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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. 

So no one told you Thanksgiving was gonna be this way.

I'm lovin' it., adventurous, no time to wine. buff it out with your ro-say cheeks..

Essays About Food: Top 5 Examples and 6 Writing Prompts

Food is one of the greatest joys of life; it is both necessary to live and able to lift our spirits. If you are writing essays about food, read our guide.

Many people live and die by food. While its primary purpose is to provide us with the necessary nutrients to carry out bodily functions, the satisfaction food can give a person is beyond compare. For people of many occupations, such as chefs, waiters, bakers, and food critics, food has become a way of life.

Why do so many people enjoy food? It can provide us with the sensory pleasure we need to escape from the trials of daily life. From the moist tenderness of a good-quality steak to the sweet, rich decadence of a hot fudge sundae, food is truly magical. Instead of eating to stay alive, many even joke that they “live to eat.” In good food, every bite is like heaven.

5 Top Essay Examples

1. food essay by evelin tapia, 2. why japanese home cooking makes healthy feel effortless by kaki okumura, 3. why i love food by shuge luo.

• 4.  My Favorite Food by Jayasurya Mayilsamy 
• 5. ​​Osteria Francescana: does the world’s best restaurant live up to the hype? by Tanya Gold

6 Prompts for Essays About Food

1. what is your favorite dish, 2. what is your favorite cuisine, 3. is a vegan diet sustainable, 4. the dangers of fast food, 5. a special food memory, 6. the food of your home country.

“Food has so many things in them such as calories and fat. Eating healthy is important for everyone to live a healthy life. You can eat it, but eating it daily is bad for you stay healthy and eat the right foods. Deep fried foods hurt your health in many ways. Eat healthy and exercise to reduce the chances of any health problems.”

In this essay, Tapia writes about deep-fried foods and their effects on people’s health. She says they are high in trans fat, which is detrimental to one’s health. On the other hand, she notes reasons why people still eat foods such as potato chips and french fries, including exercise and simply “making the most of life.” Despite this, Tapia asserts her position that these foods should not be eaten in excess and can lead to a variety of health issues. She encourages people to live healthy lives by enjoying food but not overeating. 

“Because while a goal of many vegetables a day is admirable, in the beginning it’s much more sustainable to start with something as little as two. I learned that with an approach of two-vegetable dishes at a time, I would be a lot more consistent, and over time a large variety would become very natural. In fact, now following that framework and cooking a few simple dishes a day, I often find that it’s almost difficult to not reach at least several kinds of vegetables a day.”

Okumura discusses simple, healthy cooking in the Japanese tradition. While many tend to include as many vegetables as possible in their dishes for “health,” Okumura writes that just a few vegetables are necessary to make healthy but delicious dishes. With the help of Japanese pantry staples like miso and soy sauce, she makes a variety of traditional Japanese side dishes. She shows the wonders of food, even when executed in its simplest form. 

“I make pesto out of kale stems, toast the squash seeds for salad and repurpose my leftovers into brand new dishes. I love cooking because it’s an exercise in play. Cooking is forgiving in improvisation, and it can often surprise you. For example, did you know that adding ginger juice to your fried rice adds a surprisingly refreshing flavor that whets your appetite? Neither did I, until my housemate showed me their experiment.”

In her essay, Luo writes about her love for food and cooking, specifically how she can combine different ingredients from different cuisines to make delicious dishes. She recalls experiences with her native Chinese food and Italian, Singaporean, and Japanese Cuisine. The beauty of food, she says, is the way one can improvise a dish and create something magical. 

4.   My Favorite Food by Jayasurya Mayilsamy 

“There is no better feeling in the world than a warm pizza box on your lap. My love for Pizza is very high. I am always hungry for pizza, be it any time of the day. Cheese is the secret ingredient of any food it makes any food taste yummy. Nearly any ingredient can be put on pizza. Those diced vegetables, jalapenos, tomato sauce, cheese and mushrooms make me eat more and more like a unique work of art.”

Mayilsamy writes about pizza, a food he can’t get enough of, and why he enjoys it as much as he does. He explains the different elements of a good pizza, such as cheese, tomato sauce, other toppings, and the crust. He also briefly discusses the different types of pizzas, such as thin crust and deep dish. Finally, he gives readers an excellent description of a mouthwatering pizza, reminding them of the feeling of eating their favorite food. 

5. ​​ Osteria Francescana: does the world’s best restaurant live up to the hype? by Tanya Gold

“After three hours, I am exhausted from eating Bottura’s dreams, and perhaps that is the point. If some of it is delicious, it is also consuming. That is the shadow cast by the award in the hallway, next to the one of a man strangled by food. I do not know if this is the best restaurant on Earth, or even if such a claim is possible. I suspect such lists are designed largely for marketing purposes: when else does Restaurant magazine, which runs the competition, get global coverage for itself and its sponsors?”

Gold reviews the dishes at Osteria Francescana, which is regarded by many as the #1 restaurant in the world. She describes the calm, formal ambiance and the polished interiors of the restaurants. Most importantly, she goes course by course, describing each dish in detail, from risotto inspired by the lake to parmesan cheese in different textures and temperatures. Gold concludes that while a good experience, a meal at the restaurant is time-consuming, and her experience is inconclusive as to whether or not this is the best restaurant in the world. 

Everyone has a favorite food; in your essay, write about a dish you enjoy. You can discuss the recipe’s history by researching where it comes from, the famous chefs who created it, or which restaurants specialize in this dish. Provide your readers with an ingredients list, and describe how each ingredient is used in the recipe. Conclude your essay with a review of your experience recreating this recipe at home, discuss how challenging the recipe is, and if you enjoyed the experience.

Aside from a favorite dish, everyone prefers one type of cuisine. Discuss your favorite cuisine and give examples of typical dishes, preparations for food, and factors that influence your chosen cuisine. For example, you could choose Italian cuisine and discuss pasta, pizza, gelato, and other famous food items typically associated with Italian food.

Many people choose to adopt a vegan diet that consists of only plant-based food. For your essay, you can discuss this diet and explain why some people choose it. Then, research the sustainability of a plant-based diet and if a person can maintain a vegan diet while remaining healthy and energized. Provide as much evidence as possible by conducting interviews, referencing online sources, and including survey data. 

Fast food is a staple part of diets worldwide; children are often raised on salty bites of chicken, fries, and burgers. However, it has been linked to many health complications, including cancer and obesity . Research the dangers of fast food, describe each in your essay, and give examples of how it can affect you mentally and physically. 

Is there a memory involving food that you treasure? Perhaps it could be a holiday celebration, a birthday, or a regular day when went to a restaurant. Reflect on this memory, retelling your story in detail, and describe the meal you ate and why you remember it so fondly.

Every country has a rich culture, a big component of which is food. Research the history of food in your native country, writing about common native dishes and ingredients used in cooking. If there are religious influences on your country’s cuisine, note them as well. Share a few of these recipes in your essay for an engaging piece of writing.

Tip: If writing an essay sounds like a lot of work, simplify it. Write a simple 5 paragraph essay instead.

For help picking your next essay topic, check out the best essay topics about social media .

Martin is an avid writer specializing in editing and proofreading. He also enjoys literary analysis and writing about food and travel.

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663 Interesting Food Essay Topics, Examples, and Ideas

Food essays are an excellent way to demonstrate your awareness of current nutrition and health issues. Obesity is a significant concern that is present in many people throughout the world and can lead to a variety of deadly conditions.

Obesity is often associated with eating junk food or food made with unhealthy ingredients and emphasizing taste or longevity over safety. Its opposite, healthy food, is a combination of many factors, which include food consumption patterns and monitoring your calorie intake.

As such, many ideas for innovative diets that circumvent some of the complexities have emerged, but most of them are flawed due to oversights. This article will provide you with topics about food and some tips for your essay writing process.

🏆 Best Food Topics & Essay Examples

👍 good essay topics about food, 🎓 popular nutrition and food topics to talk about, 🥇 most interesting food essay examples, 💡 simple topics related to food, 📌 good research food and nutrition topics, ❓ research questions about food.

Nutritionists generally agree on a single definition of healthy eating patterns, one that is supported by a vast body of research. They involve controlling your nutrient and calorie intake by adjusting your meat and plant intake balance as well as the portion size. You should also avoid preserved foods, as their preparation processes tend to ruin the nutrients present in the ingredients while introducing a variety of unhealthy substances.

For optimal effects, you should understand various fats and their influences on the human body as well as your need for each type and the foods that can supply it. The topic about food offers many different avenues of investigation.

However, not all people have the willpower and willingness to learn and use the knowledge to change their food patterns. As such, new fad diets, which try to circumvent some of the ideas and offer a more convenient way to lose weight, keep emerging every year.

These approaches may sometimes work for their intended purpose, but they do not contribute to health. While the person may lose weight because of new eating habits, they may become malnourished as a result. People will then have to take supplements and still risk developing issues before the imbalance is discovered and addressed. You may address the approaches described above when selecting argumentative essay topics about food.

He or she will then have to take supplements and still risk developing issues before the imbalance is discovered and addressed, something you can address in your food essay titles.

Here are some additional tips for the essay:

• Discuss how not all natural food is equal, with different examples of vegetables or meat displaying varying nutrient amounts. Healthy eating involves choosing food that is good for your health and balancing it appropriately.
• Follow general essay guidelines, which include using a proper structure, writing in an academic style, and separating topics with informative titles. Nutrition is a scholarly topic with a significant body of research contributing to its findings.
• Make sure to cite recent scholarly research or statistics when stating facts about nutrition and eating patterns. The body of research is constantly expanding and discovering new information, which may show past facts or findings in a new light.
• You should talk about the reasons why junk food is unhealthy, as it extends beyond poor nutritional values. Research shows that people are compelled to eat more when consuming unhealthy foods, regardless of their diet awareness.
• Discuss the alternate ways of losing weight in detail and identify their advantages and flaws. With proper precautions, they can be as effective and safe as traditional healthy eating patterns, but they will require the same effort or more as a result.

Visit IvyPanda to get many different food essay examples and other useful samples!

