent errands. This won 't be a factor if DSU allows private food vendors on campus. Not only do students save time, but now students have the benefit of having a variety to choose from. Having multiple private food vendors on campus gives students a variety to choose from rather than just the usual. Students typically get tired of eating the same food. For instance, eating the same old breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day can make eating dreadful. Just like when a mom feeds her child last night 's leftovers. Eating just isn 't the same which is why students need a variety on campus. Now that there is a diversity of foods students are likely to stay on campus, which is beneficial if a student has back to back classes. Also, now that students have a variety to choose from, students can replenish their taste buds and keep themselves pleased. One other perk to having a variety is students can have a place they really enjoy. For instance, everyone has a favorite place to go to that is impossible to get sick of, it is very possible

In this essay, the author

• Recommends that dixie state university allow private food vendors to rent a space on campus to facilitate time, variety, and convenience for students.
• Explains that allowing private food vendors to rent a space will save students time. students will no longer have to drive to get something to eat, giving them plenty of time to run other urgent errands.
• Explains that students can now use their excess time to run errands, since they have the luxury of eating on campus. this won't be a factor if dsu allows private food vendors.
• Explains that having multiple private food vendors on campus gives students a variety to choose from rather than just the usual.
• Explains that having private food vendors on campus is convenient for students. students can now multitask and sit and work on an assignment at the same time.
• Explains that students will now have the option to sit at one of the private food vendors on campus to do work when the library is crowded.
• Argues that dsu should allow private food vendors to rent a space on campus to facilitate life for students who face the problem of where to eat.

Click here to unlock this and over one million essays

The Inefficiency of the College Meal Plan

The University of a Florida offers meal plans for students who wish to have a meal ready for them rather than worrying about what they are going to eat, or perhaps cook, throughout the day. The problem with this idea however, is that students oftentimes do not take full advantage of this system. Whether it is cooking, eating out, or even going home on the weekends, there are several factors that can get in the way of taking full advantage of the meal plan. This dilemma often leaves families asking the same question: is buying the meal plan that is provided by colleges actually worth the money? While buying a meal plan for college appears to make sense for many incoming freshmen, it does not always translate into the most efficient use of their money.

Food In Lizzie Widdicombe's The End Of Food

Yet, with personal experience in having worked in a cubicle setting and being a student, I often found myself looking forward to lunch as much to eat as to socialize with coworkers and friends. In a passage of her article, Widdicombe describes visiting Caltech and witnessing dinnertime, in which most “Skurves” were laying out dishes to get ready for dinner. However, a small minority of students sat surrounded by laptops and problem sets, nursing bottles of Soylent, ignoring the dinnertime commotion. Although they are being arguably more productive in their usage of time, they are missing out on socializing with their peers, an essential part of the college experience. In addition to nutritional value, meals offer an outlet for self-expression, bonding, and socializing that would be lost if everyone were to say- be carrying around a water bottle with a days supply of

School Lunches In Ted Talk: Changing School Lunches

has to spend more money on changing school lunch system from eliminating unnecessary spending portion of system and create farming class. As reported by Cooper, “ The National School Lunch Program needs 8 billion dollars to feed 30 million children a year to serve high quality foods.” However, this price of amount has to be double to serve healthy foods to students because our next generation has to grow up with high quality foods not with low quality foods. Moreover, according to Cooper, the U.S. spends more than 100 million dollars on fast foods portion which the U.S. suppose to spend less amount of money on fast foods to improve the entire food system of the country. If the U.S. government lower the expense of fast food system and raises the amount of money for school lunches, entire schools of the U.S. would get positive results. For example, students could brainstorm very fast as Albert Einstein, and gain more energy to work out on their gym classes. Furthermore, school have to create agriculture class for students to have strong knowledges in foods. Students can literally be ware of what they eat at their lunch times; they will know vegetables grow in the ground and how foods are really fresh. Therefore, schools must provide farming class as in Berkeley; students have rights to know how foods are important to them. As a result, students could get a lot of benefits for changing school

Open Campus Lunches In High Schools

“Schools become the ‘last frontier’ for hungry kids.” usatoday.com). Thus, many students do not carry the proper balance of nutrition through school that conceals the students indoors through the school day. Students are in a constant battle for motivation in the classroom atmosphere that does not consider a student’s pace while learning. Today, students in community schools from Michigan seldom use open campus privileges. (Johnson, Adrian. “Should high schools have open campus for lunch?” www.mlive.com). Students’ are required to stay on campus to abstain from the increase of truancy leading to missing instructional

