Is it okay to include quotes in my college essay?
I'm in the process of drafting my Common App essay and I'm wondering about the use of quotes. I want to start my essay with a sentence from my favorite author because it sort of captures what I want to say, but I'm worried it might sound cliché or like I'm trying too hard.
Would it hurt my chances if I include a quote at the beginning or even somewhere in the middle? Does it take away from my own voice? Has anyone here done it and gotten positive feedback from admissions or counselors?
Would it hurt my chances if I include a quote at the beginning or even somewhere in the middle? Does it take away from my own voice? Has anyone here done it and gotten positive feedback from admissions or counselors?
2 months ago
•
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Daniel Berkowitz
• 2 months ago
Advisor
The short answer? Don’t do it.
I know that sounds harsh, and I know your English teacher might have told you that a quote is a great "hook." But in the world of elite college admissions, starting with a quote, especially from a famous author, is one of the fastest ways to blend into the "noise."
Here is why, based on everything I recommend:
1. It is "Borrowed Gravitas"
When you open with a quote from Maya Angelou, Albert Einstein, or even a niche author you love, you are relying on their credibility to set the tone for your life. Admissions officers want to know who you are. You have 650 words. Giving up the first 20-30 of them to someone else is a wasted opportunity.
2. It violates the "Show, Don't Tell" Golden Rule
We preach that the best essays start with a vivid personal anecdote.
The Quote Approach: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." — Lao Tzu. This quote perfectly summarizes my move to America...
My recommended approach: I stood on the tarmac at JFK, gripping a handle so tight my knuckles turned white, realizing that the humidity here felt heavier than the air back home.
The second opening puts us in the scene with you. The first opening feels like a Hallmark card. The quote "tells" us the theme; the anecdote "shows" us the experience.
3. It is Clichéd (The "Noise")
Admissions officers read thousands of essays. A significant percentage of them start with quotes. When an AO sees quotation marks at the very top of the page, they instinctively sigh. It signals that the writer is playing it safe or didn't trust their own voice enough to carry the opening. You want to rise above the noise, not contribute to it.
Is there ever an exception?
There is only one very specific scenario where a quote works, and it’s almost never as a "hook" to set a theme:
The Intellectual Deconstruction: If your essay is about your obsession with a specific, complex text and you are analyzing or disagreeing with that quote to show your critical thinking skills (e.g., "Wittgenstein once said X, but in my research on linguistics, I found...").
But if you are just using the quote to say, "This captures my vibe," cut it.
What should you do instead?
You said the quote "captures what you want to say." Paraphrase the feeling of that quote into an action you took. If the quote is about resilience, don't quote it, describe the moment you wanted to quit but didn't. If the quote is about curiosity, describe the moment you fell down a Wikipedia rabbit hole at 3 AM.
Trust your own voice. It is the only thing you have that no other applicant does.
I know that sounds harsh, and I know your English teacher might have told you that a quote is a great "hook." But in the world of elite college admissions, starting with a quote, especially from a famous author, is one of the fastest ways to blend into the "noise."
Here is why, based on everything I recommend:
1. It is "Borrowed Gravitas"
When you open with a quote from Maya Angelou, Albert Einstein, or even a niche author you love, you are relying on their credibility to set the tone for your life. Admissions officers want to know who you are. You have 650 words. Giving up the first 20-30 of them to someone else is a wasted opportunity.
2. It violates the "Show, Don't Tell" Golden Rule
We preach that the best essays start with a vivid personal anecdote.
The Quote Approach: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." — Lao Tzu. This quote perfectly summarizes my move to America...
My recommended approach: I stood on the tarmac at JFK, gripping a handle so tight my knuckles turned white, realizing that the humidity here felt heavier than the air back home.
The second opening puts us in the scene with you. The first opening feels like a Hallmark card. The quote "tells" us the theme; the anecdote "shows" us the experience.
3. It is Clichéd (The "Noise")
Admissions officers read thousands of essays. A significant percentage of them start with quotes. When an AO sees quotation marks at the very top of the page, they instinctively sigh. It signals that the writer is playing it safe or didn't trust their own voice enough to carry the opening. You want to rise above the noise, not contribute to it.
Is there ever an exception?
There is only one very specific scenario where a quote works, and it’s almost never as a "hook" to set a theme:
The Intellectual Deconstruction: If your essay is about your obsession with a specific, complex text and you are analyzing or disagreeing with that quote to show your critical thinking skills (e.g., "Wittgenstein once said X, but in my research on linguistics, I found...").
But if you are just using the quote to say, "This captures my vibe," cut it.
What should you do instead?
You said the quote "captures what you want to say." Paraphrase the feeling of that quote into an action you took. If the quote is about resilience, don't quote it, describe the moment you wanted to quit but didn't. If the quote is about curiosity, describe the moment you fell down a Wikipedia rabbit hole at 3 AM.
Trust your own voice. It is the only thing you have that no other applicant does.
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Daniel Berkowitz
New York City
Yale University - PhD in Theoretical Physics | NYU - BS in Physics
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