• Genetically Modified Food Essay In spite of the perceived benefits of genetic engineering technology in the agricultural sector, the production and use of genetically modified foods has triggered a number of issues pertaining to safety and consequences of consumption.
• Junk Food in Schools: Good or Bad for Children? One of the main advantages of junk food is that it is simple to cook and it satiates hunger. As for the main advantage of availability of junk food and its simplicity to be cooked […]
• Fast Food Industry: Arguments for and Against For instance, those who believe that fast food industry is beneficial to them and other members of the society will expect the findings of this research to be in support of their beliefs.
• Filipino Food Essay However, because of the Spanish and American influence, meat, especially pork and chicken, are also served. So, Philippines is a country of festivals and a diversity of traditional dishes and beverages.
• The Food and Beverage Industry Role in the Tourism The essay begins by looking at the food and beverage industry in general, and then proceeds to look at the main sectors of the industry.
• The Future of Food The evolution and advancement of technology have influenced the methods of how people grow and consume food. The changes that people have made to nature are very traceable and their inability to predict the outcome […]
• Food and Beverage Management The mission of the department is to provide food and beverage that meets highest standards so that they can keep a competitive edge in the hotel industry.
• Food Insecurity and What We Can Do to Help Attention Material/Credibility Material: Imagine a day when you have little strength and energy – you feel weakness and soreness – the feelings are rather unpleasant. Now imagine that you feel this discomfort and lack of […]
• Fast Food in Campus: Advantages and Disadvantages On the other hand, a classmate mentions that fast foods lead to obesity among university students who eat from fast-food restaurants.
• Food Habits and Culture: Factors Influence The food habits of a group of people/community can be described as the reasons for eating, the methods used while eating, the types of food eaten, and the mode of storage.
• Was Food Healthier 100 Years Ago? The widespread organic farming in the twentieth century led to the production of healthy and highly nutritional foods. Some critics believe that modern-day food is much safer and healthier compared to the food consumed in […]
• Designing a shopping centre food court outlet The design itself The food court outlet will specialize with the sale of fried potatoes, a fast food which is immensely purchased by the customers from the area.
• Health Effects of Junk Food Intake Notably, the consumption of junk food has become one of the major health issues that destabilize the health of individuals and groups in contemporary societies.
• Junk Food and Drinks: Ban on Advertising The reason youngsters are attracted to junk food is that they do not get the actual flavors at their home and then they are less attracted to original and healthy food as compared to junk […]
• Fast Food vs. Home Cooking: Lifestyle and Traditions The good thing with this business is that the food was from natural products hence healthy, a fact that has since changed Many people are very busy for the better part of the day and […]
• Globalization and Food Culture Essay The interviewee gave the examples of France, America, and China in her description of how food can affect the culture of a place and vice versa.
• Jamie Oliver’s TED Talk Teach Every Child About Food In his TED talk, Jamie Oliver addresses the problem of obesity and unhealthy food options offered to children at schools.
• Representation of Food in the Importance of Being Earnest In a large extent, food is also used as a sign of respect and hospitality to visitors and also as a form of socializing.
• Chipotle Company’s Food Crisis After the food poisoning occurrence, the local and federal authorities tried to ascertain the reason for the outbreak, but the tests they conducted could not confirm the ingredient that caused the illness.
• Food Critiques for the Three Dishes: Integral Part of French Cuisine One of the most notable things about this dish is serving the legs with a celery puree, or sauteed chestnuts or chestnut puree. This chef is regarded as one of the most notable innovators in […]
• The Disadvantages of Canned Food From this perspective, canned food is considered to be harmful to health as the added sugar and trans fats in it can lead to the appearance of serious medical problems.
• Classification of Healthy Food: Healthy Eating Habits Vegetables are good for the body since they contain minerals and vitamins. They also help keep the bloodstream clear and they are very healthy foods.
• Chinese New Year Foods: Chinese Culture and Traditions This piece of work will give an in depth discussion of Chinese culture with the central focus being on the Chinese New Year Foods and its relationship with the changes that have been experienced in […]
• Quality and Value of Food Preparation of food of good quality means use of ingredients of good quality thus food production by farmers affects directly the quality and value of food.
• The Organizational Structure in Kraft Foods Group It is imperative to note that the organization structure is the one that influences communication within the organization. One of the secrets to the organization’s success is the depth and quality of its employees.
• Determinants of Food Supply and Demand Due to high demand for vegetables and fruits, producers increase production and supply in order to fulfill the needs of consumers.
• Hospitality Management: Food & Beverage Service The art of catering goes beyond providing food and beverages and extends to the ambience of the eating place and the quality of service received.
• The Egyptian Diet: Sociology of Food and Nutrition This paper compares and contrasts the concept of food and the culinary practices of the Indian and Egyptian cultures and their effect on the health outcomes of the people.
• The Negative Consequences of Employing High School Students in Fast Food Restaurants In addition, high school students should be advised that education and their careers are more important as compared to working at fast food restaurants.
• Pros and Cons of Food Dyes: Experiments With Food Ramesh and Muthuraman argue that there is a certain association between the increased use of food colorants and the elevated rates of ADHD in children.
• Global Food Crisis: Political Economy Perspective In effect, the loss of power to international institutions, decentralization of resources and privatization of powers are political economic factors that have worsened political and economic stability of developing countries making them more vulnerable to […]
• Food Analysis and Its Methods in Practice Food analysis is the field that handles the use of diagnostic processes to characterize food substances and their components. The purpose of this experiment was to conduct a food analysis of an unknown sample and […]
• The World’s Food Problems’ Solving When the population of a country increases, there are some associated problems that will automatically arise such as increase in the level of unemployment which leads to food problems in the developing countries.
• Food Security and Growing Population Thus, nations have to address the problem of feeding the increasing global population amid the challenges of the production of adequate food.
• The Impact of Climate Change on Food Security Currently, the world is beginning to encounter the effects of the continuous warming of the Earth. Some of the heat must be reflected in space to ensure that there is a temperature balance in the […]
• Food Security Crisis Resolution To ensure the situation does not run out of hand, the global body Food and Agricultural Organization has been at the forefront since time immemorial to cater for issues related to this basic human need. […]
• The Fast Food Industry Lots of people claim that the growth of the rate of obese people correlates with the growth of fast food chains in the region.
• Ethos, Logos, Pathos in the Food, Inc. Documentary In the documentary, there are many instances of its makers providing viewers with the factual information, as to the discussed subject matter, which is supposed to convince the latter in the full legitimacy of people’s […]
• Chemicals in Foods: Natural Components and Their Toxic Properties In order to ensure the safety and health of the consumer upon the consumption of foods, it is important to establish procedures that are in a position to assess the types of health risks that […]
• Food Contamination and Adulteration: Environmental Problems, Food Habits, Way of Cultivation The purpose of this essay is to explain reasons for different kinds of food contamination and adulteration, harmful contaminants and adulterants and the diseases caused by the usage of those substances, prevention of food contamination […]
• Food Service System: Overview Through the system, quality control is achieved through the quality of components, menus, and recipes chosen by the director. The rationale for ready-prepared system involves mass-generation and freezing of food items which might lower labor […]
• Checkers and Rally’s Fast-Food Chain Analysis This paper includes a brief analysis of Checkers & Rally’s, one of the leading fast-food chains in the USA. It is necessary to note that the threat of entry is quite serious as many entrepreneurs, […]
• McDonald’s Corporation: Analyzing Fast Food Industry A glance of the profit margins of the major players in the US industry will provide a more clear perception of the fast food industry’s success in 2009 in global perspective: Key Competitors Profits 2009 […]
• The Consequences of Fast Food The most evident effect of fast food is obesity among others and these effects are what will be considered as the basis of discouraging the intake of fast food while encouraging other healthier options.
• Analysis and Significance of Food Moisture Content Fish food had the least moisture content and the lowest water activity of 0. The meat had the highest moisture content and a high level of water activity of 0.
• Food Ethics Pojman notes that the government has enough resources and manpower to monitor operations of various food processors and determine the health conditions of the food they present to the public.
• Local Food Production in Malaysia According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the main challenge facing the agricultural sector is the lack of self-sufficiency in the production of food crops and over-reliance on food imports.
• Global Challenges Faced By Fast Food Companies For instance the price strategy is usually determined by a number of factors such as the number of competitors in the market, the availability and costs of raw materials and the existent product substitutes in […]
• What Role Does Food Play in Cultural Identity? From the point of view of cultural studies, such a model of nutrition speaks more about the absence of global roots, the absence of deep moral guidelines, and not about the convenience of the process.
• Eco-Friendly Packaging for Food and Beverage Industry This product was chosen because of the direct impact of the quality of food products on the health of ordinary people regardless of the region of living of country of origin.
• Quality Management in Food Industry: PDCA and Six Sigma This cycle, which is widely used in food industry, represents the essence of realization – the so-called “general functions of management”.
• Food Waste Recycling Benefits Through the analysis of Gupta and Gangopadhyay, it was noted that food waste was one of the leading preventable contributors towards the sheer amount of trash that winds up in many of the today’s landfills.
• The Impact of Food Habits on the Environment The topic of this research is based on the issue of human-induced pollution or another environmental impact that affect the Earth and dietary approaches that can improve the situation.
• McDonald’s New Strategy Toward Healthy Food The identification of current challenges faced by McDonald’s reveals that the future strategy needs to address the problem of healthy food, help to improve the public image of the company and renovate the franchising system […]
• Hotpot Concept and Cultural Value The history of the Chinese hotpot goes back to the past 1000 years even though the roots of the delicacy are in Mongolia.
• Major Reasons for Food Prices Increase Admittedly, one of the major reasons for food prices increase is the use of corns for fuel production. The increase of fuel prices created a great temptation for farmers to produce ethanol instead of corn […]
• The Importance of Food Safety in Live The food control system is an internationally recognized system that details various elements that are involved in food handling and to ensure safety and fitness for human consumption.
• Dubai’s Food, Dress Code and Culture Religion is an important in aspect in Dubai because it influences the lifestyle of the people and forms the foundation of their culture.
• Food and Beverage Development This paper focuses on how food production and food consumption has affected the eating habits and led to the introduction of junk foods because of the production and consumption factors.
• Food Products: Tomatoes and Juice Preservation This Unico package only states that tomatoes are from the Mediterranean, which reflects on such food consumption trends as gourmet convenience and cleaner labels.
• Improvements of Supply Chain Processes in the Fast Food Industry: Subway The purposes of the research are to analyze the service delivery stage of the internal supply chain process typical of the Subway restaurants located in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates; identify drawbacks in these areas […]
• New Food Product Development In most cases the food may be free of pathogens but if the environment of preparation is full of normal flora, the possibility of gross contamination of food may take place and this is the […]
• What Are the Benefits of Organic Foods? The proponents of organic foods believe that organic foods have greater benefits as compared to conventional foods, while the opponents believe they have are unsafe.
• Food Production and The Environment So all aspects of production – the cultivation and collection of plants, the maintenance of animals, the processing of products, their packaging, and transportation, affect the environment.
• Chocolate Ice-Cream: Food Product Case In the case of Chocolate ice-cream, the flavouring added is normally chocolate. Chocolate ice cream is the second most common type of ice cream in the world after vanilla.
• Fast Food Drive-throughs In this respect, the drive-through services are aimed at reducing the throughput time and serving a maximum number of clients in the minimum time compared to other similar services.s such, it is necessary to compare […]
• Globalization Effects on Food Industry, Trading, Education The major benefit enjoyed by the developing nations is the capability to import the raw materials from the industrially developed countries, to facilitate the production of goods required in the country.
• Using Food Preservatives Ethical At present, the use of chemical food preservatives have gained prevalent use as many people have become tailored to the convenience of buying food that is already prepared, instead of preparing and preserving their food.
• Inventory Control in the Food Industry To formulate a mathematical model to optimize cost in inventory control, it is critical to consider different aspects of inventory control that significantly contribute to the formulation of the model and the reorder policies.
• Food Motif in Bartleby the Scrivener The food motif is also manifested in the naming of other characters in the story. The food motif is very prominent in this story.
• Geography of Food. Restaurant Review Carino’s Italian grill was located in Doral at the center of Miami making it accessible to most people. The food was of moderate quality.
• Environmental and Industrial Analysis of UK Food Manufacturing Companies Technological Analysis The technological analysis has affected the Tasty Bake Company positively in that the global transport infrastructure has greatly improved in the recent past and this has enabled it to market its products widely.
• Good to Eat: Riddles of Food and Culture by Marvin Harris Good to eat is a thought provoking and intellectual journey that the author takes, in terms of the different kinds of food habits adopted by various groups of people and the reasons behind such habits.
• The Junk Food’s Risks Junk food has high content of fat and cholesterol that leads to clogging of the heart arteries. The content of many junk foods is unhealthy and it may expose the brain to premature aging and […]
• Jamie Oliver and Leadership in the Food Industry He has a strong mastery of the market and the exact requirements of the customers to be his businesses end up matching the needs of the customers.
• Food Culture and Obesity The marketers pass a message to the consumers that they need to eat the fast foods to experience the goodness and the refreshing memory that cannot be found in any other food.
• Small Mobile Food & Drinks Shop: Business Project Time constraints are often decisive in the world of business, which is a good point for healthy shops to switch to a mobile food service offering delivery as an option.
• Wendy’s Fast Food Restaurant The design has the potential to elaborate on the cause of failures inherent in the establishment and possess the capacity to make recommendations on combating the challenges.
• The Food Preservation Techniques Convenience food became the go-to as America got preoccupied with vehicles and the freedom to travel around their cities and neighborhoods and as postwar America worked. Processing the ingredients and sending them to the eateries […]
• Food, Eating Behavior, and Culture in Chinese Society The majority of the food and the cookies were not an actual part of the Chinese cuisine. The issue of the origin of the fortune cookies demonstrates the global intersections.
• Food Security Solutions for Kenya The purpose of this whitepaper is to discuss the topic of food insecurity in the world and Kenya in particular and propose potential technological solutions to the problem.
• Causes and Effects of Fast Food: Reputation for Unhealthy Eating By setting this price to a low value, fast food companies can exclude traditional restaurants from the selection, improve throughput, and increase their brand equity.
• American Food Industry: Panera’s Value Chain One of its main weaknesses is that bread and bakery are the primary brands of Panera, and these products are simple carbs that are not healthy for people.
• Why Junk Food Should Cost More Than Healthy Food In order to persuade the audience that a solution to this problem is the change of prices to make healthy food more affordable, a problem-cause-solution approach will be used. According to Elementum, to understand the […]
• Molecular Gastronomy Trend: Gastronomy and Food Science The use of science and other disciplines in restaurants and home cooking is therefore having a beneficial influence in a highly public area, lending credibility to the topic as a whole. The popularity of this […]
• Beef Industry: Nutrition and Food Safety Analysis The amount of saturated fat in the six leanest beef cuts is almost equal to that in the chicken’s leanest cut, the skinless chicken breast.
• Food and Culture Links Many publications have tried to convince people that the food they eat is a product of their culture and that culture defines the different tastes they have for foods.
• The Concept of Food as a Leisure Experience In the modern day lifestyle, the scope of leisure activity has been extended to include food with majority of the people increasingly finding it to be a new form of leisure.
• Influencing Consumer Behavior: the changing image of ‘fast food’ Some of the factors that consumers may be influenced with include the cost, what their friends and family members say, where the restaurant is located, the duration the meal takes, and by how the consumers […]
• Impact of Fast Food on Human Body Firstly, it is the economics of fast food fast food is the cheapest food on the market in terms of a calorie per dollar.
• Food: How Technology Has Changed the Way We Eat? These foods could cause harm to the consumers, who in most cases are not sure of the ingredients used to prepare them, and that may pose a health risk.
• Impact of Food on Human Health and the Content of Diet People who are living in cities never get the chance to taste catfish so they even say that catfish is used by the people of low status.
• Food Preferences and Nutrition Culture I gave my mother the recipe and nowadays, each time I visit her, she makes me a bowl of chicken noodle soup.
• Nanotechnology in the Food Industry The presence of PEG in the copolymer makes the surface charge less negative, thus enhancing the interaction of the nanoparticles with food compounds in the process of coating the food or the food ingredients.
• HRM in the Fast Food Industry: US, Germany, and Australia It should be mentioned that the term human-resource relations refers to the programs that an organization puts in place in order to ensure that the employees receive the benefits that are guaranteed by legislation.
• A Food Truck Business: Project Summary Steps to be followed in starting the business will be researching local food trucks and laws, developing the business name and concept, registering, raising funds, and seeking permits and licenses. The next steps will be […]
• Food Security: Sustainable Development While reading this part of the chapter, I realized that the majority of the land is used to produce meat products.
• How Fried Foods Affect Nutrition for Young Adults The main question is the impact of these fast foods on the health of young adults and what triggers consumption of fast foods.
• Food Truck Business Presentation The overall cost is $29, but most of the ingredients are sold in packages, so the expenses and the number of servings will be higher.
• Personal Reflection of the Book “In Defense of Food” This means that when people eat food they are not supposed to fall sick or develop health conditions that will eventually be the cause of their death.
• Should All Genetically Modified Foods Be Labeled? According to this scholar, members of the public are always comfortable with the idea of not labeling the genetically modified food.
• “Food Colombusing” and Cultural Appropriation Authenticity in cuisine defies efforts to create an all-inclusive and integrated world in which one is allowed to enjoy and feel the attributes of a culture that is not theirs.
• Food Choices in the United States Food choices in the US are influenced by factors such as the food environment and food companies interests. Food environment and the most accessible food options are the basis of food choice.
• Food Security: The Main Challenges The attainment of food security is a key challenge faced in the contemporary world; it is caused by industrialized agriculture, which affects the climate, problematic balancing between agriculture and the environment, and the inability of […]
• Multinational Food Corporations & Eating Patterns in New Zealand In this report, the connection between eating patterns in New Zealand and the performance of multinational corporations such as Coca-Cola and McDonald’s will be investigated and disclosed.
• Dog Food: Pedigree Company’s Case The attractiveness of the dog food category is manifested through the intense competitive nature of the various stakeholders. The third and final phase of the segmentation is to label the category of dog food as […]
• Food Scarcity Factor in French Revolution Many writings and works devoted to the investigation of European history in the 18th century have captured the chronicles of a long-term hunger that was spread across France on the eve of the Revolution.
• The Fancy Street Foods in Japan: The Major Street Dishes and Traditions It is easy to note that the outcome is an opposite of the ordinary boiled eggs that have a firm albumen and soft yolk. The centre of the food is soft and gooey while the […]
• Food Culture in Mexican Cuisine It is bordered on the north by the United States, on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean, and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.
• Dietary Record of Seven Days of Food Intake This paper aims to analyze the record of seven days of food intake, with regards to the quality and quantity of the intake, the time of the day, the size and distribution of the foods […]
• Fast Food Effects on Human Health The phenomenon results in the ideological perspectives of increased obesity and the emergence of lifestyle diseases. The popularity and consumption rate of fast-food restaurants is one of the trending issues in cities and towns.
• The Impact of the Food Industry on the Environment The food industry is a vital and integral part of the functioning of modern society and the economy. In addition to recognizing and combating this fact, it is necessary to identify what is the most […]
• Analysis of a Look at the Fast-Food Industry by Eric Schlosser For the presentation of various arguments, the use of statistics involved in the employees and the increased amount of production due to division and specialization of labor and the production process improved the validity of […]
• Food Industry: The Problems Caused by the Corona Crisis The food and beverage sector has been significantly affected by the Corona crisis, and the issue should be addressed to alleviate the collapse of the industry, especially in the most affected regions.
• Food Web and Impact of Environmental Degradation In the course of this paper, ‘conservation’ refers to the preservation of natural resources that are, in any way, involved in the functioning of the food web.
• 21st Century Guiding Principles for the Location of Foods In a Supermarket: Maximizing Profit or Maximizing Health Many organisations have been lobbying for organic foods and together with the government, this seems to be a very good strategy that will educate the general population on health and giving supermarkets the responsibility of […]
• The Reasons Behind the Popularity of Fast Food in the Context of the Lebanese Market Nowadays, in Beirut, the variety of traditional dishes which can be prepared quickly and served as fast food is amazing, from the kebab, to the falafel; most dishes are represented.
• Functional Food: Definition, Types, Benefits Most types of food are genetically modified and allow patients to prevent illnesses functional food is based on a combination of traditional food elements and pharmaceutical ingredients.
• Livestock Food Production Issues The failure to address animal welfare, health, and environmental concerns, as well as the intensification of livestock farming, contributes to the exasperation of challenges associated with livestock food production.
• Gender Relationship: Food and Culture As a result, the kind of government that continues to be exercised in the region is that developed on the olden principles of leadership. There was a variation in the position given to the women […]
• World Food Program Addressing risks to food and safety Food safety and public health entail core issues to the policies of the WFP in addressing food security across the globe.
• The Food and Beverage Sector There is no doubt that there are many substitutes to this industry and the best investors can do is to try to retain the available market by offering quality services.
• The Fast-Food Industry and Legal Accountability for Obesity The principle of least harm in ethics is closely associated with the fast food industry; this is mainly because of the basic fact that fast food increases chances of obesity to its consumers.
• Changes in Food Production Over Time The new system of farming replaces the holistic thinking and the recycling of the nutrients through the use of crop rotation and animal rotation to produce food.
• Agricultural Geography and the Production and Consumption of Food in British Columbia The impact of the disparity in the natural environment which causes variable conditions in different geographical areas is reflected in the productivity, production cost and efficiency of production.
• The Jungle and Fast Food Nation Though both books talk about the food industry and the ills that plague it, it is important to establish that, Eric Schlosser’s aim of writing Fast Food Nation was to make the public know the […]
• Safe Food Supply System Though there is a system namely Food Safety and Inspection Service in the country for ensuring supply of safe and healthier supply of food, it need to more active and efforts must be taken to […]
• Food Industry: Organic Restaurant The restaurant will capture the social environment and provide the necessary menu for this field. In the cultural environment, the chefs employed in this restaurant have been highly trained to produce several ethnic dishes to […]
• Supply and Demand Influences on Food in the Recent Years A rise in the supply of food at a constant demand causes the prices of food commodities to fall. On the other hand, a fall in the supply of food commodities at a constant demand […]
• Future of Genetic Engineering and the Concept of “Franken-Foods” This is not limited to cows alone but extends to pigs, sheep, and poultry, the justification for the development of genetically modified food is based on the need to feed an ever growing population which […]
• Fast Food Industry in the US This paper will discuss the fast food industry in the US with an emphasis on the positive as well as the negative impacts it has on American economy.
• Motivational Issues in the Fast Food Sector Fast food refers to a type of cuisine produced in mass and marketed by some eateries, presentation stands, and service establishments for fast and effective production and delivery.
• Food Macromolecules – Lipids, Carbohydrates, and Proteins The given assessment’s method was focused on three major tests, such as Benedict’s Test, the Sudan Test, and the Biuret Test, to analyze carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins, respectively.
• Fritter’s Fast Food Restaurants: Overview Very fast and inexpensive to manufacture, Fritters can find their customers both in restaurants and kiosks, and in pre-prepared form.
• Food and Nutrient Security Situation in Pakistan In this respect, Pakistan needs to deepen its understanding of the scales of the food insecurity problem, highlight future problems, and define agricultural policies and food security programs that could reduce the vulnerability of rural […]
• Is Genetic Engineering an Environmentally Sound Way to Increase Food Production? According to Thomas & Earl and Barry, genetic engineering is environmentally unsound method of increasing food production because it threatens the indigenous species.
• Global Food Trade’s Benefits For instance, the developing nations are in a position to supplement their food products and the much needed nutritional value. On the other hand, this initiative may impede the quality of local products due to […]
• Whole Foods Market Strategic Analysis Over the years, maintenance and adherence to quality standards in the industry have formed the cornerstone of the firm’s operation. The philosophy of mutual dynamism and the abilities of team members are essential for the […]
• The Governmental Role in Food Safety The government has the mandate to supervise the overall procedures that are undertaken for food to be made from the farms to the shelves.
• Fast Foods More Harm Than Good The rest of the life of such a child is upsetting as the child is ridiculed in and out of school, through his/her adolescence, and even in college.
• Chicken Food Price is Going Up Due to increase in the prices of the chicken food, the total cost of production will go up hence affecting the supply of eggs in the market.
• Foodways: Cultural Norms and Attitudes Toward Food The nomads’ society in Yakutia focuses on horses, reindeer, and cow herding because venison is the standard component of their nutrition. Compared to Americans, Yakutia’s nomads are more traditional in the gender division of labor […]
• Food in The Book of the Dead. The Food History The Book of the Dead was a specific handbook written in order to help the dead in the afterlife and guide them in the underworld.
• Food Manufacturing: Term Definition The hole to plant in should be three times wider or more than the size of the roots and the depth should be slightly deeper than the span of the roots and frequently provide it […]
• The Aspects of Food in the Hindu Religion According to Hinduism, the right kind of food has to be eaten; this is because of the role that food plays in a person. Food among the Hindus is respected and taken with a lot […]
• Food Safety Policy and Inspection Services To begin with, I would like to dwell upon the issue of food safety establishments’ attitude towards the complaints of the citizens. The friend’s story mentioned in the discussion serves as a vivid example of […]
• Low-Calorie Frozen Food Company’s Market Structure This is a confirmation of competition in the market. In such a situation, the customer is indifferent as to the product to buy.
• Malaysia National Agri-Food Policy: Local Food Promotion So, one of the tasks is to address this problem because it impairs the work of many businesses. This is one of the points that should be made.
• Food Production Workshop Instructional Plan Workshop participants will have an incentive to start participating in the process of making policies related to food security. Workshop participants will have an incentive to increase cohesiveness in the community.
• Food Safety and Its Application The realization that low temperatures slow down the growth of microbes and the process of food spoilage led to the invention of refrigeration.
• Survey of Food Allergies in the UAE The purpose of this research paper is to create a survey about food allergies in the UAE with the aim of establishing the seriousness of the situation within the region.
• Whole Foods Market: Healthy and Natural Food The main principle of merchandising in the Whole Foods Market is to offer the customers only fresh and quality products they may be satisfied with. The security is really important in the stores of the […]
• Human Services: Technological Equipment in the Food-Processing Sector Secondly, the use of technological equipments will enable operators in the sector to further, enhance safety of food items, quality standards, processing techniques and delivery of services.
• Food Landscape in the Western Province, Kenya Western Province in Kenya was chosen as the focus of the study because of one’s familiarity with the area. The Western Province is situated on the western section of Kenya and borders the eastern part […]
• Is Genetically Engineered Food the Solution to the World’s Hunger Problems? However, the acceptance of GMO’s as the solution to the world’s food problem is not unanimously and there is still a multitude of opposition and suspicion of their use.
• The Heinz Food Processing Company’s Information The research paper explores the influence of the Heinz Company on the American culture and effect of its influential decisions and strategies on food and beverage industry. Heinz has contributed to the integration of quality […]
• The Culture of Fast Food Consumption Thesis Statement: The purchase of fast food is largely driven by the convenience of purchase, enjoyment of taste, and pricing. However, it is worth sorting out the reasons for consuming fast food and the main […]
• Indian Culture, Food, Temples, and Clothing Key Terms: Traditional dresses, Indian fashion, saree, headgear Claim: Despite the inevitable impact of globalization and westernization, India is a country that could preserve its culture by wearing traditional clothes. It is normal to see […]
• Preserving Food Hygiene and Safety Thirdly, assessment Apps have aided in the transition of audits from worksheets to a platform designed to implement and track food safety procedures.
• The Canine Health: Food, Vaccination, and Hygiene Manufacturers will attempt to convince a person that their product is the healthiest and most appropriate, but one should be aware of what contributes to a dog’s wellbeing.
• Food, Music and Verbal Communication in China
• Investigation of a Food Poisoning Incident
• The Fast Food Culture in Saudi Arabia
• Food and Grades of Students at School
• Sugar Is Back on Food Labels as a Selling Point
• Problem-Solution on Convenience Food in Singapore
• Fast Food, Fat Profits: Obesity in America
• Takeaway Food in Saudi Arabia: Business Plan
• The Mass Production of Food: Food Safety Issue
• Government Regulation of the Food Business
• Does Healthy Food Prevent Obesity?
• Weird Chinese Foods: Cultural Practices and Eating Culture
• The Food Impact on Health
• Increased Nutrition Regulations on Fast Food Restaurants
• Rice: Thailand Native Foods
• Literature Review on Organic Food and Healthy Diet
• Impact of Food Waste on Climate Change
• The Pleasures of Eating: Food and Consumer Culture
• Food and Farming: Urban Farming Benefits the Local Economy
• Food Insecurity: Key Principles
• American Fast Food in Foreign Countries
• Food Is Dangerous: Nutrition Transition
• The Study of the Anthropology of Food
• Food and Water Shortage: The Negative Effects
• World Civilization History: Food Preservation Using Conventional and Modern Methods
• Main Reasons for Establishing Food Banks
• Nurses’ Food Security Policy Advocacy
• Food Security Policy Problem Analysis
• Pathophysiology of Stress, Processed Foods, and Risky Alcohol Consumption
• Climate Change and Food Waste Management
• How Food Tank Solves Issue of Food Insecurities
• Food and Beverage Brands’ Expansion and Site Selection
• Food Waste Management: Impact on Sustainability and Climate Change
• The “In Defense of Food” Book by Michael Pollan
• Poor Food Security Rates in Guatemala
• Pandemic Effect on Texas Food Supplies
• Can the Human Race Survive Without Genetically Modified Food?
• An Argentinean Food Product Launch in Uruguay
• Fast Food: What We Eat by Eric Schlosser
• Implications of the Russia–Ukraine War for Global Food Security
• The Entrepreneurial Journey of Foods Future Global
• Hunger Crisis and Food Security: Research
• Food Security, Improved Nutrition and Sustainable Agriculture
• The Truth About Food Addiction in Society
• Care for Real: Racism and Food Insecurity
• On-Campus Food Services: Part-Time and Full-Time Students
• An Automation Business Plan in the Food Industry
• The McDonald’s Food Sustainability Model
• The Actuality of Issue of Food Safety
• Food Supply Issues During Warfare
• Safety of Food: Weaning Management Practices
• Food Purchase Behaviors in Australia: Impact of Marketing and Ethnicity
• The Electronic Food Processor Project Management
• Coalition in Solving the Lack of Food Resources
• Sustainable Development and Water-Food-Energy Nexus in Sweden
• The Effects of Fast Food Consumption on Obesity
• The Fast Food Mass Production Problem
• The Junk Food Issue in Australia
• Work Experience at PH Food Inc.
• The Gourmet Food Retail Store’s Business Plan
• Factors Involved in Creating a Food Business
• Food Deserts and Their Negative Effects
• COVID-19 Vaccines: U.S. Food and Drug Administration
• Sea Foods in the Environment Protection Context
• The Food Tax in Oklahoma Articles
• Uber’s Food Delivery Business Development
• The Problem of Obesity: The US Food Policies
• Prerequisites for Reforms in the Local Food Movement
• One Aspect of the Modern World That Bothers Me Most: Food Scarcity
• Aspects of Food and Nutrition Myths
• JBS S.A. Food Business in Brazil
• Fast Food Restaurant: Emergency Procedure
• Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in Food Production
• Aloe Vera: The Use in Cosmetics and in Food
• Food Insecurity in Maryland State
• The Asian Food Industry After the COVID-19 Outbreak
• Food Banks Board Members and Cycle of Poverty
• You Are What You Eat: How Does Food Become an Addiction
• Trends in Food Sources and Diet Quality Among US Children and Adults
• The ‘Food Desert’ Times in the United States
• Sustainable Business of Food and Beverage Delivery
• Casa Mono: A Multi-Sensory Experience as a Food Critic
• Food Waste in American Hospitals
• Operations to Ensure Food Safety
• The Peking Duck Food System’s Sustainability
• Food Preservation Methods and Their Classification
• Food Safety Modernization Act and Its Importance
• Relation Between Food Policy and Politics
• Position on Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)
• Salmonellosis and Food-Borne Poisoning
• Drive-Thru Dreams and Fast Food Nation by Adam Chandler
• Impact of Food on Health of Kids and Adults
• Organizing a Food Waste Awareness Campaign
• Food Diary: Nutrition Opportunities and Challenges
• Saudi Food Industry’s Overview and Market Size
• Healthy Nutrition: Affordable Food
• If Slow Is Good for Food, Why Not Medicine?
• The Impact of Food Security of a Country on Its Political and Cultural Aspects
• Multicultural Food Marketing Techniques
• Food as Ritual Video by Crittenden
• Slow and Fast Food Values by Alice Waters
• Immigrants’ Employment in Agriculture and Food Processing
• The Necessity of Chemical Food Additives
• Food Scarcity During Pandemic in Montgomery County
• Data Driven in Food Production Companies
• Blame It on Fast-Moving Food Industries or Personal Irresponsibility
• Importance of Accession to Healthy Fresh Food Regularly
• Food Banks in Canada and Their Relevance
• Overpopulation and Food Production Problem
• Food Advertising and Its Effects on Children
• Organic Food and Dietary Supplements
• Nutrients: Food and Nutrients in Disease Management
• Food Safety and Organic Growing in the USA
• McDonald’s in the International Fast Food Market
• Farm-to-Table Food: Dissemination Portfolio
• The Community Mobile Food Truck for Children in Macomb County
• Employee Retention & Staff Turnover in Fast Food Industry
• Inadequate Food Choices for Americans in Low-Income Neighborhoods
• Impacts of Climatic Changes on Food Insecurity
• Pasteurization: Processing Food Substances
• Healthier School Lunches Without Processed Foods
• E-Commerce as a Fast-Growing Trend in the Industry of Food
• Food Insecurity in Philadelphia, PA: Literature Review
• The Truth About Fat: Fast Foods and Obesity
• Primary Scales for Quinoa-Based Organic Foods
• Reducing Food Waste Problem by Creating a Platform to Sell Expiring Food
• Food Security Under Hot Climate in Saudi Arabia
• Food Insecurity in the US: Feeding the Richest Country
• Food Insecurity in the US: The New Face of Hunger
• Research and Experiments: Molecules in Food, Photosynthesis
• Ethical Ramifications of Eating Specific Food
• Sustainable Development in the Food Industry
• Genetically Modified Food: Health Risks
• American Agricultural and Food System
• Food Insecurity in the Gulf Region
• The Environment of Fast Food Chains
• Whole Foods Market in 2008: Vision, Core Values and Strategy
• Loving Organic Foods by Diligent Consulting Group
• Customer Loyalty in Fast Food Industry Under Current Economic Crisis
• TED Talk “Teach Every Child About Food”
• Consumers’ Behavioral Intentions as to Organic Food Products
• Promoting Fast Food Ingredient Awareness
• Global Population Growth and Increased Demand for Food
• Wildlife Conservation and Food Safety for Human
• The Role of the Flavor Industry in Processed Food
• Food Desert Investigation and Analysis
• Analysis of Push and Pull Factors in Food Travel Motivation
• Polysaccharides in Foods
• Effects of Food Challenges to Health
• The Fast Food Restaurant Market of Canada
• The Food Justice Social Movement
• The Impact of Food Demand Upon Areas of Outstanding Beauty
• Dog Food by Subscription: Service Design Project
• Organoleptic Properties in Foods: Substance Density Value
• Strategic Planning of Whole Foods Market
• Food Processing and Preservation Methods
• Healthy Eating Plan by Food Pyramid
• Ideology of Fast Food Industry Development
• Canada Food Guide Overview
• Food Safety and Information Bulletin
• COVID-19: Supply Chain Management Challenges of Food Industry
• Food Safety in the Modern World
• Distinguish Unpleasant Tastes From Food Reactions
• Impacts of H7N9 Virus and Food Contamination at Maleic Acid on Inbound Tourism for Elderly to Taiwan
• Changing the Food Journal After Every Month
• The Chemical Composition of Food
• Food Hygiene Inspection of a Food Premises and the Intervention Strategies
• The Sunshine Wok: Food Hygiene Inspection
• The Intervention Plan For a Food Poisoning Incident
• Food Safety Policy for a Music Festival
• Food Provision at the Annisburgh District Music Festival
• Biodiversity and Food Production
• Consumptions of Fast Foods Among Youth in Saudi Arabia
• Food Insecurity and Obesity-Promoting Feeding Styles
• Fast Food and Gender: Is There a Relation?
• Genetically Modified Food: Analysis and Implications
• Julia Food Booth: Business Decision Analysis
• The Routine Food Hygiene Inspection
• Food Borne Diseases Associated With Chilled Ready to Eat Food
• Food Hygiene Legislation in the UK
• Facing Food Insecurity: Causes & Current Programs
• The Role of Food for Sustainability in the Built Environment
• Nutrition: Preventing Food Born Diseases
• Safe Food Handling for Optimum Nutrition
• Obesity Prevalence and Fast Food Restaurant Prevalence
• Regulation of the Fast Food Industry: Review
• Nutrients and Food Guide Pyramid Recommendation
• Brand: An Exceptional Food Experience
• Food Stamp: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
• The Food Industry as a Threat to Public Health and Food Safety
• Food Security: Limiting the Use of Antibiotics to Reduce or Slow the Antibiotic Resistance
• Food Work in the Family and Gender Aspects of Food Choice
• Sociology of Food and Nutrition
• Food Product Trends Related to Consumer Demands
• Food Processing and Farming Methods
• Fast Food: What Is Really in It?
• Are Packaged Foods Fat-Free Products?
• Investigation of Orange as a Food Commodity
• Diabetic Diet and Food Restrictions
• Public Service Bulletin: Food Safety Issues
• Fast-Food and Tobacco Industry Regulation
• Recommendations for Food Security
• The Application of Arginine Pyroglutamate as a Food Additive
• Raising Awareness on Food Poisoning Among Children Riyadh
• Food Security and Macroeconomics Discussion
• Nutrition. 3-Day Food Intake
• Magnesium in Food and Dietary Allowance
• Polymerase Chain Reaction-Based Diagnostics for Pathogens in Food
• Food Diary Project: Dietary Recommended Intakes (DRI)
• “The Bitter Truth About Fast Food” by Schlosser
• Brazil Food Culture and Dietary Patterns
• Overnutrition, Obesity, and Food Insecurities as the Global Concerns
• Chemicals Used for Microbial Preservation of Food
• A Sociology of Food and Nutrition: Unity of Traditions and Culture
• Nutrition: Chemical Composition of the Food
• Keeping a Food Diary: Control of Calorie Intake
• Entrepreneur Ayesha Khan and Her Food for Employees
• Biotechnology and Animal Welfare: How Genetically Modified Chicken Serves the Demand in Fast Food Chains
• The Food of Easter Holidays: The Roots of the Easter Tradition
• Healthy Food With Proper Rationing and Balanced Meal
• Organic Foods: the Best Solution or Not?
• European Union Health Law and Food Law
• Rhetorical Analysis on Healthy Food and Labeling Problem
• Introducing Infants to Semi-Solid Food
• Food Costs Reduction in a Food Establishment
• Independent Food Safety Inspections in US Restaurants
• The Problem of Food Safety and the Spread of Various Diseases
• Protecting Americans From Food-Related Illnesses
• Organic Food Is Not a Cure for Environmental and Health Issues
• The Supply and Demand for Energy Foods and Beverages
• Home Isolation Survival Kit: Food Kits for Emergencies
• Quality System Implementation in Greek Food Sector
• New Food Movements: The Raw Foodism
• Festive Food in Chinese-Vietnamese Fests by Nir Avieli
• Making Healthy Foods Available to the Poor People
• Food Addiction and Obesity in Children and Teens
• Food Texture in Packaging of Cakes, Pastries and Sweets
• Food Security and Environmental Designers
• Agriculture and Environment: Organic Foods
• Adverse Impacts of Food on Human Health: Toxicity, Nutritional Deficiency, and Allergenicity
• Fast-Food and Restaurant Strategic Marketing
• Gastronomy in Commercial Food Science Operation
• Soul Food: The Origin and Reasons of Vegetarianism
• Role in Local Food System – Pumpkins
• Kudler Fine Foods Analysis and Promotional Strategies
• Flavours of Chittering Food & Wine Festival: Analysis
• Organic Food as a Viable Option for Consumers
• Genetically Modified Foods: Substantial Equivalence
• The Demand for Food in South Africa
• Writing on Preservation and Distribution of Food
• Agro-Food Geographies: Food, Nature, Farmers and Agency
• Marketing Case B: Freddy Favors Fast Food and Convenience for College Students
• The Right to Food: Government Policy
• Safety and Quality: Food Contaminants and Adulteration
• Americans` Unique Dietary Patterns and Food Preferences
• Rice: Food Ingredient as a Currency
• Appropriateness of a Food Production and Service
• Foods Crises in Uganda Issue Analysis
• The Use of Fast Food Meals in the United State
• The Specificity of Chinese Culture in Terms of Food and Music
• The Food Served in Venice: World Famous Italian Foods
• Science Nutrition: Controversies in Food and Nutrition
• 3D Printed Food and Utensils Safety
• Meatpacking and Fast-Food Industry: Making a Better Tomorrow
• Meat and Fast-Food Industry: What Are We Eating?
• Fast Food Epidemic: The Dark Side of American Meal
• Fast Foods Popularity: Causes and Effects
• Texture Description of Food for Preschool Children
• Water Efficiency in Food Production: Food Security, and Quality of Life
• The Analysis of the Annual Amount Spent on Organic Food Using Multiple Linear Regression
• The Opportunity for School Food to Influence a Child’s Dietary Intake
• Food Distribution and Water Pollution
• Extending Existing Knowledge in the Area of Schools Foods and Their Influence on Children’s Diets
• How Architecture Is Being Used to Meet the Challenge of Food Provision
• Oxidative Rancidity in Lipids and Food Storing
• Organic Food: Eco-Friendly Attitudes and Behavior
• Understanding Genetically Modified Foods by Howard et al.
• Food Choices and Dietary Habits: An Interview With a Mexican Immigrant
• Food and Drug Administration Importance
• Menu Foods Tainted Pet Food Crisis, 2007
• Zero Hunger and Food Production in Abu Dhabi
• Dough Pizza Company in the Food Truck Industry
• Genetically Modified Foods: Pros or Cons
• Science and Grow Food Sustainability
• Processed Food Industry
• Processed Foods and High Fructose Corn Syrup Effects
• Acid Effects on Starch Gels in Food Preparation
• Food & Drug Administration: Federal Health Agency
• Food Recommender Systems and Their Types
• Emily Baumgaertner: Crop Viruses and Food Security
• Innovation From Google as Free Food Strategy
• Environmental Issues and Food Efficiency
• The Food Company New Product Development Group
• Advanced Food Bioanalysis
• Conventional Food System: Justice and Security
• Gulf Food Security and Delicate Diplomacy
• Food and Beverage Server’s Duties and Dependencies
• Hong Kong Street Food in Ethnographic Studies
• Food & Beverage Choices and Health Impacts
• Food Anthropology and Its Research Methods
• Low-Calorie Frozen and Microwavable Food Industry
• Food, Customers, and Culture in the Grocery Store
• Fast Food Restaurants and Buyers’ Responsibility
• Food and Taste Process Issues
• Casa Vasca Restaurant’s Food Safety and Sanitation
• Changes in Food Preferences
• Food Choices: Diets and Diseases
• Healthy Foods: Behavior Change Analysis
• International Food and Beverage Business in Africa
• Food Inspection Procedures in Saudi Arabia
• Food Poisoning and Hygiene Awareness in Saudi Arabia
• Food Safety and Health Violation at Workplace
• Genetically Modified Foods and Pesticides for Health
• Food Business and Government Regulation in the US
• Best Food Superstores’ Customer Service Policy
• Food Insecurity and Depression in Poor Families
• Snack Food Company’s Product Marketing Research
• The 38th Winter Fancy Food Shows in San Francisco
• New Zealand Food Market
• Genetically Engineered Food Against World Hunger
• Problem of Food Overconsumption
• Demographic Transition Model and Food Security
• Food Texture and Health Outcomes Association
• The Impact of Supply Chain Efficiency on Food Losses
• Chemical Contaminants in Food: Endocrine Disruptors Study
• Farmers Views: Should Organic Food Be Promoted From?
• Scientists Views: Should Organic Food Be Promoted?
• Should Organic Food Be Promoted?
• The Organic Food Benefits
• Globalization, Food, and Ethnic Identity in Literature
• What Is “Organic” Food?
• Disguised Observation: Students Food and Drink Preferences
• Food Safety at Introducing of New Meal
• Food Security: Opportunities in Asia
• Poverty and Global Food Crisis: Food and Agriculture Model
• Food Product Risk Assessment
• ELISA and PCR Techniques: Food Quality
• The Effect of Food Texture on Health Outcomes
• Chicago Food and Beverage Company: Human Resources
• Childhood Obesity and Food Culture in Schools
• Food Texture Research for Healthcare
• Food Delivery Industry Drivers in the United Kingdom
• Food Safety: Washing Contact Surfaces and Cooking
• Common Food Preparation Methods and Their Effects
• Technology and Communications in the Global Food Industry
• Balogne Food Company’s Operations Management
• East Asian Food and Its Identifying Factors
• Kuwaiti Food Industry and Its Development
• Do-Do Online Fresh Food Supply LLC’s Business Plan
• The Food Angel Visiting Project
• Visual Cameras and Inspection in Fast Food Restaurant
• Food Industry’s Quality Function Improvement
• Agri-Food Supply Chains Stakeholders
• Food Allergies Management
• Carlo’s Food Company: Information Misunderstanding
• Genetically Modified Foods: Pros and Cons
• Healthy Food Truck: Management Project
• Oil-For-Food Program: International Law Issues
• Janesville School District Food Services Leadership
• Food Nexus Models in Abu Dhabi
• Family Food and Meals Traditions in Dubai History
• Schneiders Food Company and Tyson Foods Inc.
• Food Corporations’ Damaging Influence
• Unhealthy Food Access and Choice Ethics
• The Science of Why You Crave Comfort Food
• The Best Food for Consumption and Six Nutrients
• Genetically Modified Foods: Scientific Resources
• New York City Low Food Affordability Areas
• Healthy You: Diets and Food
• Food Regulations by Companies and Governments
• Imbalance in Food Supply and Growing Demand
• Organic Foods Consumption and Cancer Prevention
• “How to Solve the Food Waste Problem” by Chavich
• Genetic Engineering in Food: Development and Risks
• Sustainability Strategies in the Food Industry
• Food and Water Quality Testing Device
• Ethical Behavior as to Returned Food and Beverages
• Popular Food as a Part of Contemporary Culture
• American Food Industry in “Food, Inc.” Documentary
• Food Production and Animals Suffering
• Black Families’ Issues in the “Soul Food” Series
• Fresh Food Provision for Low-Income Families
• UAE Food & Clothes Retail and Restaurant Business
• Kasih Food Company’s Export Strategy
• Pet Food Industry in the United States
• Healthy Food: Lesson Plan
• American Food, Its History and Global Distribution
• Swordfish Restaurant and Store in Food Services
• US Food and Drug Administration Approval System
• Aspen Hills Inc.’s Food Safety and Quality Issues
• Long-Term Investment Decisions in Food Industry
• US Pet Food Delivery: Industrial Marketing
• Cultural Studies: Aesthetics of Food and Wine
• Australia New Zealand Food Authority Business Plan
• Sous Vide Food Production System
• McDonald’s Digital Campaign “Our Food. Your Questions”
• Food Shortages in the Republic of Malawi
• Food and Water Waste Disposal in NYC
• Tamwal Mobile Food Trucks Business Plan
• Food Security and Sustainable Local Food Systems
• Fast Food Consumption in New Jersey (United States)
• Mexican Cuisine’s Transition to Comfort Food
• Food and Drug Administration’s Strategies
• Employee Turnover in Fast-Food Restaurants
• Food and Stress Relationship: Psychological Factor
• Gluten-Free Products in the US Food Market
• Kokubu Food Company’s Trends and Information System
• Depressive Food Intake Disorder
• Organic Food as a Solution of Global Food Problem
• Glass vs. Paper/Cardboard in Food Packaging
• Globalization and Food in Japan
• The “Waist Banned” Article – Taxes on Junk Food
• Food Business and Government Role in Saudi Arabia
• Factors Contributing to Fast Food Consumption in UAE
• Future of Food: Effects on the Planet
• The Fast Food Danger Awareness Among the Young People
• Organic Farming for Sustainable Food Production
• Food Nexus Tools and Results
• Halal Food and Terrorist Organizations in Australia
• Food Sovereignty in United States
• Sliders Mobile Food Truck Marketing Plan
• Food Security in the United States: The Major Lapses of the Conventional Food Systems
• Blue Springs Fast Food Store vs. Blue Gardens Restaurant Analysis
• Spoilage Device: Forget Expiration Dates
• Animal Production and Food Availability
• Froma Harrop Views on Genetically Modified Food
• Carbon Dynamics and Food Chains in Coastal Environments
• Temperature Impacts on Food
• Nutrition Process: Eating Healthy Foods
• Special Food Shop for Pregnant Women
• Traditional Medicine or Food Customs in a Chinese Culture
• Healthy Consequences of Fast Foods
• Food Production, Sharing, and Consumption
• Fast Food War in Singapore: The Stiff Competition and Fight for Customers
• Service Marketing: Food Market
• Recent and Promising Food Allergy Treatments
• Feeding Baby: How to Avoid Food Allergies
• Traditional Food Culture in the Indian Religion
• Nitrogen from Food Waste
• Role of Food in Cultural Studies: Globalization and Exchange of Food
• Food’ Role in International Students Interaction
• Hinduism Religion: Food and Asceticism
• Food as a Means of Cross-Cultural Interaction
• Nutrition: Is Genetically Modified Food Bad or Good?
• Should Fast Food Qualify As “Food”?
• Fast Food Industry and Its Impacts
• Food Labels and Food Security
• The Practice of Fast Food in the United States
• Food Role on Social Events
• Optimizing Production in the Food Industry
• Genetically Modified Foods: Should They Be Consumed?
• Corn is Our Every Day Food
• Analysis of the Documentary Fast Food, Fat Profits
• Good Food That Does not Grow on Trees: Analyzing the Key Supply Chain Issues
• Organic Foods in Australia and the USA
• Determinants of Success in the Swedish Food and Drink Industry
• The Economic Effect of Issuing Food Stamps to Those in Poverty
• Obesity and Fast Food
• Liability in Food Illness Cases
• Expanding the Australian Food Processing Industry into the United States
• Wegmans Food Markets v. Camden Property Trust
• Food Security in Sydney
• Threats to Global Food Supplies
• Food Borne Diseases of Intoxicants on MSG
• Increasing the Consumption of Healthy Food Products
• Operations Decisions for Krafts Foods Inc. and Manute Foods Company
• Kraft Foods’ Diverse Brand Portfolio
• Monaghan’s Conributions to Society Foodservice Management
• Analysis of Whole Foods Market’s feedback loops
• Analysis of Whole Foods Market using Nadler-Tushman Congruence Model
• Analysis of Whole Foods Market’s inputs
• Organizational diagnosis for Whole Foods Market
• Marketing Strategy and Competitive Positioning at the Whole Foods Market
• RFID in Food Industry and Global Trading Patterns
• Kudler Fine Foods: Incorporating Strategic Thinking
• Large-Scale Organic Farming and Food Supply
• Organic Food Marketing Prospects
• Business and economics: The organic food sector
• Consumer Decision-Making Process on Buying Organic Foods
• Food and Drug Administration in United States of America
• Foods That Effect Children With ADHD/ ADD
• Why Food Services Are the Most Commonly Outsourced Function in the Business Community
• Food and Wine Tourism
• Could Biotechnology Solve Food Shortage Problem?
• Does Circadian Rhythm Affect Consumer Evaluation for Food Products?
• Are China’s Grain Trade Policies Effective in the Stabilization of Domestic Food Prices?
• Can Better Governance Improve Food Security?
• Does Corporate Social Responsibility Matter in the Food Industry?
• Are Female-Headed Households More Food Insecure?
• Can Drought-Tolerant Varieties Produce More Food With Less Water?
• What Factors Determine/Influence the Food Choice People Make?
• Why Are Restricted Food Items Still Sold After the Implementation of the School Store Policy?
• Are Food Safety Standards Different From Other Food Standards?
• Can Food Monitoring and Accessible Healthy Food Help Combat Child Obesity?
• Are Food Stamps Income or Food Supplementation?
• Can Government-Allocated Land Contribute to Food Security?
• Is Genetically Modified Food Safe for Consumption?
• Can Insects Increase Food Security in Developing Countries?
• Are Input Policies Effective to Enhance Food Security in Kenya?
• Can Non-wood Forest Products Be Used in Promoting Household Food Security?
• What Are Most Serious Negative Effects of Eating Fast Food?
• Who Does Regulate Food Safety for the United States?
• Should the Government Regulate Food More?
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2024, February 25). 663 Interesting Food Essay Topics, Examples, and Ideas. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/food-essay-examples/

