Sample Essay: Lisa Simpson as Role Model?!

The personal essay is often a huge source of frustration during the college admissions process. The essay demands a difficult balancing act as you try to make yourself sound good without boasting, as you try to be funny without being trivial, and as you try to write with depth without being long-winded.

I just posted a new sample essay that handles these challenges with great success. Felicity responded to option #4 on the Common Application: "Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence."

Felicity's essay "Porkopolis" discusses the challenges of being a vegetarian in the South. There to help Felicity in her decision is a rather unusual role model: Lisa Simpson. Is a cartoon character a wise choice for the focus of the personal essay? Read the essay and the critique to decide for yourself.