Pros And Cons Of Open Campus Lunches

For the majority of high school students having the option to go home for lunch or to go somewhere to eat would be the ultimate dream. High school students do not think about the dangers and worry that open campus lunch would cause for staff and parents. They do not think about the small sum of students who would spend that time doing drugs or making messes at local businesses. There would also be an amount of students who would not return, or they may be late returning to school due to traffic at fast food places. Faculty would also have the fret of an increase of car accidents caused from the limited time students would have to go wherever and get back before their next class. On the other hand, students would learn responsibilities and time management. Parents would be forced to give their children money to eat out. Along with the money on their school lunch accounts, or they would be apart of the free lunch school program. Schools cannot have open campus lunches

Benefits Of Open Campus Lunch

First, there is a lot of benefits for open campus lunch. Open campus lunch gives all of the students an opportunity to learn responsibility. It is also a great way to teach them how to interact with the real world. It can make all student better adults in the future. They will learn from open campus lunch to not make big mistake.Once they get used to having open campus lunch, when they graduate they will know what to expect, because

Who’s Hungry?

The inadequate dining hours at James Madison University have left students all over campus rushing out of various activities, classes and sports practices to try to get some much needed food and drink. Due to these extremely stringent dining hours, students are not performing as well and the university is missing out on a very profitable resource.

Why Teens Should Not Be Banned Essay

If they ban students it can cause parents to be mad because their kids are not being able to eat lunch there. It can also cause the business to lose 75% of its customers. Also kids need a good lunch to be able to go back into class and be able to focus.

Persuasive Essay On Off Campus Lunch

Students can have a choice of meals. Students loves to eat fast food because the students loves to eat all kind of fast food like Panda Express or Subway. and the students loves to eat fast food and not school lunch. Students should go the mall and have their own food and not have to pick what they have on the counter. Students should go off campus to get their favorite food from their favorite food restaurant and go eat their with there friends and tell them all about it how this food is so

College is a Dangerous Time for Eating Disorders

In all the freedom and choices a college student can face, food is a major one. The campus cafeteria selection...

Proposal to Extend Cafeteria Hours at State University

To solve this problem, we need the cafeteria to be open more hours. If it is because of the need of workers in those other times, it is a big change that even students won't mind to work in the cafeteria to have it open for longer hours. Another idea would be to have longer hours open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Even if it is not open for the whole day, longer hours might allow more comfort ability for everyone. We know that with out food, one cannot concentrate in their studies, nor perform their work well.

An Open Campus is a Bad Idea

Wandering kids. Bumper to bumper traffic. Drug dealing. Is this the picture drawn when local students have fifty minutes of freedom during lunch to do whatever they please? Students should not be allowed to leave their school campus during lunch. An open campus would lead to truancy, disturb local businesses and neighborhoods, and cause crime.

School Lunch Research Paper

One reason our school should get a new lunch menu is many students do not like the food served. For example, a survey was taken and of the 31 students 100% said they disliked the food. As student Bryan Huang said, “The lunches are horrible, they need better choices and more choices.” In other words, the food is not delicious and there are not many choices. Also, when children don’t get proper nutrition they have trouble focusing in school. Most students do not buy lunch because they feel it is unappealing and do not like the food served. Many students go to other kids and ask for food. In addition, many students do not eat breakfast so they rely on lunch to fuel them for the day. But, if they do not like the food served they won’t eat so they starve for the rest of the school day, which can

The School Cafeteria and Social Interaction

The cafeteria is not merely a place for small children; now that I am in college, I spend more time in the cafeteria than ever. Living in the dorms, I have no kitchen or any other place to cook. Instead, I have a meal plan that offers me fourteen meals each week at the Stanford/Hecht cafeteria. I eat lunch and dinner there as my two meals on most days. But, I do not and cannot go to the cafeteria and just get food. I get much more.

School Cafeteria Food

First of all, students aren’t motivated to eat unhealthy, not-tasty food. If you observed students buying lunch in the cafeteria, you don’t often see them buying these kinds, but not limited to, foodstuffs: burritos (which are just beans wrapped in tortillas), “burgers” (meat slapped on two slices of bread), etc. Even the chicken nuggets aren’t very popular. And the prices! $3.75-$4.75 is not worth such “garbahge”, as a teacher would say. Out of the twenty five students I surveyed, 56% stated that they would like to see their cafeteria changed. The reasons being were, “The same stuff everyday – it gets boring”, “Tastes like plastic”, ...

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