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Bibliography

IvyPanda . "663 Interesting Food Essay Topics, Examples, and Ideas." February 25, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/food-essay-examples/.

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College Nut

Best College Essays About Food

Food is not just a necessity for our survival; it is a symbol of our culture, traditions, and memories. Food is something that connects us to our past, present, and future. For college students, food plays a significant role in their lives, and it is not surprising that many college essays revolve around food. In this essay, we will explore the best college essays about food and what makes them stand out.

What makes a good college essay?

A good college essay is not just about showcasing your writing skills; it is also about sharing your story, your values, and your personality. A good college essay should be authentic, personal, and well-written. It should be able to convey your message clearly and engage the reader. A good college essay should also be unique and memorable. It should be able to make you stand out from the rest of the applicants.

Authenticity

One of the most important aspects of a good college essay is authenticity. Your essay should reflect who you are as a person, your experiences, and your values. You should avoid trying to impress the admissions officers by writing what you think they want to hear. Instead, focus on writing about something that matters to you, something that you are passionate about. This will make your essay more authentic and make you stand out.

Personalization

Your essay should also be personalized. You should avoid writing a generic essay that could be written by anyone. Instead, focus on writing about something that is unique to you. This could be a personal experience, a hobby, or a passion. By writing about something that is unique to you, you will be able to show the admissions officers a side of you that they may not have seen before.

Writing Skills

Of course, your essay needs to be well-written. You should make sure that your essay is free of grammatical errors, typos, and other mistakes that could detract from your message. You should also make sure that your essay flows well and is easy to read. This will help the admissions officers to understand your message and connect with you on a deeper level.

The Best College Essays About Food

Now that we have discussed what makes a good college essay, let’s take a look at some of the best college essays about food.

Essay 1: “The Art of Breadmaking”

In this essay, the writer talks about their love for bread and how they learned to make bread from their grandmother. The essay is well-written, and the writer’s passion for bread shines through. The essay is also personalized, as the writer talks about their family’s traditions and how they have been passed down from generation to generation.

Essay 2: “The Power of Food in Building Community”

In this essay, the writer talks about how food has brought their community together. The essay is well-written, and the writer’s passion for building community shines through. The writer also talks about their experiences with food and how it has helped them to connect with others.

Essay 3: “Food and Identity”

In this essay, the writer talks about how food has shaped their identity. The essay is well-written, and the writer’s passion for food and culture shines through. The writer also talks about their experiences with food and how it has helped them to connect with their heritage.

Essay 4: “My Love Affair with Sushi”

In this essay, the writer talks about their love for sushi and how it has impacted their life. The essay is well-written, and the writer’s passion for sushi shines through. The writer also talks about their experiences with sushi and how it has helped them to connect with others.

In conclusion, food is a powerful symbol of our culture, traditions, and memories. It is not surprising that many college essays revolve around food. The best college essays about food are authentic, personal, and well-written. They showcase the writer’s passion for food and their unique experiences with it. Writing a good college essay about food can be challenging, but it can also be a rewarding experience. So, go ahead and share your story, your values, and your personality with the world through your college essay about food.

• Food Insecurity on Campus: Action and Intervention

In this Book

• edited by Katharine M. Broton and Clare L. Cady. foreword by Sara Goldrick-Rab
• Published by: Johns Hopkins University Press

Table of Contents

• Copyright Page
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Katharine M. Broton and Clare L. Cady
• 1. Food Insecurity in Higher Education
• Katharine M. Broton
• 2. If Not Us, Who? Building National Capacity to Address Student Food Insecurity through CUFBA
• Clare L. Cady
• 3. The American Federation of Teachers Local 212 / MATC FAST (Faculty and Students Together) Fund
• Michael Rosen
• 4. Channeling Student Idealism and Energy through Campus Organizing
• Talia Berday-Sacks and James Dubick
• 5. Student Action and Nonprofit Partnership: The Swipe Out Hunger Story
• Rachel Sumekh
• pp. 115-137
• 6. The Trampoline of Public Benefits: Using Existing Resources to Fight Food Insecurity
• Sarah Crawford and Nicole Hindes
• pp. 138-166
• 7. Transformational Change for Student Success: The California State University Basic Needs Initiative
• Denise Woods-Bevly and Sabrina Sanders
• pp. 167-190
• 8. Research as a Catalyst for Positive Systemic Change
• Jennifer J. Maguire and Rashida M. Crutchfield
• pp. 191-221
• 9. Amarillo College: Loving Your Student from Enrollment to Graduation
• Russell Lowery-Hart, Cara Crowley, and Jordan Herrera
• pp. 222-239
• 10. Addressing Student Hunger through Policy Change: Leveraging Federal Food Benefits to Support College Completion
• Amy Ellen Duke-Benfield and Samuel Chu
• pp. 240-264
• pp. 265-284
• pp. 285-292

Additional Information

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Expert Commentary

College student hunger: How access to food can impact grades, mental health

This collection of research looks at who on college campuses lacks access to food, especially health foods, and how going hungry can impact students' grades and mental health.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License .

by Denise-Marie Ordway, The Journalist's Resource March 30, 2019

This <a target="_blank" href="https://journalistsresource.org/economics/college-student-hunger-food-pantry/">article</a> first appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://journalistsresource.org">The Journalist's Resource</a> and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<img src="https://journalistsresource.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/cropped-jr-favicon-150x150.png" style="width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;">

Just a few years ago, the College and University Food Bank Alliance , which helps schools establish food pantries, had 184 members. By early 2019, though, the number had more than tripled to 700-plus members.

As tuition rises and the other costs of college go up, campus administrators are forced to face a troubling reality: Many college students don’t get enough to eat. In response, hundreds of schools — from community colleges to Ivy League universities — have opened food pantries or stores selling subsidized groceries. Many students ages 18 to 49 are not eligible for the federal government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program , also known as food stamps.

At Cornell University, the student-run Anabel’s Grocery attracted about 2,000 unique customers within the first several months, according to the student newspaper. The store offers “low-cost groceries for all Cornell students and subsidies for those who qualify .” At the Knights Helping Knights Pantry at the University of Central Florida, students can pick up five free food items a day. Portland Community College opened pantries on all four of its campuses and created a co-op with free school supplies, bus passes, clothes and other items.

Academic research shows that a substantial percentage of college students experience “food insecurity,” a lack of access to adequate amounts of food, especially healthy foods. The proportion appears to vary by institution type and among student groups, with racial and ethnic minorities being most likely to skip meals or go hungry. The research also suggests students who don’t have enough food are more likely to have low grades and poor health.

Below is a sampling of academic research on these subjects.

————————————————–

“College Students and SNAP: The New Face of Food Insecurity in the United States” : From the City University of New York’s Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy and Temple University’s College of Education, published in the American Journal of Public Health , December 2019. By Nicholas Freudenberg, Sara Goldrick-Rab and Janet Poppendieck.

College students are a new group at risk for food insecurity — a problem explained by five trends, according to this analysis of academic studies, news media reports and three researchers’ experiences studying and addressing food insecurity at multiple universities.

The five trends:

• A higher proportion of college students are from households with incomes at or below the poverty line than were in the past.
• College is more expensive now than in the past.
• The purchasing power of the Pell grant, a federal grant for lower-income students, has fallen over time.
• It’s tougher to pay for college while working. “Coupled with rising college prices, students must work nearly full-time to afford full-time community college,” write the authors. “To avoid paying for benefits, today’s employers, including universities, often divide fulltime hours across multiple parttime workers, contributing to the growing number of students working several jobs to make ends meet.”
• Higher education institutions have less money to spend on student support programs. State funding, the authors write, “has decreased by 25% per student over the last 30 years, and states have cut $9 billion from higher education in the last 10 years alone. In public universities, budget cuts have led to significant reductions in student services.”

The researchers find that a number of individual colleges try to help students get food by introducing a range of programs, including food pantries, subsidized cafeteria meals and emergency loans and grants. However, the researchers recommend that the government and schools work to boost the number of college students who participate in the federal Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, commonly referred to as SNAP or food stamps. “Because food pantries are often the first point of contact between food-insecure students and university resources, they can become hubs for screening and enrolling eligible students in SNAP and other public benefits, publicizing affordable meals on campus, and engaging students in organizing for food justice as well as distributing food,” the authors write.

“Hunger in Higher Education: Experiences and Correlates of Food Insecurity among Wisconsin Undergraduates from Low-Income Families” : From the University of Iowa and University of California, San Diego, published in Social Sciences , September 2018. By Katharine M. Broton, Kari E. Weaver and Minhtuyen Mai.

This study finds that the college students who are most likely to report experiencing the lowest levels of food security are racial and ethnic minorities and those who live off campus, attend college in urban areas and grew up in homes without reliable supplies of food.

The three researchers analyzed data from a longitudinal study of 3,000 low-income, undergraduate students who attended 42 public colleges and universities in Wisconsin in 2008. They also conducted in-depth interviews with a random sample of 50 of those students approximately every six months between 2008 and 2010 and then each year through 2012. In late 2009, almost 1,400 of the individuals studied answered another round of questions about their experiences buying and finding adequate food.

Some other key takeaways: “Among a sample of traditional-age students from low-income families, we found that nearly 1 in 3 are cutting or skipping meals, eating less than they should and going without food due to limited resources. All of the students received financial aid and most worked and received support from family, but they still struggled to get enough to eat. Students identified a lack of money and time — rather than a lack of knowledge regarding cooking or budgeting — as major barriers to their food security.”

“Experiences With ‘Acute’ Food Insecurity Among College Students” : From San Diego State University, published in the Educational Researcher , January 2018. By J. Luke Wood and Frank Harris III.

This study looks at which groups of college students are most likely to experience food insecurity. The analysis, based on survey data from 6,103 students in southern California, found that multiethnic and black students were most likely to say they have “challenges with hunger” — an acute form of food insecurity. Sixteen percent of black students and 16.5 percent of multiethnic students reported going hungry compared to 10.4 percent of Latino students and 9.2 percent of white and Asian students. The study suggests some students who lack food may also lack stable housing or struggle with transportation and health issues. Colleges with food pantries “may also consider having additional services such as bus passes, free health resources, and job boards,” the authors write.

“Going Without: An Exploration of Food and Housing Insecurity Among Undergraduates” : From the University of Iowa and Temple University, published in the Educational Researcher , December 2017. By Katharine M. Broton and Sara Goldrick-Rab.

This study looks at data on food insecurity taken from surveys representing the experiences of more than 30,000 students attending 121 colleges and universities in 26 states. More than half of undergraduates reported food-access problems. Between 11 percent and 38 percent of students enrolled in community colleges reported “very low” levels of food security, characterized by disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake. Half of community college students also reported living in unstable housing situations.

“Efforts to increase college completion rates must be broadened to include attention to material hardship and shed light on this all-too-often hidden cost of college attendance,” the authors wrote. “Stereotypes of undergraduates eating ramen noodles or couch surfing work against this.”

“The Prevalence of Food Insecurity and Its Association with Health and Academic Outcomes among College Freshmen” : From the University of Florida and nine other universities, published in Advances in Nutrition , 2017. By Aseel El Zein, et al.

This is another study focusing on food insecurity among college freshmen, who generally are learning to live independently after a lifetime of depending on parents and other family members. Almost 900 students from eight U.S. colleges participated, 19 percent of whom were classified as food insecure. The researchers found that students who did not have access to adequate food “showed significantly higher perceived stress and disordered eating behaviors and lower sleep quality.” These students also were more likely to have grade-point averages below a 3.0.

“Student Hunger on Campus: Food Insecurity Among College Students and Implications for Academic Institutions”:  From University of Maryland School of Public Health and University of Maryland Dining Services, published in the American Journal of Health Promotion , July 2017. By Devon C. Payne-Sturges, Allison Tjaden, Kimberly M. Caldeira, Kathryn B. Vincent and Amelia M. Arria.

This study found that 15 percent of undergraduates surveyed at a public university in the mid-Atlantic reported food insecurity and that another 16 percent were at risk. The researchers found evidence that students who either experienced food insecurity or were at risk were “more likely to report their overall health as fair, poor, or very poor and reported lower energy levels compared with food secure students. Food insecure students however reported more frequent depression symptoms (little interest, feeling down, feeling tired, poor appetite, and feeling bad about oneself) and that they experienced disruptions in academic work as a result of depression symptoms.” Students reporting problems accessing food were more likely to live off campus and receive financial aid.

“Factors Related to the High Rates of Food Insecurity Among Diverse, Urban College Freshmen” : From Arizona State University and the University of Minnesota, published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics , 2016. By Meg Bruening, Stephanie Brennhofer, Irene van Woerden, Michael Todd and Melissa Laska.

This paper suggests that a high proportion of college freshmen living in dorms at one of the nation’s largest public universities do not have adequate food and are more likely to report health problems such as anxiety and depression. Of the 209 freshman who participated in the study, 32 percent reported food insecurity in the previous month and 37 percent reported it in the previous three months. “Students who rarely consumed breakfast, students who rarely ate home-cooked meals, and students with higher levels of depression were significantly more likely to report food insecurity in the past three months,” the authors wrote.

“Food Insecurity Among Community College Students: Prevalence and Association With Grade Point Average” : From American University and Morgan State University, published in the Community College Journal of Research and Practice , 2015. By Maya E. Maroto, Anastasia Snelling and Henry Linck.

This food-access study involves students at an urban community college and a suburban community college. Sixty percent of study participants from the urban community college reported lacking adequate food compared to 53 percent of study participants at the suburban community college. Black, Hispanic and Asian students were more likely to have food-access problems than white students. Meanwhile, students battling food insecurity were much more likely to have lower grade-point averages.

Looking for more research on college students? Check out our posts on college hazing , guns on college campuses and how winning in college sports can generate new revenue for athletic programs.

About The Author

Denise-Marie Ordway

Eating to Learn: Healthy Habits for Academic Success

By Emma, a Peer Tutor

I have found that in times of high stress and feeling overwhelmed with the amount of assignments or tasks that need to be done, the first activities that start to slip are the ones that are most needed and life-sustaining. As a Nutrition major, I have often been struck with the tragic irony of neglecting my own eating to study for my Nutrition (and other) classes, or not putting enough on my plate (food-wise) because there is too much on my plate (school-wise). Nutrition puns aside, I have seen and struggled with the importance of eating for effective learning this semester. Without the essential fuel and nutrients that food provides, I cannot expect to learn well. 

Before I begin my discussion of what has worked for me, I want to acknowledge that food is a tricky subject for lots of people. Having a healthy relationship with food, especially with the pressures of diet culture, is HARD. Furthermore, it can be difficult to obtain healthy foods and food insecurity is a major issue on college campuses across the country, including ours. I’ve included a list of resources at the end of this post that I hope could be helpful to anyone who is having a hard time with finding or eating food. I want to recognize that I am writing out of a place of privilege as someone whose financial circumstances allow for some discretionary food spending, and as someone who (for the most part) has a healthy relationship with eating and the often-related issue of body image. 

This year, I am living off campus, which has proven to be a challenge in terms of finding  sufficient time to buy, cook, and eat food. Healthy habits are often rather inconvenient for me. When assignments are building up, I do not want to devote valuable time to prepare and eat food. That being said, eating well is essential to my learning and thriving. I can always tell when I am not nourishing myself adequately because I don’t feel my best – from physical symptoms like headaches, stomachaches, feeling lightheaded/shaky, to mental symptoms like difficulty concentrating, fatigue, and not being able to think about anything but food. These pesky side effects interfere with my ability to study and remind me that I am a mere human who must take time to feed herself!  Thus, I have decided to devote a blog to discuss some of the ways that I try to eat to learn . I am by no means successful in this endeavor 100% (or even 75%) of the time, but these are my intentions. 

1. I pack my lunch at night and incorporate easy-to-pack, easy-to-eat foods.

The mornings are not a realistic time for me to pack my lunch, but in the evenings, I have sufficient time to make sure that I have everything I need. I emphasize foods that will keep well and aren’t very time-consuming to pack. 

Here are some of my favorite easy foods to pack as sides or snacks in my lunch:

• Carrots, cucumbers, and/or tomatoes with hummus 
• Nuts (my favorites are walnuts and pecans) 
• Sandwiches! I like turkey, or peanut butter and banana
• Fruit that I don’t have to slice or prepare, like apples, oranges, or kiwis 
• Treats! Cookies, muffins, etc. made by myself or a roommate – I’m fortunate enough to live with many talented bakers! 

In any given meal, I try to incorporate the major macronutrients – carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. These macronutrients are essential because they provide energy, structural support, and regulation within cells. Some examples of sources of carbohydrates include fruit, vegetables, grains, and cereals. Normally when we talk about “carbs”, we mean foods like pizza, pasta, bread, etc. These are great sources of carbohydrates, but this macronutrient is found in many other foods too! Fat is often labeled as a “bad” food to avoid, but our bodies actually need dietary sources of fat – especially polyunsaturated fats found in delicious foods like avocados, olive oil, fish, and nuts. Finally, some of my favorite ways to incorporate protein in my diet are beans, nuts, yogurt, chicken, and fish. 

2. I remind myself that I should always have time for a meal. 

Sometimes, I find myself developing a type of “martyr complex” in which I pride myself on being busier than anyone else. It feels good, in a sense, to not have time to eat because it feels like I am working harder and better than my friends and peers. This is false and harmful. I have to remind myself mental health and physical health are not only as important, but arguably more important than getting to the bottom of my to-do list, or throwing myself into as many activities as possible. It’s not worth it to achieve maximum productivity and do as much as possible at the expense of my health. In fact, the irony is that consistently choosing studying or anything else over eating, sleeping, and exercising always proves itself to be unsustainable. I get burnt out, tired, and sick which is counter-productive to my goal of being successful! 

3. On Sundays, I create a grocery list and a loose, flexible plan for what I will cook and eat during the week. 

If I walk into the grocery store with no list, I wander aimlessly through the aisles grabbing things that seem potentially feasible to cook. This never ends well. Making a list ensures that I am spending my time and money effectively. I also find it helpful to think about when I will cook. For example, it’s not realistic for me to cook dinner on an evening where I am working from 5-8pm, but Sunday afternoons after church, or Saturday evenings after hanging out with friends are a great time for me to meal-prep a few easy things to enjoy throughout the week. I try to cook most of my meals at home, but I’ve also found that it’s important for me to give myself grace and acknowledge that a couple meals per week will probably be purchased elsewhere. 

One example of a favorite meal of mine is beans and rice – a classic. It is filling and  makes a lot so that I can eat leftovers for the next couple of days. Beans are an excellent source of protein and they are relatively inexpensive! The cilantro and lime add some flavor and color and remind me of the cilantro-lime rice at Chipotle (so good).  I’ve attached a recipe that I use.

To conclude, I want to reiterate that I have learned how important it is to fuel my body the hard way. I’ve struggled with some health issues during the past few years that while minor, have been inconvenient and uncomfortable, namely stomach pain that has interfered with my ability to study and learn most effectively. In fact, I have very recently begun to seek treatment for chronic stomach pain that up until now I could not distinguish from the typical stomach discomfort I have had in the past from not eating enough. I continue to have a hard time putting health first, but I’m growing more confident in my ability to nourish myself (#adulting). This newfound priority is always reinforced when I manage to prepare a delicious meal that makes me feel full and well. 

This blog showcases the perspectives of UNC Chapel Hill community members learning and writing online. If you want to talk to a Writing and Learning Center coach about implementing strategies described in the blog, make an appointment with a writing coach , a peer tutor , or an academic coach today. Have an idea for a blog post about how you are learning and writing remotely? Contact us here .

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A Decade of College Student Hunger: What We Know and Where We Need to Go

Rebecca l. hagedorn-hatfield.

1 Department of Nutrition, Health, and Human Performance, Meredith College, Raleigh, NC, United States

Lanae B. Hood

2 Department of Health and Exercise Science, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC, United States

The first article on college food insecurity, published in 2009, sparked conversation on the dark secret many students face while seeking a college degree; they do not have secure access to food. Over 10 years later, numerous investigators around the globe have reported on the heightened prevalence of college food insecurity, the correlates that increase risk, and the detrimental outcomes associated with not having a secure source of food. In this manuscript, we describe the decade of research devoted to college food insecurity and provide direction for research, programs, and policies moving forward. Replicable and valid data collection methods must be utilized, campus-based program evaluation implemented and disseminated, and evidence-based policies supported to achieve realistic goals of warding off hunger and food insecurity on college campuses as well as improve the lives of individuals after post-secondary education. Collectively, stakeholders on college campuses as well as off-campus advocates can be the catalyst to creating a nutritionally secure environment and it is imperative that food insecurity be prevented on college campuses to ensure college students are able to achieve degree attainment.

Introduction

Physiological needs, including food, are the foundation of human wellbeing according to Maslow's hierarchy of needs ( 1 ). A secure source of food is needed to thrive, yet in the United States (US), consistent availability of nutritious foods fails to be the reality for millions of Americans. In fact, food insecurity (FI), defined as an “economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food” by the US Department of Agriculture was experienced by 13.7 million (10.5%) households in the US during 2019 ( 2 ). Despite the COVID-19 global pandemic, 2020 FI estimates remained at 10.5% of the US population ( 3 ). This finding underscores the importance and benefit of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), with roughly 5 million additional people receiving benefits in 2020 ( 4 ). However, access and utilization of SNAP are often impeded upon by poor and unsustained policy resulting in fluctuating FI rates year to year. This may be especially true for college students who were granted expanded eligibility for the SNAP program temporarily. As COVID-19 related relief packages start to wane, impacts on FI may become more present and could have implications for several years as citizens continue to rebound from challenges presented by the pandemic.

As the cost of college has continued to rise—estimated to be a 1,200% increase since the 1980s ( 5 )—state support for students has dwindled and reliance on student loans is customary ( 6 ). Concurrently, the demographics of college students have changed with more “non-traditional,” first-generation, minority, and lower socioeconomic (SES) status students seeking a college degree ( 7 ). Federal support for students from lower SES class families is demonstrated through the Pell Grant program, which is estimated to cover <30% of the average cost of tuition ( 8 ). We, as a society, encourage students to seek a degree as a means to end the poverty cycle, yet the burden of higher education costs results in significant student loan debt (nearly a $40,000 average) for these students ( 9 ). In fact, more than half of US undergraduates rely on federal student loans ( 10 ) but the impact of this debt burden is harmful long-term for marginalized students ( 11 , 12 ). The result is a confusing balance of seeking more financial assistance but a desire to avoid debt. Today, instead of the entitled persona often portrayed of college students, the reality is many college students are skipping meals or going hungry due to the inability to afford food in conjunction with all the other necessary college expenses (rent, textbooks, lab fees, tuition, etc.) and limited financial assistance.

The Emergence of a New Food Insecure Population

Throughout the past decade, college and university students have been identified as an emerging at-risk population. In 2009, Chaparro and colleagues published the first manuscript on college FI which reported 21% of surveyed students at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa were food insecure ( 13 ). This report exposed a population previously overlooked in FI research. The door was opened for a conversation on a dark secret at many higher education institutions—college students were, and still are, struggling to maintain food security.

Since the initial 2009 report, numerous studies have been conducted and published. Although the FI prevalence varies across campuses, consistently, rates are higher than the national US average. A recent review found an overall weighted average of 41% of students experiencing FI ( 14 ). No type of institution is immune from this issue, with evidence from every region of the US ( 15 , 16 ), at public and private universities ( 16 , 17 ), and both 2- and 4-year institutions, although greater rates are often reported at 2-year colleges ( 18 ). Emerging evidence from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) reported more exacerbated rates with nearly 73% of students experiencing some level of FI ( 19 ). Debate on college FI estimates has occurred due to variation in reported prevalence depending on the survey method used as well as some discrepancy in how college students interpret or respond to screening questions ( 20 ). However, while the current authors agree these limitations exist and should be addressed (discussed later), qualitative studies provide a deeper look into the lives of struggling students. In fact, qualitative work highlights the hidden nature of the problems as college students express not wanting to notify family members because they “do not want them to worry” or having to lie to friends that they've “already eaten” ( 21 ). Lived experiences of food-insecure college students bring realism to the problem, no matter the precise accuracy of the quantitative measurement.

FI reaches students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels ( 22 ), across academic programs ( 23 – 28 ), and even collegiate athletes ( 29 , 30 ). Although research suggests rates increase as students' progress academically ( 31 ), the transition away from home leads to the risk of FI starting in the first year ( 32 ). In the past decade, researchers have explored student characteristics associated with higher risk of FI. Students most at-risk include those from lower-income households ( 7 , 16 ), first-generation students ( 33 , 34 ), non-traditionally aged ( 34 ), and have a reported disability ( 7 , 16 ). Those belonging to racial/ethnic minority groups are also disproportionately impacted ( 35 , 36 ). A recent study reported that Black, first-generation college students had 296% higher odds of being food insecure compared to white, first-generation students ( 33 ). Laska et al. also reported a heightened prevalence among transgender and non-binary students compared to male or female gendered students ( 37 ).

The COVID-19 pandemic added additional layers of complexity to college FI. While households around the world faced new challenges ( 38 ), college students were confronted with the loss of employment access, campus housing, dining services, and other health-related resources as campuses shut down globally ( 39 ). Although some campuses were able to pivot delivery of emergency food programs, only students who remained in close proximity to campus were able to benefit, thus it is likely many students lost access to food resources (meal plans, campus food pantries, etc.) only available to them on campus. Hagedorn et al. reported a 15% increase in FI while Soldavini et al. found that 20% of surveyed students reported worsened FI status since the start of the pandemic ( 40 , 41 ). Loss of employment was a detrimental factor and has been attributed to a 124%-473% increase in the odds of being food insecure ( 39 – 41 ). Wolfson and Leung highlighted broad societal challenges to employment and lack of unemployment benefits or such measures as universal basic income and direct impacts on FI ( 42 ). For college and university students, this meant those needing to work were either without sorely needed income or had to work in high-risk settings where COVID-19 was most likely to spread rapidly. Further, Lederer and colleagues emphasized that college and university students' housing insecurity became an even bigger risk as some students were dependent on on-campus housing and were forced to leave campus ( 43 ).

Coping With FI on College Campuses

College students utilize diverse coping strategies to access food when financial resources are low or depleted. Many coping strategies place students in a precarious financial position as they must go further into debt, including consumer credit card debt and personal loans to meet their basic food needs ( 44 ). Others resort to borrowing money or leveraging social relationships to obtain food ( 44 ). Some students must choose between food and other necessities including rent, utilities, medications, transportation, and textbooks even when already working one or more jobs ( 45 ). Hagedorn and colleagues found that higher money expenditure on other items such as rent places students at greater odds of being food insecure ( 31 ). Despite lack of money to buy food, the majority of students in need of emergency food assistance were unable to access SNAP benefits before the COVID-19 pandemic due to strict eligibility guidelines for those enrolled in full-time coursework.

Although some students indicate using positive coping strategies like meal planning and food coupons, the majority do not have an adequate level of food literacy, including cooking and food budgeting skills, to regularly prepare meals. In fact, two studies identified “never cooking for themselves or others” to be a significant predictor of FI ( 31 , 46 ). College students often also have busy schedules with little extra time to engage in food shopping and cooking. Moreover, there are few opportunities for students to gain these skills during college as teaching practical “life skills” is emphasized in few curriculums.

Therefore, similar to other food-insecure populations, students must rely on negative coping strategies and will often sacrifice the nutritional quality of their meals in order to get enough to eat ( 32 , 46 ). This leads to a diet of cheaper, processed foods and an avoidance of more costly options like fresh fruits and vegetables. A rural Appalachia study found nearly 60% of food-insecure students would sacrifice the quality of meals as a first resort though many indicated they would like to learn about healthy eating ( 32 ). Students also utilize other behaviors associated with the “hunger and obesity paradox” such as stretching or rationing food to make it last longer, eating sporadic diets, skipping meals, utilizing food banks and pantries, or turning to community events offering free meals to fill in the gaps ( 45 , 47 ). Unfortunately, many of these strategies result in feelings of shame and social stigma, making some reluctant to seek assistance. Students report “struggling silently” and being “worried that someone else needs it more than me ( 48 ).”

A Detriment to Student Success

College students seek degree attainment as a means to a better financial future, with many low-income students looking for an opportunity to break the poverty cycle. Higher education provides a path to better health and social outcomes as well. However, FI impacts the chance of obtaining a degree ( 49 ). A recent study found food-insecure college students have 42% lower odds of graduating ( 50 ). These findings were pronounced for first-generation college students, with less than half who experienced FI finishing their education ( 50 ). This decline in graduation rate may be attributed to poor academic performance, including lower ability to focus in the classroom, which is amplified among food-insecure students ( 16 , 31 ). Research has shown in students of all ages that it's hard to learn when hungry ( 51 , 52 ) and college students are no exception. Ultimately, FI is a hurdle many at-risk college students are not able to overcome.

FI is also a detriment to college students' health, with food-insecure students more often reporting poor health ( 31 , 53 ), although the mechanism is debated ( 54 ). The dietary intake of college students is often poor ( 55 ), regardless of FI status, and research on the association between intake and FI is mixed among this population. A recent review of 16 studies on college FI found overall poorer diet quality among food-insecure students, but statistical significance was only reported in a small number of studies ( 56 ). Poor diet quality among food-insecure college students is found among those with meal plans ( 57 ), which provides complexity to the issue as meal plans may alleviate hunger but contribute to higher obesity rates and associated health consequences among food-insecure students. Ultimately, coping strategies food-insecure college students rely on, such as diminished diet quality, lead to obesogenic behaviors that have long-term implications for chronic disease development and overall health ( 58 ). With the US spending over half of healthcare dollars on diet-related diseases ( 59 ), it is imperative to prevent obesogenic patterns in young adults.

According to reports, college students suffer from poor mental health outcomes for roughly a third of the month (10 days/month) ( 60 ). Food-insecure college students are burdened with increases in poor mental health as the likelihood of having depressive or anxious symptoms is shown to be increased among food-insecure students ( 60 , 61 ). FI is further associated with worse sleep quality among college students ( 62 ), which can exacerbate poor mental and physical health outcomes ( 63 – 65 ) and impact student success in the classroom ( 66 – 68 ). In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, DeBate and colleagues reported food-insecure students displayed higher scores for psychological distress, loneliness, and suicidal behavior ( 69 ). Student resilience is thought to help protect students from poor mental health outcomes during times of stress ( 70 ), yet food-insecure students are reported to have reduced perception of their resilience compared to food secure students ( 37 ). As student mental health has taken a hit during the pandemic, it is even more important to consider tailored interventions for the mental health of food-insecure students.

Social experiences of food-insecure college students may also contribute to a student's departure from higher education. Social integration into the campus community is vital to students' persistence ( 71 ). Unfortunately, food-insecure college students express feeling isolated, unsupported, and an overall lack of belonging ( 21 , 72 ). This disengagement from campus culture is starker among lower SES and underrepresented students ( 50 ). This lack of social presence on campus may also contribute to poor health. Willis revealed the impact social status can have on the physical and mental health of food-insecure students ( 54 ). Thus, campus efforts must strive to create a caring culture for students from all walks of life to improve academic and health outcomes.

Champions at higher education institutions, stakeholder groups, and policymakers alike have become aware of this issue, making it a public health priority. However, despite this acknowledgment by most within the public health realm, the data is clear; FI and hunger remain an urgent issue on college campuses. The following sections discuss recommendations for improving upon research, campus programs, and policy regarding college FI.

Campus Programs

Research finds food pantries to be the most common campus solution, although other campus-based initiatives, such as meal share programs or campus gardens, have been implemented as well ( 73 ). Technology-based food reduction efforts have also gained traction in recent years, and are popular to reduce food waste while feeding students in need ( 74 ). The success of these programs is often unknown as evaluation is inconsistent. A group of researchers found that while a majority of surveyed campuses evaluate the impact of their campus initiatives, evaluation methods vary greatly including surveys, measuring food donations, and tracking pantry visitation ( 73 ). This makes a comparison of program reach or efficacy impossible. Moving forward, standardized evaluation methods should be utilized and there is a need for published best practices on evaluating these programs.

Student awareness and normalization of these programs must be prioritized. Barriers to the usage of food assistance programs have been investigated and found that food-insecure students report social stigma, lack of knowledge about programming, and inconvenience with hours of operation, location, and transportation ( 75 , 76 ). Lack of utilization of campus programs by the most vulnerable students results in continued inequities on campus which underscore the need for targeted efforts. Raising awareness of campus-based programs is required as research shows students who are aware of programs are less likely to be food insecure ( 16 ). In fact, one study on first-generation college students found those who were aware of campus food resources had 49% lower odds of being food insecure compared to unaware first-generation students ( 33 ). Further, efforts to ensure students understand the eligibility requirements for programs is vital for program use. Increased efforts to make these programs accessible and normalized as part of the campus culture are also needed to alleviate the concerns of stigma and inconvenience.

The inclusion of holistic basic needs programs on campus would be a step in the right direction. Lederer and colleagues highlighted more emphasis and prioritization of student support services (health centers, counseling centers, student affairs staff, and target population support groups), more use of technology-based interventions and support services (which means expanded internet and broadband access), faculty training and support to assist students in need, and the use of an equity lens in campus culture, practices, and policies ( 43 ). Screening for FI at health or counseling centers may be an initial step to weaving FI outreach on campus into other programs. Further, financial and life skills training may foster the skillset some students need to navigate the monetary restrictions associated with FI.

It is important to note that these programs are merely downstream solutions. While meaningful to alleviate the symptoms of FI, reliance on these mechanisms is not enough to eradicate FI at the root.

The Build Back Better (BBB) framework includes historic steps for improving access to higher education and nutritional security ( 77 ). We outline our support for key provisions of the BBB framework while also noting other recommendations that should be considered.

As part of the Build Back Better Act passed by the House on November, 19th 2021 investment in programs and policies that provide access to affordable higher education will help students at risk for FI ( 78 , 79 ). We applaud investment in HBCUs, which aforementioned show higher rates of FI. Investment in student support services will benefit underrepresented students and ensure these programs are maintained to keep our most at-risk students in school. A small, but vital, increase in the Pell Grant by $550 will provide additional support for low-income students, although broader increases have been suggested ( 80 , 81 ). Questions remain about the fate of this legislation in the Senate, with current components, including social spending being debated ( 82 ). We encourage policymakers to ensure that the Build Back Better Act includes support for the most at-risk students, both financially and through on-campus supports, to ensure attainment of a college degree is an equitable opportunity.

Student loan forgiveness was another campaigning point for President Biden ( 83 ). However, as White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki stated “a smooth transition back into repayment is a high priority for the administration” ( 84 ) loan cancellation is uncertain despite the continued delay of payments restarting. The consequence of backtracking on student loan forgiveness will be felt greatest by marginalized communities, as student loan debt often exceeds earnings for many minority students ( 12 , 85 ). As aforementioned, FI forces many underrepresented students out of school, and the burden of loans without an obtained degree is even greater ( 86 ). The financial plausibility and economic impact of canceling student loan debt will continue to be debated, but without action, the inequities in America will remain. In the meantime, although recent changes have streamlined the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program ( 87 ) additional modifications are needed to reduce the payment burden for new applicants as well as the introduction of more robust repayment options for those not in public service. Scholars have provided evidence-based recommendations, such as reform of the loan servicing process and increased measures of protection for consumers, which should be utilized as policymakers navigate a path forward ( 88 ).

The BBB framework also champions improving nutritional security but has room for improvements regarding college students. As students enter college, especially those from households that have experienced an increase in FI as a result of the pandemic ( 89 ), a monumental risk of FI is present. Under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, college students who are enrolled at least part-time may be temporarily eligible for SNAP ( 90 ). While this expansion is estimated to have made an additional 3 million students eligible for SNAP ( 91 ), this change is temporary and barriers to enrollment outlined by Freudenberg and colleagues, including stigma and confusion over eligibility and the enrollment process ( 91 ), still exist. Some permanent state and federal efforts are being proposed, as identified by Laska and colleagues, but few have been implemented and progress is slow ( 92 , 93 ). Permanent expansion of college student eligibility for SNAP is a necessary step to alleviate FI on college campuses. Without, the outdated exemptions for college students, as described by Freudenberg and colleagues previously ( 91 ), will continue to hinder college students in need of federal assistance. We encourage higher education administration to ensure SNAP outreach activities occur on campus to help students have access to eligibility information and support through the enrollment process. Best practices for SNAP outreach can be utilized by those seeking to improve SNAP messaging on campus ( 94 ). Further, SNAP retailers should be available on campus to ensure students have access to utilize benefits. Additionally, one issue that often correlates strongly with FI is housing affordability and accessibility, a significant challenge for students who must live off-campus ( 16 ). As such, higher education officials should collaborate with local elected officials to meet the demands of both students and local citizens. As the BBB framework highlights, this is especially important in rural areas of the country ( 77 ) and of value for the first-generation, minority, or low-income students that often reside in these communities.

Under the Biden Administration, an urge to improve nutrition security for college students as well as financial wellbeing for those stifled with debt when leaving higher education is present but the current political climate leaves many roadblocks ahead, and debate on an appropriate path to progress continues. We encourage policymakers to consider maintaining key provisions of the BBB framework as means to improve equitable access to higher education and consistent basic needs securities. In addition, the BBB framework ( 77 ) calls for enhanced support systems for families (universal pre-k, child care, and expanded child tax credits) that can help students arrive on campus better prepared and with more resources to help them be successful in the transition to life on their own.

One of the main barriers in advancing research on this topic is the inconsistent measurement methods used to quantify the prevalence and severity of FI across campuses. While most studies have utilized the USDA Food Security Survey Module (FSSM) to categorize FI with non-random or convenience samples, it is unknown whether the screening questions in this tool are appropriate for or even well-understood by the college-aged population ( 20 , 95 ). Furthermore, the FSSM has a strong focus on food access, disruptions in eating patterns, and anxiety or worry about running out of food which provides a narrow understanding of a complex problem. Radimer et al. ( 96 ) proposed a broader set of indicators of FI including the nutritional quality, cultural context and acceptability, psychological aspects, and social disruptions related to food. A validated tool that encompasses all of these indicators would further contextualize the problem and offer new avenues for intervention research. Additionally, further qualitative studies are needed to provide a more holistic understanding of the problem and in-depth perspective from students who are struggling with basic needs.

Currently, there is little published literature related to campus-based interventions to address FI on college campuses. As noted, campus food pantries are intended to alleviate FI, yet monitoring the impact of these programs on reducing the prevalence or severity of FI is lacking and should be prioritized moving forward. Further, qualitative inquiries with students should be conducted to ensure the pantry meets students' needs. Improvements in social determinants of health impacted by FI, such as diet quality or mental health, should also be evaluated to understand the reach of these programs. In addition, as FI has been related to lower food and financial literacy ( 16 , 97 , 98 ), interventions that aim to increase these skill sets are crucial. Matias and colleagues demonstrated a semester-long nutrition intervention can decrease FI by 22% ( 99 ). While this demonstrates the potential these interventions can have, it is important to note that student needs differ across campuses. Therefore, it is imperative that researchers consider using community-based participatory approaches that include student insight into the types of programs, interventions, and policies that would be most impactful in meeting their individual needs. Allowing student participation in program development fosters buy-in and allows researchers to overcome potential barriers expressed by students ( 74 ). More research is needed to better understand approaches to enhance food access and food literacy among college students.

Continued Awareness

Despite over a decade of data bringing awareness to the issue of college FI, including stories from food-insecure students themselves, questions remain about the emphasis being placed on college students. As part of the National Institutes of Health Virtual Workshop “Food Insecurity, Neighborhood Food Environment, and Nutrition Health Disparities: State of the Science” it was stated that “of course this work is not valid” ( 100 ). While disheartening to have the issues college students face downplayed on a national stage, those who work directly with students in need continue to champion the issue. The intention of college FI efforts is not to have policymakers be “more concerned with food insecurity among college students than, say, American Indians, very low-incomes, and persons with disabilities” as Gundersen suggests in his article to disprove college FI ( 101 ). In fact, our mission is quite the opposite. We urge policymakers to improve access to federal nutrition assistance programs for all populations that face FI, including college students. Raising awareness of college FI does not lessen awareness of other populations' FI, it heightens the message that FI is an issue in one of the wealthiest nations in the world. Anti-poverty and higher education policy reforms would benefit all populations. Our advocacy will continue to call upon the higher education system to provide equitable opportunities for students from underrepresented backgrounds, ultimately preventing more at-risk populations from becoming food insecure later in life. We encourage colleagues to support college FI efforts, spread awareness and advocate for change.

Author Contributions

RH-H conceptualized the idea for this manuscript. All authors drafted and finalized the manuscript. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.

RH-H and LH received funding support from Meredith College's Scholarly Productivity Grant.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher's Note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 177 college essay examples for 11 schools + expert analysis.

College Admissions , College Essays

The personal statement might just be the hardest part of your college application. Mostly this is because it has the least guidance and is the most open-ended. One way to understand what colleges are looking for when they ask you to write an essay is to check out the essays of students who already got in—college essays that actually worked. After all, they must be among the most successful of this weird literary genre.

In this article, I'll go through general guidelines for what makes great college essays great. I've also compiled an enormous list of 100+ actual sample college essays from 11 different schools. Finally, I'll break down two of these published college essay examples and explain why and how they work. With links to 177 full essays and essay excerpts , this article is a great resource for learning how to craft your own personal college admissions essay!

What Excellent College Essays Have in Common

Even though in many ways these sample college essays are very different from one other, they do share some traits you should try to emulate as you write your own essay.

Visible Signs of Planning

Building out from a narrow, concrete focus. You'll see a similar structure in many of the essays. The author starts with a very detailed story of an event or description of a person or place. After this sense-heavy imagery, the essay expands out to make a broader point about the author, and connects this very memorable experience to the author's present situation, state of mind, newfound understanding, or maturity level.

Knowing how to tell a story. Some of the experiences in these essays are one-of-a-kind. But most deal with the stuff of everyday life. What sets them apart is the way the author approaches the topic: analyzing it for drama and humor, for its moving qualities, for what it says about the author's world, and for how it connects to the author's emotional life.

Stellar Execution

A killer first sentence. You've heard it before, and you'll hear it again: you have to suck the reader in, and the best place to do that is the first sentence. Great first sentences are punchy. They are like cliffhangers, setting up an exciting scene or an unusual situation with an unclear conclusion, in order to make the reader want to know more. Don't take my word for it—check out these 22 first sentences from Stanford applicants and tell me you don't want to read the rest of those essays to find out what happens!

A lively, individual voice. Writing is for readers. In this case, your reader is an admissions officer who has read thousands of essays before yours and will read thousands after. Your goal? Don't bore your reader. Use interesting descriptions, stay away from clichés, include your own offbeat observations—anything that makes this essay sounds like you and not like anyone else.

Technical correctness. No spelling mistakes, no grammar weirdness, no syntax issues, no punctuation snafus—each of these sample college essays has been formatted and proofread perfectly. If this kind of exactness is not your strong suit, you're in luck! All colleges advise applicants to have their essays looked over several times by parents, teachers, mentors, and anyone else who can spot a comma splice. Your essay must be your own work, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with getting help polishing it.

And if you need more guidance, connect with PrepScholar's expert admissions consultants . These expert writers know exactly what college admissions committees look for in an admissions essay and chan help you craft an essay that boosts your chances of getting into your dream school.

Check out PrepScholar's Essay Editing and Coaching progra m for more details!

Want to write the perfect college application essay? Get professional help from PrepScholar.

Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges.

Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now :

Links to Full College Essay Examples

Some colleges publish a selection of their favorite accepted college essays that worked, and I've put together a selection of over 100 of these.

Common App Essay Samples

Please note that some of these college essay examples may be responding to prompts that are no longer in use. The current Common App prompts are as follows:

1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. 2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? 3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome? 4. Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you? 5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. 6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

Now, let's get to the good stuff: the list of 177 college essay examples responding to current and past Common App essay prompts. 

Connecticut college.

• 12 Common Application essays from the classes of 2022-2025

Hamilton College

• 7 Common Application essays from the class of 2026
• 7 Common Application essays from the class of 2022
• 7 Common Application essays from the class of 2018
• 8 Common Application essays from the class of 2012
• 8 Common Application essays from the class of 2007

Johns Hopkins

These essays are answers to past prompts from either the Common Application or the Coalition Application (which Johns Hopkins used to accept).

• 1 Common Application or Coalition Application essay from the class of 2026
• 6 Common Application or Coalition Application essays from the class of 2025
• 6 Common Application or Universal Application essays from the class of 2024
• 6 Common Application or Universal Application essays from the class of 2023
• 7 Common Application of Universal Application essays from the class of 2022
• 5 Common Application or Universal Application essays from the class of 2021
• 7 Common Application or Universal Application essays from the class of 2020

Essay Examples Published by Other Websites

• 2 Common Application essays ( 1st essay , 2nd essay ) from applicants admitted to Columbia

Other Sample College Essays

Here is a collection of essays that are college-specific.

Babson College

• 4 essays (and 1 video response) on "Why Babson" from the class of 2020

Emory University

• 5 essay examples ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ) from the class of 2020 along with analysis from Emory admissions staff on why the essays were exceptional
• 5 more recent essay examples ( 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ) along with analysis from Emory admissions staff on what made these essays stand out

University of Georgia

• 1 “strong essay” sample from 2019
• 1 “strong essay” sample from 2018
• 10 Harvard essays from 2023
• 10 Harvard essays from 2022
• 10 Harvard essays from 2021
• 10 Harvard essays from 2020
• 10 Harvard essays from 2019
• 10 Harvard essays from 2018
• 6 essays from admitted MIT students

Smith College

• 6 "best gift" essays from the class of 2018

Books of College Essays

If you're looking for even more sample college essays, consider purchasing a college essay book. The best of these include dozens of essays that worked and feedback from real admissions officers.

College Essays That Made a Difference —This detailed guide from Princeton Review includes not only successful essays, but also interviews with admissions officers and full student profiles.

50 Successful Harvard Application Essays by the Staff of the Harvard Crimson—A must for anyone aspiring to Harvard .

50 Successful Ivy League Application Essays and 50 Successful Stanford Application Essays by Gen and Kelly Tanabe—For essays from other top schools, check out this venerated series, which is regularly updated with new essays.

Heavenly Essays by Janine W. Robinson—This collection from the popular blogger behind Essay Hell includes a wider range of schools, as well as helpful tips on honing your own essay.

Analyzing Great Common App Essays That Worked

I've picked two essays from the examples collected above to examine in more depth so that you can see exactly what makes a successful college essay work. Full credit for these essays goes to the original authors and the schools that published them.

Example 1: "Breaking Into Cars," by Stephen, Johns Hopkins Class of '19 (Common App Essay, 636 words long)

I had never broken into a car before.

We were in Laredo, having just finished our first day at a Habitat for Humanity work site. The Hotchkiss volunteers had already left, off to enjoy some Texas BBQ, leaving me behind with the college kids to clean up. Not until we were stranded did we realize we were locked out of the van.

Someone picked a coat hanger out of the dumpster, handed it to me, and took a few steps back.

"Can you do that thing with a coat hanger to unlock it?"

"Why me?" I thought.

More out of amusement than optimism, I gave it a try. I slid the hanger into the window's seal like I'd seen on crime shows, and spent a few minutes jiggling the apparatus around the inside of the frame. Suddenly, two things simultaneously clicked. One was the lock on the door. (I actually succeeded in springing it.) The other was the realization that I'd been in this type of situation before. In fact, I'd been born into this type of situation.

My upbringing has numbed me to unpredictability and chaos. With a family of seven, my home was loud, messy, and spottily supervised. My siblings arguing, the dog barking, the phone ringing—all meant my house was functioning normally. My Dad, a retired Navy pilot, was away half the time. When he was home, he had a parenting style something like a drill sergeant. At the age of nine, I learned how to clear burning oil from the surface of water. My Dad considered this a critical life skill—you know, in case my aircraft carrier should ever get torpedoed. "The water's on fire! Clear a hole!" he shouted, tossing me in the lake without warning. While I'm still unconvinced about that particular lesson's practicality, my Dad's overarching message is unequivocally true: much of life is unexpected, and you have to deal with the twists and turns.

Living in my family, days rarely unfolded as planned. A bit overlooked, a little pushed around, I learned to roll with reality, negotiate a quick deal, and give the improbable a try. I don't sweat the small stuff, and I definitely don't expect perfect fairness. So what if our dining room table only has six chairs for seven people? Someone learns the importance of punctuality every night.

But more than punctuality and a special affinity for musical chairs, my family life has taught me to thrive in situations over which I have no power. Growing up, I never controlled my older siblings, but I learned how to thwart their attempts to control me. I forged alliances, and realigned them as necessary. Sometimes, I was the poor, defenseless little brother; sometimes I was the omniscient elder. Different things to different people, as the situation demanded. I learned to adapt.

Back then, these techniques were merely reactions undertaken to ensure my survival. But one day this fall, Dr. Hicks, our Head of School, asked me a question that he hoped all seniors would reflect on throughout the year: "How can I participate in a thing I do not govern, in the company of people I did not choose?"

The question caught me off guard, much like the question posed to me in Laredo. Then, I realized I knew the answer. I knew why the coat hanger had been handed to me.

Growing up as the middle child in my family, I was a vital participant in a thing I did not govern, in the company of people I did not choose. It's family. It's society. And often, it's chaos. You participate by letting go of the small stuff, not expecting order and perfection, and facing the unexpected with confidence, optimism, and preparedness. My family experience taught me to face a serendipitous world with confidence.

What Makes This Essay Tick?

It's very helpful to take writing apart in order to see just how it accomplishes its objectives. Stephen's essay is very effective. Let's find out why!

An Opening Line That Draws You In

In just eight words, we get: scene-setting (he is standing next to a car about to break in), the idea of crossing a boundary (he is maybe about to do an illegal thing for the first time), and a cliffhanger (we are thinking: is he going to get caught? Is he headed for a life of crime? Is he about to be scared straight?).

Great, Detailed Opening Story

More out of amusement than optimism, I gave it a try. I slid the hanger into the window's seal like I'd seen on crime shows, and spent a few minutes jiggling the apparatus around the inside of the frame.

It's the details that really make this small experience come alive. Notice how whenever he can, Stephen uses a more specific, descriptive word in place of a more generic one. The volunteers aren't going to get food or dinner; they're going for "Texas BBQ." The coat hanger comes from "a dumpster." Stephen doesn't just move the coat hanger—he "jiggles" it.

Details also help us visualize the emotions of the people in the scene. The person who hands Stephen the coat hanger isn't just uncomfortable or nervous; he "takes a few steps back"—a description of movement that conveys feelings. Finally, the detail of actual speech makes the scene pop. Instead of writing that the other guy asked him to unlock the van, Stephen has the guy actually say his own words in a way that sounds like a teenager talking.

Turning a Specific Incident Into a Deeper Insight

Suddenly, two things simultaneously clicked. One was the lock on the door. (I actually succeeded in springing it.) The other was the realization that I'd been in this type of situation before. In fact, I'd been born into this type of situation.

Stephen makes the locked car experience a meaningful illustration of how he has learned to be resourceful and ready for anything, and he also makes this turn from the specific to the broad through an elegant play on the two meanings of the word "click."

Using Concrete Examples When Making Abstract Claims

My upbringing has numbed me to unpredictability and chaos. With a family of seven, my home was loud, messy, and spottily supervised. My siblings arguing, the dog barking, the phone ringing—all meant my house was functioning normally.

"Unpredictability and chaos" are very abstract, not easily visualized concepts. They could also mean any number of things—violence, abandonment, poverty, mental instability. By instantly following up with highly finite and unambiguous illustrations like "family of seven" and "siblings arguing, the dog barking, the phone ringing," Stephen grounds the abstraction in something that is easy to picture: a large, noisy family.

Using Small Bits of Humor and Casual Word Choice

My Dad, a retired Navy pilot, was away half the time. When he was home, he had a parenting style something like a drill sergeant. At the age of nine, I learned how to clear burning oil from the surface of water. My Dad considered this a critical life skill—you know, in case my aircraft carrier should ever get torpedoed.

Obviously, knowing how to clean burning oil is not high on the list of things every 9-year-old needs to know. To emphasize this, Stephen uses sarcasm by bringing up a situation that is clearly over-the-top: "in case my aircraft carrier should ever get torpedoed."

The humor also feels relaxed. Part of this is because he introduces it with the colloquial phrase "you know," so it sounds like he is talking to us in person. This approach also diffuses the potential discomfort of the reader with his father's strictness—since he is making jokes about it, clearly he is OK. Notice, though, that this doesn't occur very much in the essay. This helps keep the tone meaningful and serious rather than flippant.

An Ending That Stretches the Insight Into the Future

But one day this fall, Dr. Hicks, our Head of School, asked me a question that he hoped all seniors would reflect on throughout the year: "How can I participate in a thing I do not govern, in the company of people I did not choose?"

The ending of the essay reveals that Stephen's life has been one long preparation for the future. He has emerged from chaos and his dad's approach to parenting as a person who can thrive in a world that he can't control.

This connection of past experience to current maturity and self-knowledge is a key element in all successful personal essays. Colleges are very much looking for mature, self-aware applicants. These are the qualities of successful college students, who will be able to navigate the independence college classes require and the responsibility and quasi-adulthood of college life.

What Could This Essay Do Even Better?

Even the best essays aren't perfect, and even the world's greatest writers will tell you that writing is never "finished"—just "due." So what would we tweak in this essay if we could?

Replace some of the clichéd language. Stephen uses handy phrases like "twists and turns" and "don't sweat the small stuff" as a kind of shorthand for explaining his relationship to chaos and unpredictability. But using too many of these ready-made expressions runs the risk of clouding out your own voice and replacing it with something expected and boring.

Use another example from recent life. Stephen's first example (breaking into the van in Laredo) is a great illustration of being resourceful in an unexpected situation. But his essay also emphasizes that he "learned to adapt" by being "different things to different people." It would be great to see how this plays out outside his family, either in the situation in Laredo or another context.

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Example 2: By Renner Kwittken, Tufts Class of '23 (Common App Essay, 645 words long)

My first dream job was to be a pickle truck driver. I saw it in my favorite book, Richard Scarry's "Cars and Trucks and Things That Go," and for some reason, I was absolutely obsessed with the idea of driving a giant pickle. Much to the discontent of my younger sister, I insisted that my parents read us that book as many nights as possible so we could find goldbug, a small little golden bug, on every page. I would imagine the wonderful life I would have: being a pig driving a giant pickle truck across the country, chasing and finding goldbug. I then moved on to wanting to be a Lego Master. Then an architect. Then a surgeon.

Then I discovered a real goldbug: gold nanoparticles that can reprogram macrophages to assist in killing tumors, produce clear images of them without sacrificing the subject, and heat them to obliteration.

Suddenly the destination of my pickle was clear.

I quickly became enveloped by the world of nanomedicine; I scoured articles about liposomes, polymeric micelles, dendrimers, targeting ligands, and self-assembling nanoparticles, all conquering cancer in some exotic way. Completely absorbed, I set out to find a mentor to dive even deeper into these topics. After several rejections, I was immensely grateful to receive an invitation to work alongside Dr. Sangeeta Ray at Johns Hopkins.

In the lab, Dr. Ray encouraged a great amount of autonomy to design and implement my own procedures. I chose to attack a problem that affects the entire field of nanomedicine: nanoparticles consistently fail to translate from animal studies into clinical trials. Jumping off recent literature, I set out to see if a pre-dose of a common chemotherapeutic could enhance nanoparticle delivery in aggressive prostate cancer, creating three novel constructs based on three different linear polymers, each using fluorescent dye (although no gold, sorry goldbug!). Though using radioactive isotopes like Gallium and Yttrium would have been incredible, as a 17-year-old, I unfortunately wasn't allowed in the same room as these radioactive materials (even though I took a Geiger counter to a pair of shoes and found them to be slightly dangerous).

I hadn't expected my hypothesis to work, as the research project would have ideally been led across two full years. Yet while there are still many optimizations and revisions to be done, I was thrilled to find -- with completely new nanoparticles that may one day mean future trials will use particles with the initials "RK-1" -- thatcyclophosphamide did indeed increase nanoparticle delivery to the tumor in a statistically significant way.

A secondary, unexpected research project was living alone in Baltimore, a new city to me, surrounded by people much older than I. Even with moving frequently between hotels, AirBnB's, and students' apartments, I strangely reveled in the freedom I had to enjoy my surroundings and form new friendships with graduate school students from the lab. We explored The Inner Harbor at night, attended a concert together one weekend, and even got to watch the Orioles lose (to nobody's surprise). Ironically, it's through these new friendships I discovered something unexpected: what I truly love is sharing research. Whether in a presentation or in a casual conversation, making others interested in science is perhaps more exciting to me than the research itself. This solidified a new pursuit to angle my love for writing towards illuminating science in ways people can understand, adding value to a society that can certainly benefit from more scientific literacy.

It seems fitting that my goals are still transforming: in Scarry's book, there is not just one goldbug, there is one on every page. With each new experience, I'm learning that it isn't the goldbug itself, but rather the act of searching for the goldbugs that will encourage, shape, and refine my ever-evolving passions. Regardless of the goldbug I seek -- I know my pickle truck has just begun its journey.

Renner takes a somewhat different approach than Stephen, but their essay is just as detailed and engaging. Let's go through some of the strengths of this essay.

One Clear Governing Metaphor

This essay is ultimately about two things: Renner’s dreams and future career goals, and Renner’s philosophy on goal-setting and achieving one’s dreams.

But instead of listing off all the amazing things they’ve done to pursue their dream of working in nanomedicine, Renner tells a powerful, unique story instead. To set up the narrative, Renner opens the essay by connecting their experiences with goal-setting and dream-chasing all the way back to a memorable childhood experience:

This lighthearted–but relevant!--story about the moment when Renner first developed a passion for a specific career (“finding the goldbug”) provides an anchor point for the rest of the essay. As Renner pivots to describing their current dreams and goals–working in nanomedicine–the metaphor of “finding the goldbug” is reflected in Renner’s experiments, rejections, and new discoveries.

Though Renner tells multiple stories about their quest to “find the goldbug,” or, in other words, pursue their passion, each story is connected by a unifying theme; namely, that as we search and grow over time, our goals will transform…and that’s okay! By the end of the essay, Renner uses the metaphor of “finding the goldbug” to reiterate the relevance of the opening story:

While the earlier parts of the essay convey Renner’s core message by showing, the final, concluding paragraph sums up Renner’s insights by telling. By briefly and clearly stating the relevance of the goldbug metaphor to their own philosophy on goals and dreams, Renner demonstrates their creativity, insight, and eagerness to grow and evolve as the journey continues into college.

An Engaging, Individual Voice

This essay uses many techniques that make Renner sound genuine and make the reader feel like we already know them.

Technique #1: humor. Notice Renner's gentle and relaxed humor that lightly mocks their younger self's grand ambitions (this is different from the more sarcastic kind of humor used by Stephen in the first essay—you could never mistake one writer for the other).

My first dream job was to be a pickle truck driver.

I would imagine the wonderful life I would have: being a pig driving a giant pickle truck across the country, chasing and finding goldbug. I then moved on to wanting to be a Lego Master. Then an architect. Then a surgeon.

Renner gives a great example of how to use humor to your advantage in college essays. You don’t want to come off as too self-deprecating or sarcastic, but telling a lightheartedly humorous story about your younger self that also showcases how you’ve grown and changed over time can set the right tone for your entire essay.

Technique #2: intentional, eye-catching structure. The second technique is the way Renner uses a unique structure to bolster the tone and themes of their essay . The structure of your essay can have a major impact on how your ideas come across…so it’s important to give it just as much thought as the content of your essay!

For instance, Renner does a great job of using one-line paragraphs to create dramatic emphasis and to make clear transitions from one phase of the story to the next:

Suddenly the destination of my pickle car was clear.

Not only does the one-liner above signal that Renner is moving into a new phase of the narrative (their nanoparticle research experiences), it also tells the reader that this is a big moment in Renner’s story. It’s clear that Renner made a major discovery that changed the course of their goal pursuit and dream-chasing. Through structure, Renner conveys excitement and entices the reader to keep pushing forward to the next part of the story.

Technique #3: playing with syntax. The third technique is to use sentences of varying length, syntax, and structure. Most of the essay's written in standard English and uses grammatically correct sentences. However, at key moments, Renner emphasizes that the reader needs to sit up and pay attention by switching to short, colloquial, differently punctuated, and sometimes fragmented sentences.

Even with moving frequently between hotels, AirBnB's, and students' apartments, I strangely reveled in the freedom I had to enjoy my surroundings and form new friendships with graduate school students from the lab. We explored The Inner Harbor at night, attended a concert together one weekend, and even got to watch the Orioles lose (to nobody's surprise). Ironically, it's through these new friendships I discovered something unexpected: what I truly love is sharing research.

In the examples above, Renner switches adeptly between long, flowing sentences and quippy, telegraphic ones. At the same time, Renner uses these different sentence lengths intentionally. As they describe their experiences in new places, they use longer sentences to immerse the reader in the sights, smells, and sounds of those experiences. And when it’s time to get a big, key idea across, Renner switches to a short, punchy sentence to stop the reader in their tracks.

The varying syntax and sentence lengths pull the reader into the narrative and set up crucial “aha” moments when it’s most important…which is a surefire way to make any college essay stand out.

Renner's essay is very strong, but there are still a few little things that could be improved.

Connecting the research experiences to the theme of “finding the goldbug.”  The essay begins and ends with Renner’s connection to the idea of “finding the goldbug.” And while this metaphor is deftly tied into the essay’s intro and conclusion, it isn’t entirely clear what Renner’s big findings were during the research experiences that are described in the middle of the essay. It would be great to add a sentence or two stating what Renner’s big takeaways (or “goldbugs”) were from these experiences, which add more cohesion to the essay as a whole.

Give more details about discovering the world of nanomedicine. It makes sense that Renner wants to get into the details of their big research experiences as quickly as possible. After all, these are the details that show Renner’s dedication to nanomedicine! But a smoother transition from the opening pickle car/goldbug story to Renner’s “real goldbug” of nanoparticles would help the reader understand why nanoparticles became Renner’s goldbug. Finding out why Renner is so motivated to study nanomedicine–and perhaps what put them on to this field of study–would help readers fully understand why Renner chose this path in the first place.

4 Essential Tips for Writing Your Own Essay

How can you use this discussion to better your own college essay? Here are some suggestions for ways to use this resource effectively.

#1: Get Help From the Experts

Getting your college applications together takes a lot of work and can be pretty intimidatin g. Essays are even more important than ever now that admissions processes are changing and schools are going test-optional and removing diversity standards thanks to new Supreme Court rulings .  If you want certified expert help that really makes a difference, get started with  PrepScholar’s Essay Editing and Coaching program. Our program can help you put together an incredible essay from idea to completion so that your application stands out from the crowd. We've helped students get into the best colleges in the United States, including Harvard, Stanford, and Yale.  If you're ready to take the next step and boost your odds of getting into your dream school, connect with our experts today .

#2: Read Other Essays to Get Ideas for Your Own

As you go through the essays we've compiled for you above, ask yourself the following questions:

• Can you explain to yourself (or someone else!) why the opening sentence works well?
• Look for the essay's detailed personal anecdote. What senses is the author describing? Can you easily picture the scene in your mind's eye?
• Find the place where this anecdote bridges into a larger insight about the author. How does the essay connect the two? How does the anecdote work as an example of the author's characteristic, trait, or skill?
• Check out the essay's tone. If it's funny, can you find the places where the humor comes from? If it's sad and moving, can you find the imagery and description of feelings that make you moved? If it's serious, can you see how word choice adds to this tone?

Make a note whenever you find an essay or part of an essay that you think was particularly well-written, and think about what you like about it . Is it funny? Does it help you really get to know the writer? Does it show what makes the writer unique? Once you have your list, keep it next to you while writing your essay to remind yourself to try and use those same techniques in your own essay.

#3: Find Your "A-Ha!" Moment

All of these essays rely on connecting with the reader through a heartfelt, highly descriptive scene from the author's life. It can either be very dramatic (did you survive a plane crash?) or it can be completely mundane (did you finally beat your dad at Scrabble?). Either way, it should be personal and revealing about you, your personality, and the way you are now that you are entering the adult world.

Check out essays by authors like John Jeremiah Sullivan , Leslie Jamison , Hanif Abdurraqib , and Esmé Weijun Wang to get more examples of how to craft a compelling personal narrative.

#4: Start Early, Revise Often

Let me level with you: the best writing isn't writing at all. It's rewriting. And in order to have time to rewrite, you have to start way before the application deadline. My advice is to write your first draft at least two months before your applications are due.

Let it sit for a few days untouched. Then come back to it with fresh eyes and think critically about what you've written. What's extra? What's missing? What is in the wrong place? What doesn't make sense? Don't be afraid to take it apart and rearrange sections. Do this several times over, and your essay will be much better for it!

For more editing tips, check out a style guide like Dreyer's English or Eats, Shoots & Leaves .

What's Next?

Still not sure which colleges you want to apply to? Our experts will show you how to make a college list that will help you choose a college that's right for you.

Interested in learning more about college essays? Check out our detailed breakdown of exactly how personal statements work in an application , some suggestions on what to avoid when writing your essay , and our guide to writing about your extracurricular activities .

Working on the rest of your application? Read what admissions officers wish applicants knew before applying .

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The recommendations in this post are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Anna scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs in high school, and went on to major in English at Princeton and to get her doctorate in English Literature at Columbia. She is passionate about improving student access to higher education.

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Food Allergies Essay

It is common in the United States for people to have food allergies and it is increasing. The body's negative reaction to a specific food protein is what is known to be a food allergy. The most common food allergies are milk and dairy products, egg and egg products, fish and shellfish, wheat, soy and soy products, and peanuts and tree nuts (Servsafe). Different food allergies develop in people at different times in their lives depending on the allergy and the person themselves. Fish and shellfish food allergies tend to not develop until adulthood. With fish approximately forty percent of people who were in a study on food allergies said that they did not have their first fish allergic reaction until they were an adult. With shellfish, about sixty percent of people had their first reaction when they were adults. Everyone to some extent is allergic to a type of food, but fish and shellfish food allergies are two of the most common and can possibly be the most dangerous out of all the food allergies. To help people with a shellfish and fish allergy to stay safe and healthy the rest of this essay will be focused on: basic information of fish and shellfish allergies, common symptoms of the allergies, what is anaphylaxis and how to treat it, and how to

Microdose Allergies

Recent studies are showing that introducing very young children to the most common allergenic foods gradually can prevent food allergies later in life. A new study shows that microdose immunotherapy can not only help prevent food allergies, but actually cure them.

Argumentative Essay On Food Allergic Children

Moreover, food allergic children are also bullied due to their allergy, in addition to isolation and exclusion. Children who have a food allergy while in school “may find close peers a source of support for their condition, however emerging research indicates that children with food allergies may also encounter teasing and bullying due to their food allergies” (McQuaid and Jandasek). While some food allergic children are fortunate enough to find friends that also have a food allergy in their class, most food allergic children do not. Food allergies are prevalent in about 6 in 100 children, meaning that a majority of a child’s class is food allergy free. This can cause issues with bullying between classmates and peers within the school. “A recent study by Shemesh and colleagues (2013) indicated that almost half (45.4%) of children with food allergies reported having been bullied, and 31.5% reported bullying specific to their food allergy” (McQuaid and Jandasek). Bullying happens in schools everywhere and is typically a daily occurrence within a school and comes in many forms including, physical, verbal, social, and cyber. Physical bullying is particularly dangerous when it involves a food allergic child. Classmates can physically hurt the food allergic child by bringing the food to class or taunting them with the food in the lunch room. Social bullying involves leaving someone out on purpose, telling others not to be friends with them, etc. This can also affect a food

Peanut Allergy

“The peanut is responsible for allergic reactions in both children and adults. Over the last several decades the incidence of peanut allergy in children has dramatically increased. Now, about 1% of children in the United States have peanut allergy. Peanut allergy is probably the most common cause of death from food anaphylaxis in the United States. Peanut allergy, unlike other food allergies, is rarely outgrown, with only about 20% of patients losing their sensitivity over time. Once a diagnosis has been made, peanuts should be treated with strict avoidance” (Lieberman & Anderson, 2007, pg

Miss. Town Son's Analysis

Almost everyone has an allergy, whether or not they are massive, like peanut allergies, or minor, like seasonal allergies. The first time I had allergy was in my Ninth grade year of High School. When Miss. Town son's writing class came along and acted like a cup of milk in my existence.

Informative Essay On Peanut Allergy

Ever since I was a child, all I remember is having a peanut allergy. I have been taught not to go near peanuts, and to tell people to not bring peanuts anywhere near me. I have always had this constant reminder that I will most likely never get to taste peanut butter and that I will always be reminded to not go near peanuts. Peanut allergies have always been thought incurable, but there is new hope for the future.

Personal Narrative-Heroic

It was four years ago on the 17th of December, everything seemed like a normal day. I was prepping for finals and eating snacks in the study room with friends when my neck and face turned bright pink and blotchy, and breathing became difficult for me. I remember I had a history final later that day, but was rushed down to the nurse’s office and ultimately had to reschedule that test. Since I had eaten a few different items, we were unable to determine what the real problem was. Two weeks later at volleyball practice, I sat on the side, pink, pale and unable to catch my breathe. My mom had decided that this was enough of not knowing, so she took me to get allergy tested. I sat there at Trinity waiting for a family friend to take vials of blood for the samples. They ultimately gave me a long list of things I was allergic to, and we compared that to what I had to eat the day I was at school studying for finals; and what I had eaten before practice, this was the day I found out I could no longer have any Reese’s trees, or any Reese’s eggs anymore, I am allergic to peanuts.

Low Oxalate Diet

But, did you know that there are other food sensitivities just being brought into the mainstream? Ones you may have not even heard of yet?

Why Peanuts Is Important To Me

Ever since I can remember I have had to deal with the fact I have a fairly severe peanut allergy. Luckily for me, I was able to find out very early on and have grown up my entire life avoiding a food that is a staple for most children. As far back as I can remember I have been reading every single ingredient list for a food I was about to eat and if I wasn’t sure what was in something, not eating it.

Why I M Allergic To Peanuts?

My severe allergic reaction to peanuts causes all the people around me, as well as myself, to be prepared at all times incase of an emergency reaction. An emergency can happen at any time. I always have to be cautious of what I eat, or get around the environment of. I need to know my surroundings, and take precautions about what I eat.

Symptoms And Treatment Of Allergies

Food allergies are abnormal immunological responses to a special food or food component . Two types of abnormal immunological responses can happen immediately and delayed reactions. Both are well documented to occur in certain individuals at ingestion of specific foods.recently These illnesses are spread and sometimes called individualistic reverse reactions to foods because they affect only certain individuals in the population.In addition ,Cause of food allergy enter hospital almost thirty thousand people to the emergency room, and up to a hundred to two hundred deaths each year (Taylor and Hefle. 2005).

Research on Food Allergies Essay

If anyone notices that a child develops symptoms after being exposed to certain foods, then the child should avoid such foods. The most common foods that can cause allergies include: peanuts, tree nuts (walnuts, pecans, etc.), fish, shellfish, eggs (especially egg whites), milk, soy, and wheat. Keeping a diary for a few weeks and recording what foods a child has been eating, especially new foods, and when they develop symptoms may help figure out what they are allergic to. This is often what professionals encourage families to do to get to the true cause of what is making them so ill. Once it has been determined what a child is allergic to, it is important to learn to read food labels because the food a child is allergic to may be an ingredient of many other foods.

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Guest Essay

Elite College Admissions Have Turned Students Into Brands

By Sarah Bernstein

Ms. Bernstein is a playwright, a writing coach and an essayist in Brooklyn.

“I just can’t think of anything,” my student said.

After 10 years of teaching college essay writing, I was familiar with this reply. For some reason, when you’re asked to recount an important experience from your life, it is common to forget everything that has ever happened to you. It’s a long-form version of the anxiety that takes hold at a corporate retreat when you’re invited to say “one interesting thing about yourself,” and you suddenly believe that you are the most boring person in the entire world. Once during a version of this icebreaker, a man volunteered that he had only one kidney, and I remember feeling incredibly jealous of him.

I tried to jog this student’s memory. What about his love of music? Or his experience learning English? Or that time on a summer camping trip when he and his friends had nearly drowned? “I don’t know,” he sighed. “That all seems kind of cliché.”

Applying to college has always been about standing out. When I teach college essay workshops and coach applicants one on one, I see my role as helping students to capture their voice and their way of processing the world, things that are, by definition, unique to each individual. Still, many of my students (and their parents) worry that as getting into college becomes increasingly competitive, this won’t be enough to set them apart.

Their anxiety in understandable. On Thursday, in a tradition known as “Ivy Day,” all eight Ivy League schools released their regular admission decisions. Top colleges often issue statements about how impressive (and competitive) their applicant pools were this cycle. The intention is to flatter accepted students and assuage rejected ones, but for those who have not yet applied to college, these statements reinforce the fear that there is an ever-expanding cohort of applicants with straight A’s and perfect SATs and harrowing camping trip stories all competing with one another for a vanishingly small number of spots.

This scarcity has led to a boom in the college consulting industry, now estimated to be a $2.9 billion business. In recent years, many of these advisers and companies have begun to promote the idea of personal branding — a way for teenagers to distinguish themselves by becoming as clear and memorable as a good tagline.

While this approach often leads to a strong application, students who brand themselves too early or too definitively risk missing out on the kind of exploration that will prepare them for adult life.

Like a corporate brand, the personal brand is meant to distill everything you stand for (honesty, integrity, high quality, low prices) into a cohesive identity that can be grasped at a glance. On its website, a college prep and advising company called Dallas Admissions explains the benefits of branding this way: “Each person is complex, yet admissions officers only have a small amount of time to spend learning about each prospective student. The smart student boils down key aspects of himself or herself into their personal ‘brand’ and sells that to the college admissions officer.”

Identifying the key aspects of yourself may seem like a lifelong project, but unfortunately, college applicants don’t have that kind of time. Online, there are dozens of lesson plans and seminars promising to walk students through the process of branding themselves in five to 10 easy steps. The majority begin with questions I would have found panic-inducing as a teenager, such as, “What is the story you want people to tell about you when you’re not in the room?”

Where I hoped others would describe me as “normal” or, in my wildest dreams, “cool,” today’s teenagers are expected to leave this exercise with labels like, Committed Athlete and Compassionate Leader or Environmentally Conscious Musician. Once students have a draft of their ideal self, they’re offered instructions for manifesting it (or at least, the appearance of it) in person and online. These range from common-sense tips (not posting illegal activity on social media) to more drastic recommendations (getting different friends).

It’s not just that these courses cut corners on self-discovery; it’s that they get the process backward. A personal brand is effective only if you can support it with action, so instead of finding their passion and values through experience, students are encouraged to select a passion as early as possible and then rack up the experience to substantiate it. Many college consultants suggest beginning to align your activities with your college ambitions by ninth grade, while the National Institute of Certified College Planners recommends students “talk with parents, guardians, and/or an academic adviser to create a clear plan for your education and career-related goals” in junior high.

The idea of a group of middle schoolers soberly mapping out their careers is both comical and depressing, but when I read student essays today, I can see that this advice is getting through. Over the past few years, I have been struck by how many high school seniors already have defined career goals as well as a C.V. of relevant extracurriculars to go with them. This widens the gap between wealthy students and those who lack the resources to secure a fancy research gig or start their own small business. (A shocking number of college applicants claim to have started a small business.) It also puts pressure on all students to define themselves at a moment when they are anxious to fit in and yet changing all the time.

In the world of branding, a word that appears again and again is “consistency.” If you are Charmin, that makes sense. People opening a roll of toilet paper do not want to be surprised. If you are a teenage human being, however, that is an unreasonable expectation. Changing one’s interests, opinions and presentation is a natural part of adolescence and an instructive one. I find that my students with scattershot résumés are often the most confident. They’re not afraid to push back against suggestions that ring false and will insist on revising their essay until it actually “feels like me.” On the other hand, many of my most accomplished students are so quick to accept feedback that I am wary of offering it, lest I become one more adult trying to shape them into an admission-worthy ideal.

I understand that for parents, prioritizing exploration can feel like a risky bet. Self-insight is hard to quantify and to communicate in a college application. When it comes to building a life, however, this kind of knowledge has more value than any accolade, and it cannot be generated through a brainstorming exercise in a six-step personal branding course online. To equip kids for the world, we need to provide them not just with opportunities for achievement, but with opportunities to fail, to learn, to wander and to change their minds.

In some ways, the college essay is a microcosm of modern adolescence. Depending on how you look at it, it’s either a forum for self-discovery or a high-stakes test you need to ace. I try to assure my students that it is the former. I tell them that it’s a chance to take stock of everything you’ve experienced and learned over the past 18 years and everything you have to offer as a result.

That can be a profound process. But to embark on it, students have to believe that colleges really want to see the person behind the brand. And they have to have the chance to know who that person is.

Sarah Bernstein is a playwright, a writing coach and an essayist.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

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Cafeteria food in college

From soft drinks to hot meals, some students dine inn while others park to go. The survey also found out that 92% of students were in favor of cafeteria hours to be extended to cater for evening students, while 86% of students thought that the culinary Department should have a restaurant on campus. Most students today do not consume the recommended daily values of health foods and nutrients, putting them at a higher risk of chronic diseases. College cafeteria have less choices of healthy foods, and have limited variety of food in their menu.

And they also offer less r no service at all to evening students. College years, presents an opportunity to introduce new habits that can change a student healthy life style forever. According to the Center for Disease Control estimates that, medical cost associated with adult obesity top $147 billion. Jennifer Haubenreiser the President of the American College Health Association and Director of Health Promotion at Montana State University says, “College can shape the environment where students live and work so good choices are easy to make and students need to make informed choices”.

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Jennifer Haubenreiser goes further to say, “Now, because cafeteria are the main source of food to college students, there is increasing need to address the growing need of obesity and other chronic diseases associated with eating habits”. Colleges have responded positively to the issue of obesity by introducing new masseurs. In her article that was published in the Journal of Food Science, Sander Libby reports some of the ways that cafeteria are under taking to improve healthy eating habits in colleges. Some, college cafeteria ave responded by labeling dishes with calories and nutrition information, build mobile apps for students to research meal options and some colleges have introduced organic multi- dishes”. These services shows that college cafeteria are taking steps to fight obesity and other chronic disease’s associated with bad eating habits. However, the evening student’s don’t get a chance to benefit from the new measure since these services are not rendered to them. Majority of the college students who attend school in the evening are working class with responsibilities.

Some have family to support while others work to support themselves . 0ne may wonder as to why college cafeteria do not extend their hours of services to evening students. Perhaps one is to be reminded, that most evening students have an alternative when it comes to buying meals than students who attend classes during the day. For any business to be successful you need to have enough customers. Fast food restaurants along the way and around colleges often compete for the same business and will always come on top since they are conveniently located.

The survey shows about 62% of evening students don’t eat at college cafeteria. Perhaps this explains why cafeteria cannot extend their hours of operation to evening students since they assume little business in the evening. However, 92% of the survey think cafeteria hours should be extended to cater for evening students. And the culinary department can have a successful business as noted from the survey in doing just that. Its clear that we need a restaurant on campus under the Culinary Department since 86% of students supported the idea of ulinary Department opening a restaurant in college according to the survey.

This could prove a breakthrough for the department in the restaurant business, and will also employ more students to work in the business. Eating healthy is important for human growth and development. College cafeteria have started to introduce healthy foods, but they still fall short of extended hours to cater for the evening students. Although the survey showed 92% favored cafeteria hours to be extended and 62% favored the culinary department to open up a restaurant in college.

However, the decision lies in the hands of the school board. The management have shown little or no willingness at all to persuade the cafeteria to extend their hours of operation. With emerging fast food restaurant, students will require greater awareness of the dangers of unhealthy foods in these restaurant, better discloser to students, and more public discussion about what type Of healthy foods the cafeteria serves, and their willingness to open their doors to evening students at any time during school hours.

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How to Write the AP Lit Prose Essay with Examples

March 30, 2024

AP Lit Prose Essay Examples – The College Board’s Advanced Placement Literature and Composition Course is one of the most enriching experiences that high school students can have. It exposes you to literature that most people don’t encounter until college , and it helps you develop analytical and critical thinking skills that will enhance the quality of your life, both inside and outside of school. The AP Lit Exam reflects the rigor of the course. The exam uses consistent question types, weighting, and scoring parameters each year . This means that, as you prepare for the exam, you can look at previous questions, responses, score criteria, and scorer commentary to help you practice until your essays are perfect.

What is the AP Lit Free Response testing? 

In AP Literature, you read books, short stories, and poetry, and you learn how to commit the complex act of literary analysis . But what does that mean? Well, “to analyze” literally means breaking a larger idea into smaller and smaller pieces until the pieces are small enough that they can help us to understand the larger idea. When we’re performing literary analysis, we’re breaking down a piece of literature into smaller and smaller pieces until we can use those pieces to better understand the piece of literature itself.

So, for example, let’s say you’re presented with a passage from a short story to analyze. The AP Lit Exam will ask you to write an essay with an essay with a clear, defensible thesis statement that makes an argument about the story, based on some literary elements in the short story. After reading the passage, you might talk about how foreshadowing, allusion, and dialogue work together to demonstrate something essential in the text. Then, you’ll use examples of each of those three literary elements (that you pull directly from the passage) to build your argument. You’ll finish the essay with a conclusion that uses clear reasoning to tell your reader why your argument makes sense.

AP Lit Prose Essay Examples (Continued)

But what’s the point of all of this? Why do they ask you to write these essays?

Well, the essay is, once again, testing your ability to conduct literary analysis. However, the thing that you’re also doing behind that literary analysis is a complex process of both inductive and deductive reasoning. Inductive reasoning takes a series of points of evidence and draws a larger conclusion. Deductive reasoning departs from the point of a broader premise and draws a singular conclusion. In an analytical essay like this one, you’re using small pieces of evidence to draw a larger conclusion (your thesis statement) and then you’re taking your thesis statement as a larger premise from which you derive your ultimate conclusion.

So, the exam scorers are looking at your ability to craft a strong thesis statement (a singular sentence that makes an argument), use evidence and reasoning to support that argument, and then to write the essay well. This is something they call “sophistication,” but they’re looking for well-organized thoughts carried through clear, complete sentences.

This entire process is something you can and will use throughout your life. Law, engineering, medicine—whatever pursuit, you name it—utilizes these forms of reasoning to run experiments, build cases, and persuade audiences. The process of this kind of clear, analytical thinking can be honed, developed, and made easier through repetition.

Practice Makes Perfect

Because the AP Literature Exam maintains continuity across the years, you can pull old exam copies, read the passages, and write responses. A good AP Lit teacher is going to have you do this time and time again in class until you have the formula down. But, it’s also something you can do on your own, if you’re interested in further developing your skills.

AP Lit Prose Essay Examples 

Let’s take a look at some examples of questions, answers and scorer responses that will help you to get a better idea of how to craft your own AP Literature exam essays.

In the exam in 2023, students were asked to read a poem by Alice Cary titled “Autumn,” which was published in 1874. In it, the speaker contemplates the start of autumn. Then, students are asked to craft a well-written essay which uses literary techniques to convey the speaker’s complex response to the changing seasons.

The following is an essay that received a perfect 6 on the exam. There are grammar and usage errors throughout the essay, which is important to note: even though the writer makes some mistakes, the structure and form of their argument was strong enough to merit a 6. This is what your scorers will be looking for when they read your essay.

Example Essay 

Romantic and hyperbolic imagery is used to illustrate the speaker’s unenthusiastic opinion of the coming of autumn, which conveys Cary’s idea that change is difficult to accept but necessary for growth.

Romantic imagery is utilized to demonstrate the speaker’s warm regard for the season of summer and emphasize her regretfulness for autumn’s coming, conveying the uncomfortable change away from idyllic familiarity. Summer, is portrayed in the image of a woman who “from her golden collar slips/and strays through stubble fields/and moans aloud.” Associated with sensuality and wealth, the speaker implies the interconnection between a season and bounty, comfort, and pleasure. Yet, this romantic view is dismantled by autumn, causing Summer to “slip” and “stray through stubble fields.” Thus, the coming of real change dethrones a constructed, romantic personification of summer,  conveying the speaker’s reluctance for her ideal season to be dethroned by something much less decorated and adored.

Summer, “she lies on pillows of the yellow leaves,/ And tries the old tunes for over an hour”, is contrasted with bright imagery of fallen leaves/ The juxtaposition between Summer’s character and the setting provides insight into the positivity of change—the yellow leaves—by its contrast with the failures of attempting to sustain old habits or practices, “old tunes”. “She lies on pillows” creates a sympathetic, passive image of summer in reaction to the coming of Autumn, contrasting her failures to sustain “old tunes.” According to this, it is understood that the speaker recognizes the foolishness of attempting to prevent what is to come, but her wishfulness to counter the natural progression of time.

Hyperbolic imagery displays the discrepancies between unrealistic, exaggerated perceptions of change and the reality of progress, continuing the perpetuation of Cary’s idea that change must be embraced rather than rejected. “Shorter and shorter now the twilight clips/The days, as though the sunset gates they crowd”, syntax and diction are used to literally separate different aspects of the progression of time. In an ironic parallel to the literal language, the action of twilight’s “clip” and the subject, “the days,” are cut off from each other into two different lines, emphasizing a sense of jarring and discomfort. Sunset, and Twilight are named, made into distinct entities from the day, dramatizing the shortening of night-time into fall. The dramatic, sudden implications for the change bring to mind the switch between summer and winter, rather than a transitional season like fall—emphasizing the Speaker’s perspective rather than a factual narration of the experience.

She says “the proud meadow-pink hangs down her head/Against the earth’s chilly bosom, witched with frost”. Implying pride and defeat, and the word “witched,” the speaker brings a sense of conflict, morality, and even good versus evil into the transition between seasons. Rather than a smooth, welcome change, the speaker is practically against the coming of fall. The hyperbole present in the poem serves to illustrate the Speaker’s perspective and ideas on the coming of fall, which are characterized by reluctance and hostility to change from comfort.

The topic of this poem, Fall–a season characterized by change and the deconstruction of the spring and summer landscape—is juxtaposed with the final line which evokes the season of Spring. From this, it is clear that the speaker appreciates beautiful and blossoming change. However, they resent that which destroys familiar paradigms and norms. Fall, seen as the death of summer, is characterized as a regression, though the turning of seasons is a product of the literal passage of time. Utilizing romantic imagery and hyperbole to shape the Speaker’s perspective, Cary emphasizes the need to embrace change though it is difficult, because growth is not possible without hardship or discomfort.

Scoring Criteria: Why did this essay do so well? 

When it comes to scoring well, there are some rather formulaic things that the judges are searching for. You might think that it’s important to “stand out” or “be creative” in your writing. However, aside from concerns about “sophistication,” which essentially means you know how to organize thoughts into sentences and you can use language that isn’t entirely elementary, you should really focus on sticking to a form. This will show the scorers that you know how to follow that inductive/deductive reasoning process that we mentioned earlier, and it will help to present your ideas in the most clear, coherent way possible to someone who is reading and scoring hundreds of essays.

So, how did this essay succeed? And how can you do the same thing?

First: The Thesis 

On the exam, you can either get one point or zero points for your thesis statement. The scorers said, “The essay responds to the prompt with a defensible thesis located in the introductory paragraph,” which you can read as the first sentence in the essay. This is important to note: you don’t need a flowery hook to seduce your reader; you can just start this brief essay with some strong, simple, declarative sentences—or go right into your thesis.

What makes a good thesis? A good thesis statement does the following things:

• Makes a claim that will be supported by evidence
• Is specific and precise in its use of language
• Argues for an original thought that goes beyond a simple restating of the facts

If you’re sitting here scratching your head wondering how you come up with a thesis statement off the top of your head, let me give you one piece of advice: don’t.

The AP Lit scoring criteria gives you only one point for the thesis for a reason: they’re just looking for the presence of a defensible claim that can be proven by evidence in the rest of the essay.

Second: Write your essay from the inside out 

While the thesis is given one point, the form and content of the essay can receive anywhere from zero to four points. This is where you should place the bulk of your focus.

My best advice goes like this:

• Choose your evidence first
• Develop your commentary about the evidence
• Then draft your thesis statement based on the evidence that you find and the commentary you can create.

It will seem a little counterintuitive: like you’re writing your essay from the inside out. But this is a fundamental skill that will help you in college and beyond. Don’t come up with an argument out of thin air and then try to find evidence to support your claim. Look for the evidence that exists and then ask yourself what it all means. This will also keep you from feeling stuck or blocked at the beginning of the essay. If you prepare for the exam by reviewing the literary devices that you learned in the course and practice locating them in a text, you can quickly and efficiently read a literary passage and choose two or three literary devices that you can analyze.

Third: Use scratch paper to quickly outline your evidence and commentary 

Once you’ve located two or three literary devices at work in the given passage, use scratch paper to draw up a quick outline. Give each literary device a major bullet point. Then, briefly point to the quotes/evidence you’ll use in the essay. Finally, start to think about what the literary device and evidence are doing together. Try to answer the question: what meaning does this bring to the passage?

A sample outline for one paragraph of the above essay might look like this:

Romantic imagery

Portrayal of summer

• Woman who “from her golden collar… moans aloud”
• Summer as bounty

Contrast with Autumn

• Autumn dismantles Summer
• “Stray through stubble fields”
• Autumn is change; it has the power to dethrone the romance of Summer/make summer a bit meaningless

Recognition of change in a positive light

• Summer “lies on pillows / yellow leaves / tries old tunes”
• Bright imagery/fallen leaves
• Attempt to maintain old practices fails: “old tunes”
• But! There is sympathy: “lies on pillows”

Speaker recognizes: she can’t prevent what is to come; wishes to embrace natural passage of time

By the time the writer gets to the end of the outline for their paragraph, they can easily start to draw conclusions about the paragraph based on the evidence they have pulled out. You can see how that thinking might develop over the course of the outline.

Then, the speaker would take the conclusions they’ve drawn and write a “mini claim” that will start each paragraph. The final bullet point of this outline isn’t the same as the mini claim that comes at the top of the second paragraph of the essay, however, it is the conclusion of the paragraph. You would do well to use the concluding thoughts from your outline as the mini claim to start your body paragraph. This will make your paragraphs clear, concise, and help you to construct a coherent argument.

Repeat this process for the other one or two literary devices that you’ve chosen to analyze, and then: take a step back.

Fourth: Draft your thesis 

Once you quickly sketch out your outline, take a moment to “stand back” and see what you’ve drafted. You’ll be able to see that, among your two or three literary devices, you can draw some commonality. You might be able to say, as the writer did here, that romantic and hyperbolic imagery “illustrate the speaker’s unenthusiastic opinion of the coming of autumn,” ultimately illuminating the poet’s idea “that change is difficult to accept but necessary for growth.”

This is an original argument built on the evidence accumulated by the student. It directly answers the prompt by discussing literary techniques that “convey the speaker’s complex response to the changing seasons.” Remember to go back to the prompt and see what direction they want you to head with your thesis, and craft an argument that directly speaks to that prompt.

Then, move ahead to finish your body paragraphs and conclusion.

Fifth: Give each literary device its own body paragraph 

In this essay, the writer examines the use of two literary devices that are supported by multiple pieces of evidence. The first is “romantic imagery” and the second is “hyperbolic imagery.” The writer dedicates one paragraph to each idea. You should do this, too.

This is why it’s important to choose just two or three literary devices. You really don’t have time to dig into more. Plus, more ideas will simply cloud the essay and confuse your reader.

Using your outline, start each body paragraph with a “mini claim” that makes an argument about what it is you’ll be saying in your paragraph. Lay out your pieces of evidence, then provide commentary for why your evidence proves your point about that literary device.

Move onto the next literary device, rinse, and repeat.

Sixth: Commentary and Conclusion 

Finally, you’ll want to end this brief essay with a concluding paragraph that restates your thesis, briefly touches on your most important points from each body paragraph, and includes a development of the argument that you laid out in the essay.

In this particular example essay, the writer concludes by saying, “Utilizing romantic imagery and hyperbole to shape the Speaker’s perspective, Cary emphasizes the need to embrace change though it is difficult, because growth is not possible without hardship or discomfort.” This is a direct restatement of the thesis. At this point, you’ll have reached the end of your essay. Great work!

Seventh: Sophistication 

A final note on scoring criteria: there is one point awarded to what the scoring criteria calls “sophistication.” This is evidenced by the sophistication of thought and providing a nuanced literary analysis, which we’ve already covered in the steps above.

There are some things to avoid, however:

• Sweeping generalizations, such as, “From the beginning of human history, people have always searched for love,” or “Everyone goes through periods of darkness in their lives, much like the writer of this poem.”
• Only hinting at possible interpretations instead of developing your argument
• Oversimplifying your interpretation
• Or, by contrast, using overly flowery or complex language that does not meet your level of preparation or the context of the essay.

Remember to develop your argument with nuance and complexity and to write in a style that is academic but appropriate for the task at hand.

If you want more practice or to check out other exams from the past, go to the College Board’s website .

Brittany Borghi

After earning a BA in Journalism and an MFA in Nonfiction Writing from the University of Iowa, Brittany spent five years as a full-time lecturer in the Rhetoric Department at the University of Iowa. Additionally, she’s held previous roles as a researcher, full-time daily journalist, and book editor. Brittany’s work has been featured in The Iowa Review, The Hopkins Review, and the Pittsburgh City Paper, among others, and she was also a 2021 Pushcart Prize nominee.

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Should college essays touch on race? Some feel the affirmative action ruling leaves them no choice

When the supreme court ended affirmative action in higher education, it left the college essay as one of few places where race can play a role in admissions decisions, by annie ma, noreen nasir and collin binkley | the associated press • published march 27, 2024.

When she started writing her college essay, Hillary Amofa told the story she thought admissions offices wanted to hear. About being the daughter of immigrants from Ghana and growing up in a small apartment in Chicago . About hardship and struggle.

Then she deleted it all.

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“I would just find myself kind of trauma-dumping,” said the 18-year-old senior at Lincoln Park High School in Chicago. “And I’m just like, this doesn’t really say anything about me as a person.”

When the Supreme Court ended affirmative action in higher education , it left the college essay as one of few places where race can play a role in admissions decisions. For many students of color, instantly more was riding on the already high-stakes writing assignment. Some say they felt pressure to exploit their hardships as they competed for a spot on campus.

Amofa was just starting to think about her essay when the court issued its decision, and it left her with a wave of questions. Could she still write about her race? Could she be penalized for it? She wanted to tell colleges about her heritage but she didn’t want to be defined by it.

In English class, Amofa and her classmates read sample essays that all seemed to focus on some trauma or hardship. It left her with the impression she had to write about her life's hardest moments to show how far she'd come. But she and some of her classmates wondered if their lives had been hard enough to catch the attention of admissions offices.

“For a lot of students, there’s a feeling of, like, having to go through something so horrible to feel worthy of going to school, which is kind of sad,” said Amofa, the daughter of a hospital technician and an Uber driver.

This year’s senior class is the first in decades to navigate college admissions without affirmative action. The Supreme Court upheld the practice in decisions going back to the 1970s, but this court’s conservative supermajority found it is unconstitutional for colleges to give students extra weight because of their race alone.

Still, the decision left room for race to play an indirect role: Chief Justice John Roberts wrote universities can still consider how an applicant’s life was shaped by their race, “so long as that discussion is concretely tied to a quality of character or unique ability.”

“A benefit to a student who overcame racial discrimination, for example, must be tied to that student’s courage and determination,” he wrote.

Scores of colleges responded with new essay prompts asking about students’ backgrounds. Brown University asked applicants how “an aspect of your growing up has inspired or challenged you.” Rice University asked students how their perspectives were shaped by their “background, experiences, upbringing, and/or racial identity.”

When Darrian Merritt started writing his essay, he knew the stakes were higher than ever because of the court’s decision. His first instinct was to write about events that led to him going to live with his grandmother as a child.

Those were painful memories, but he thought they might play well at schools like Yale, Stanford and Vanderbilt.

“I feel like the admissions committee might expect a sob story or a tragic story,” said Merritt, a senior in Cleveland. “And if you don’t provide that, then maybe they’re not going to feel like you went through enough to deserve having a spot at the university. I wrestled with that a lot.”

He wrote drafts focusing on his childhood, but it never amounted to more than a collection of memories. Eventually he abandoned the idea and aimed for an essay that would stand out for its positivity.

Merritt wrote about a summer camp where he started to feel more comfortable in his own skin. He described embracing his personality and defying his tendency to please others. The essay had humor — it centered on a water gun fight where he had victory in sight but, in a comedic twist, slipped and fell. But the essay also reflects on his feelings of not being “Black enough” and getting made fun of for listening to “white people music."

“I was like, ‘OK, I’m going to write this for me, and we’re just going to see how it goes,’” he said. “It just felt real, and it felt like an honest story.”

How the Supreme Court affirmative action decision is affecting college applicants. ‘The barriers are already so high,' one legal expert says

What the Supreme Court's ruling on affirmative action means for students

The essay describes a breakthrough as he learned "to take ownership of myself and my future by sharing my true personality with the people I encounter. ... I realized that the first chapter of my own story had just been written.”

Like many students, Max Decker of Portland, Oregon, had drafted a college essay on one topic, only to change direction after the Supreme Court ruling in June.

Decker initially wrote about his love for video games. In a childhood surrounded by constant change, navigating his parents’ divorce, the games he took from place to place on his Nintendo DS were a source of comfort.

But the essay he submitted to colleges focused on the community he found through Word is Bond, a leadership group for young Black men in Portland.

As the only biracial, Jewish kid with divorced parents in a predominantly white, Christian community, Decker wrote he constantly felt like the odd one out. On a trip with Word is Bond to Capitol Hill, he and friends who looked just like him shook hands with lawmakers. The experience, he wrote, changed how he saw himself.

“It’s because I’m different that I provide something precious to the world, not the other way around,” he wrote.

As a first-generation college student, Decker thought about the subtle ways his peers seemed to know more about navigating the admissions process. They made sure to get into advanced classes at the start of high school, and they knew how to secure glowing letters of recommendation.

If writing about race would give him a slight edge and show admissions officers a fuller picture of his achievements, he wanted to take that small advantage.

His first memory about race, Decker said, was when he went to get a haircut in elementary school and the barber made rude comments about his curly hair. Until recently, the insecurity that moment created led him to keep his hair buzzed short.

Through Word is Bond, Decker said he found a space to explore his identity as a Black man. It was one of the first times he was surrounded by Black peers and saw Black role models. It filled him with a sense of pride in his identity. No more buzzcut.

The pressure to write about race involved a tradeoff with other important things in his life, Decker said. That included his passion for journalism, like the piece he wrote on efforts to revive a once-thriving Black neighborhood in Portland. In the end, he squeezed in 100 characters about his journalism under the application’s activities section.

“My final essay, it felt true to myself. But the difference between that and my other essay was the fact that it wasn’t the truth that I necessarily wanted to share,” said Decker, whose top college choice is Tulane, in New Orleans, because of the region’s diversity. “It felt like I just had to limit the truth I was sharing to what I feel like the world is expecting of me.”

Before the Supreme Court ruling, it seemed a given to Imani Laird that colleges would consider the ways that race had touched her life. But now, she felt like she had to spell it out.

As she started her essay, she reflected on how she had faced bias or felt overlooked as a Black student in predominantly white spaces.

There was the year in math class when the teacher kept calling her by the name of another Black student. There were the comments that she’d have an easier time getting into college because she was Black.

“I didn’t have it easier because of my race,” said Laird, a senior at Newton South High School in the Boston suburbs who was accepted at Wellesley and Howard University, and is waiting to hear from several Ivy League colleges. “I had stuff I had to overcome.”

In her final essays, she wrote about her grandfather, who served in the military but was denied access to GI Bill benefits because of his race.

She described how discrimination fueled her ambition to excel and pursue a career in public policy.

“So, I never settled for mediocrity,” she wrote. “Regardless of the subject, my goal in class was not just to participate but to excel. Beyond academics, I wanted to excel while remembering what started this motivation in the first place.”

Amofa used to think affirmative action was only a factor at schools like Harvard and Yale. After the court's ruling, she was surprised to find that race was taken into account even at some public universities she was applying to.

Now, without affirmative action, she wondered if mostly white schools will become even whiter.

It's been on her mind as she chooses between Indiana University and the University of Dayton, both of which have relatively few Black students. When she was one of the only Black students in her grade school, she could fall back on her family and Ghanaian friends at church. At college, she worries about loneliness.

“That’s what I’m nervous about,” she said. “Going and just feeling so isolated, even though I’m constantly around people.”

The first drafts of her essay focused on growing up in a low-income family, sharing a bedroom with her brother and grandmother. But it didn’t tell colleges about who she is now, she said.

Her final essay tells how she came to embrace her natural hair. She wrote about going to a mostly white grade school where classmates made jokes about her afro. When her grandmother sent her back with braids or cornrows, they made fun of those too.

Over time, she ignored their insults and found beauty in the styles worn by women in her life. She now runs a business doing braids and other hairstyles in her neighborhood.

“I stopped seeing myself through the lens of the European traditional beauty standards and started seeing myself through the lens that I created,” Amofa wrote.

“Criticism will persist, but it loses its power when you know there’s a crown on your head!"

This article tagged under:

Should college essays touch on race? Some feel the affirmative action ruling leaves them no choice

When the supreme court ended affirmative action, it left the college essay as one of few places where race can play a role in admissions decisions.

Max Decker, a senior at Lincoln High School, sits for a portrait in the school library where he often worked on writing his college essays, in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, March 20, 2024.

Amanda Loman / AP

Like many students, Max Decker of Portland, Oregon, had drafted a college essay on one topic, only to change direction after the Supreme Court ruling in June.

Decker initially wrote about his love for video games. In a childhood surrounded by constant change, navigating his parents’ divorce, the games he took from place to place on his Nintendo DS were a source of comfort.

But the essay he submitted to colleges focused on the community he found through Word is Bond, a leadership group for young Black men in Portland.

As the only biracial, Jewish kid with divorced parents in a predominantly white, Christian community, Decker wrote he felt like the odd one out. On a trip with Word is Bond to Capitol Hill, he and friends who looked just like him shook hands with lawmakers. The experience, he wrote, changed how he saw himself.

“It’s because I’m different that I provide something precious to the world, not the other way around,” wrote Decker, whose top college choice is Tulane, in New Orleans, because of the region’s diversity.

This year’s senior class is the first in decades to navigate college admissions without affirmative action . The Supreme Court upheld the practice in decisions going back to the 1970s, but this court’s conservative supermajority found it is unconstitutional for colleges to give students extra weight because of their race alone.

Still, the decision left room for race to play an indirect role: Chief Justice John Roberts wrote universities can still consider how an applicant’s life was shaped by their race, “so long as that discussion is concretely tied to a quality of character or unique ability.”

Scores of colleges responded with new essay prompts asking about students’ backgrounds.

FILE - Demonstrators protest outside of the Supreme Court in Washington, in this June 29, 2023 file photo, after the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in college admissions, saying race cannot be a factor.

Jose Luis Magana / AP

Writing about feeling more comfortable with being Black

When Darrian Merritt started writing his essay, his first instinct was to write about events that led to him going to live with his grandmother as a child. Those were painful memories, but he thought they might play well at schools like Yale, Stanford and Vanderbilt.

“I feel like the admissions committee might expect a sob story or a tragic story,” said Merritt, a senior in Cleveland. “I wrestled with that a lot.”

Eventually he abandoned the idea and aimed for an essay that would stand out for its positivity.

Merritt wrote about a summer camp where he started to feel more comfortable in his own skin. He described embracing his personality and defying his tendency to please others. But the essay also reflects on his feelings of not being “Black enough” and getting made fun of for listening to “white people music.”

Related: Oregon colleges, universities weigh potential outcomes of US Supreme Court decision on affirmative action

Essay about how to embrace natural hair

When Hillary Amofa started writing her college essay, she told the story she thought admissions offices wanted to hear. About being the daughter of immigrants from Ghana and growing up in a small apartment in Chicago. About hardship and struggle.

Then she deleted it all.

“I would just find myself kind of trauma-dumping,” said the 18-year-old senior at Lincoln Park High School in Chicago. “And I’m just like, this doesn’t really say anything about me as a person.”

Amofa was just starting to think about her essay when the court issued its decision, and it left her with a wave of questions. Could she still write about her race? Could she be penalized for it? She wanted to tell colleges about her heritage but she didn’t want to be defined by it.

In English class, Amofa and her classmates read sample essays that all seemed to focus on some trauma or hardship. It left her with the impression she had to write about her life’s hardest moments to show how far she’d come. But she and some classmates wondered if their lives had been hard enough to catch the attention of admissions offices.

Hillary Amofa, laughs as she participates in a team building game with members of the Lincoln Park High School step team after school Friday, March 8, 2024, in Chicago. When she started writing her college essay, Amofa told the story she thought admissions offices wanted to hear. She wrote about being the daughter of immigrants from Ghana, about growing up in a small apartment in Chicago. She described hardship and struggle. Then she deleted it all. "I would just find myself kind of trauma-dumping," said the 18 year-old senior, "And I'm just like, this doesn't really say anything about me as a person."

Charles Rex Arbogast / AP

Amofa used to think affirmative action was only a factor at schools like Harvard and Yale. After the court’s ruling, she was surprised to find that race was taken into account even at public universities she was applying to.

Now, without affirmative action, she wondered if mostly white schools will become even whiter.

It’s been on her mind as she chooses between Indiana University and the University of Dayton, both of which have relatively few Black students. When she was one of the only Black students in her grade school, she could fall back on her family and Ghanaian friends at church. At college, she worries about loneliness.

“That’s what I’m nervous about,” she said. “Going and just feeling so isolated, even though I’m constantly around people.”

Related: Some Oregon universities, politicians disappointed in Supreme Court decision on affirmative action

The first drafts of her essay didn’t tell colleges about who she is now, she said.

Her final essay describes how she came to embrace her natural hair. She wrote about going to a mostly white grade school where classmates made jokes about her afro.

Over time, she ignored their insults and found beauty in the styles worn by women in her life. She now runs a business doing braids and other hairstyles in her neighborhood.

“Criticism will persist,” she wrote “but it loses its power when you know there’s a crown on your head!”

Ma reported from Portland, Oregon.

The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .

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Should college essays touch on race? Some feel the affirmative action ruling leaves them no choice

Hillary Amofa listens to others member of the Lincoln Park High School step team after school Friday, March 8, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

When the Supreme Court ended affirmative action, it left the college essay as one of few places where race can play a role in admissions decisions. (AP Video: Noreen Nasir)

Hillary Amofa listens to others member of the Lincoln Park High School step team after school Friday, March 8, 2024, in Chicago. When she started writing her college essay, Amofa told the story she thought admissions offices wanted to hear. She wrote about being the daughter of immigrants from Ghana, about growing up in a small apartment in Chicago. She described hardship and struggle. Then she deleted it all. “I would just find myself kind of trauma-dumping,” said the 18 year-old senior, “And I’m just like, this doesn’t really say anything about me as a person.” (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

• Copy Link copied

Hillary Amofa, laughs as she participates in a team building game with members of the Lincoln Park High School step team after school Friday, March 8, 2024, in Chicago. When she started writing her college essay, Amofa told the story she thought admissions offices wanted to hear. She wrote about being the daughter of immigrants from Ghana, about growing up in a small apartment in Chicago. She described hardship and struggle. Then she deleted it all. “I would just find myself kind of trauma-dumping,” said the 18 year-old senior, “And I’m just like, this doesn’t really say anything about me as a person.” (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Hillary Amofa stands for a portrait after practice with members of the Lincoln Park High School step team Friday, March 8, 2024, in Chicago. When she started writing her college essay, Amofa told the story she thought admissions offices wanted to hear. She wrote about being the daughter of immigrants from Ghana, about growing up in a small apartment in Chicago. She described hardship and struggle. Then she deleted it all. “I would just find myself kind of trauma-dumping,” said the 18 year-old senior, “And I’m just like, this doesn’t really say anything about me as a person.” (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Max Decker, a senior at Lincoln High School, sits for a portrait in the school library where he often worked on writing his college essays, in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, March 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman)

Hillary Amofa stands for a portrait after practice with members of the Lincoln Park High School step team Friday, March 8, 2024, in Chicago. When she started writing her college essay, Amofa told the story she thought admissions offices wanted to hear. She wrote about being the daughter of immigrants from Ghana, about growing up in a small apartment in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Hillary Amofa, second from left, practices with members of the Lincoln Park High School step team after school Friday, March 8, 2024, in Chicago. When she started writing her college essay, Amofa told the story she thought admissions offices wanted to hear. She wrote about being the daughter of immigrants from Ghana, about growing up in a small apartment in Chicago. She described hardship and struggle. Then she deleted it all. “I would just find myself kind of trauma-dumping,” said the 18 year-old senior, “And I’m just like, this doesn’t really say anything about me as a person.” (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Max Decker, a senior at Lincoln High School, stands for a portrait outside of the school in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, March 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman)

*Hillary Amofa, reflected right, practices in a mirror with members of the Lincoln Park High School step team after school Friday, March 8, 2024, in Chicago. When she started writing her college essay, Amofa told the story she thought admissions offices wanted to hear. She wrote about being the daughter of immigrants from Ghana, about growing up in a small apartment in Chicago. She described hardship and struggle. Then she deleted it all. “I would just find myself kind of trauma-dumping,” said the 18 year-old senior, “And I’m just like, this doesn’t really say anything about me as a person.” (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Max Decker, a senior at Lincoln High School, sits for a portrait outside of the school in Portland, Ore., Wednesday, March 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman)

Hillary Amofa, left, practices with members of the Lincoln Park High School step team after school Friday, March 8, 2024, in Chicago. When she started writing her college essay, Amofa told the story she thought admissions offices wanted to hear. She wrote about being the daughter of immigrants from Ghana, about growing up in a small apartment in Chicago. She described hardship and struggle. Then she deleted it all. “I would just find myself kind of trauma-dumping,” said the 18 year-old senior, “And I’m just like, this doesn’t really say anything about me as a person.” (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Hillary Amofa sits for a portrait after her step team practice at Lincoln Park High School Friday, March 8, 2024, in Chicago. When she started writing her college essay, Amofa told the story she thought admissions offices wanted to hear. She wrote about being the daughter of immigrants from Ghana, about growing up in a small apartment in Chicago. She described hardship and struggle. Then she deleted it all. “I would just find myself kind of trauma-dumping,” said the 18 year-old senior, “And I’m just like, this doesn’t really say anything about me as a person.” (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

FILE - Demonstrators protest outside of the Supreme Court in Washington, in this June 29, 2023 file photo, after the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in college admissions, saying race cannot be a factor. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

CHICAGO (AP) — When she started writing her college essay, Hillary Amofa told the story she thought admissions offices wanted to hear. About being the daughter of immigrants from Ghana and growing up in a small apartment in Chicago. About hardship and struggle.

Then she deleted it all.

“I would just find myself kind of trauma-dumping,” said the 18-year-old senior at Lincoln Park High School in Chicago. “And I’m just like, this doesn’t really say anything about me as a person.”

When the Supreme Court ended affirmative action in higher education, it left the college essay as one of few places where race can play a role in admissions decisions. For many students of color, instantly more was riding on the already high-stakes writing assignment. Some say they felt pressure to exploit their hardships as they competed for a spot on campus.

Amofa was just starting to think about her essay when the court issued its decision, and it left her with a wave of questions. Could she still write about her race? Could she be penalized for it? She wanted to tell colleges about her heritage but she didn’t want to be defined by it.

In English class, Amofa and her classmates read sample essays that all seemed to focus on some trauma or hardship. It left her with the impression she had to write about her life’s hardest moments to show how far she’d come. But she and some of her classmates wondered if their lives had been hard enough to catch the attention of admissions offices.

“For a lot of students, there’s a feeling of, like, having to go through something so horrible to feel worthy of going to school, which is kind of sad,” said Amofa, the daughter of a hospital technician and an Uber driver.

This year’s senior class is the first in decades to navigate college admissions without affirmative action . The Supreme Court upheld the practice in decisions going back to the 1970s, but this court’s conservative supermajority found it is unconstitutional for colleges to give students extra weight because of their race alone.

Still, the decision left room for race to play an indirect role: Chief Justice John Roberts wrote universities can still consider how an applicant’s life was shaped by their race, “so long as that discussion is concretely tied to a quality of character or unique ability.”

“A benefit to a student who overcame racial discrimination, for example, must be tied to that student’s courage and determination,” he wrote.

Scores of colleges responded with new essay prompts asking about students’ backgrounds. Brown University asked applicants how “an aspect of your growing up has inspired or challenged you.” Rice University asked students how their perspectives were shaped by their “background, experiences, upbringing, and/or racial identity.”

Hillary Amofa, reflected right, practices in a mirror with members of the Lincoln Park High School step team after school, March 8, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

WONDERING IF SCHOOLS ‘EXPECT A SOB STORY’

When Darrian Merritt started writing his essay, he knew the stakes were higher than ever because of the court’s decision. His first instinct was to write about events that led to him going to live with his grandmother as a child.

Those were painful memories, but he thought they might play well at schools like Yale, Stanford and Vanderbilt.

“I feel like the admissions committee might expect a sob story or a tragic story,” said Merritt, a senior in Cleveland. “And if you don’t provide that, then maybe they’re not going to feel like you went through enough to deserve having a spot at the university. I wrestled with that a lot.”

He wrote drafts focusing on his childhood, but it never amounted to more than a collection of memories. Eventually he abandoned the idea and aimed for an essay that would stand out for its positivity.

Merritt wrote about a summer camp where he started to feel more comfortable in his own skin. He described embracing his personality and defying his tendency to please others. The essay had humor — it centered on a water gun fight where he had victory in sight but, in a comedic twist, slipped and fell. But the essay also reflects on his feelings of not being “Black enough” and getting made fun of for listening to “white people music.”

“I was like, ‘OK, I’m going to write this for me, and we’re just going to see how it goes,’” he said. “It just felt real, and it felt like an honest story.”

The essay describes a breakthrough as he learned “to take ownership of myself and my future by sharing my true personality with the people I encounter. ... I realized that the first chapter of my own story had just been written.”

Max Decker, a senior at Lincoln High School, sits for a portrait in the school library where he often worked on writing his college essays, in Portland, Ore., March 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman)

A RULING PROMPTS PIVOTS ON ESSAY TOPICS

Like many students, Max Decker of Portland, Oregon, had drafted a college essay on one topic, only to change direction after the Supreme Court ruling in June.

Decker initially wrote about his love for video games. In a childhood surrounded by constant change, navigating his parents’ divorce, the games he took from place to place on his Nintendo DS were a source of comfort.

But the essay he submitted to colleges focused on the community he found through Word is Bond, a leadership group for young Black men in Portland.

As the only biracial, Jewish kid with divorced parents in a predominantly white, Christian community, Decker wrote he constantly felt like the odd one out. On a trip with Word is Bond to Capitol Hill, he and friends who looked just like him shook hands with lawmakers. The experience, he wrote, changed how he saw himself.

“It’s because I’m different that I provide something precious to the world, not the other way around,” he wrote.

As a first-generation college student, Decker thought about the subtle ways his peers seemed to know more about navigating the admissions process . They made sure to get into advanced classes at the start of high school, and they knew how to secure glowing letters of recommendation.

Max Decker reads his college essay on his experience with a leadership group for young Black men. (AP Video/Noreen Nasir)

If writing about race would give him a slight edge and show admissions officers a fuller picture of his achievements, he wanted to take that small advantage.

His first memory about race, Decker said, was when he went to get a haircut in elementary school and the barber made rude comments about his curly hair. Until recently, the insecurity that moment created led him to keep his hair buzzed short.

Through Word is Bond, Decker said he found a space to explore his identity as a Black man. It was one of the first times he was surrounded by Black peers and saw Black role models. It filled him with a sense of pride in his identity. No more buzzcut.

The pressure to write about race involved a tradeoff with other important things in his life, Decker said. That included his passion for journalism, like the piece he wrote on efforts to revive a once-thriving Black neighborhood in Portland. In the end, he squeezed in 100 characters about his journalism under the application’s activities section.

“My final essay, it felt true to myself. But the difference between that and my other essay was the fact that it wasn’t the truth that I necessarily wanted to share,” said Decker, whose top college choice is Tulane, in New Orleans, because of the region’s diversity. “It felt like I just had to limit the truth I was sharing to what I feel like the world is expecting of me.”

Demonstrators protest outside of the Supreme Court in Washington, in this June 29, 2023 file photo, after the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in college admissions, saying race cannot be a factor. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

SPELLING OUT THE IMPACT OF RACE

Before the Supreme Court ruling, it seemed a given to Imani Laird that colleges would consider the ways that race had touched her life. But now, she felt like she had to spell it out.

As she started her essay, she reflected on how she had faced bias or felt overlooked as a Black student in predominantly white spaces.

There was the year in math class when the teacher kept calling her by the name of another Black student. There were the comments that she’d have an easier time getting into college because she was Black .

“I didn’t have it easier because of my race,” said Laird, a senior at Newton South High School in the Boston suburbs who was accepted at Wellesley and Howard University, and is waiting to hear from several Ivy League colleges. “I had stuff I had to overcome.”

In her final essays, she wrote about her grandfather, who served in the military but was denied access to GI Bill benefits because of his race.

She described how discrimination fueled her ambition to excel and pursue a career in public policy.

“So, I never settled for mediocrity,” she wrote. “Regardless of the subject, my goal in class was not just to participate but to excel. Beyond academics, I wanted to excel while remembering what started this motivation in the first place.”

Hillary Amofa stands for a portrait after practice with members of the Lincoln Park High School step team, March 8, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

WILL SCHOOLS LOSE RACIAL DIVERSITY?

Amofa used to think affirmative action was only a factor at schools like Harvard and Yale. After the court’s ruling, she was surprised to find that race was taken into account even at some public universities she was applying to.

Now, without affirmative action, she wondered if mostly white schools will become even whiter.

It’s been on her mind as she chooses between Indiana University and the University of Dayton, both of which have relatively few Black students. When she was one of the only Black students in her grade school, she could fall back on her family and Ghanaian friends at church. At college, she worries about loneliness.

“That’s what I’m nervous about,” she said. “Going and just feeling so isolated, even though I’m constantly around people.”

Hillary Amofa reads her college essay on embracing her natural hair. (AP Video/Noreen Nasir)

The first drafts of her essay focused on growing up in a low-income family, sharing a bedroom with her brother and grandmother. But it didn’t tell colleges about who she is now, she said.

Her final essay tells how she came to embrace her natural hair . She wrote about going to a mostly white grade school where classmates made jokes about her afro. When her grandmother sent her back with braids or cornrows, they made fun of those too.

Over time, she ignored their insults and found beauty in the styles worn by women in her life. She now runs a business doing braids and other hairstyles in her neighborhood.

“I stopped seeing myself through the lens of the European traditional beauty standards and started seeing myself through the lens that I created,” Amofa wrote.

“Criticism will persist, but it loses its power when you know there’s a crown on your head!”

Ma reported from Portland, Oregon.

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