Everyone in the college admissions world knows about it. Back in 2016, a student named Brittany Stinson wrote a personal statement that didn't just get her into one Ivy League school—it got her into five, plus Stanford. People call it the letter s college essay, and it basically became the "Citizen Kane" of admissions lore overnight.
If you haven't read it, the premise is deceptively simple. She wrote about her love for Costco. Specifically, she explored her intellectual curiosity through the lens of scouring the warehouse aisles for bulk items. It was funny. It was quirky. And honestly? It was incredibly smart. But here's the thing: most students who try to replicate the "magic" of that essay end up failing. They think the secret sauce was the Costco membership or the weird topic. It wasn't.
The Viral Reality of Brittany Stinson’s Costco Essay
When the essay went viral, news outlets like Business Insider and NBC News jumped on it. People were shocked that a "low-brow" topic like wholesale shopping could lead to a Yale acceptance letter.
The essay starts with a vivid, almost visceral description of her as a toddler navigating the "daunting" warehouse. She uses high-level vocabulary to describe mundane things. She talks about "the kaleidoscopic quest" for a rotisserie chicken. She’s essentially poking fun at herself while simultaneously proving she has the vocabulary of a PhD candidate. That contrast is what worked.
Most people don't realize how much technical skill went into that piece. It wasn't just a quirky story about samples. It was a calculated demonstration of a specific personality trait: an insatiable need to learn and explore.
Why "Quirky" Isn't a Strategy
I've seen so many kids try to write their own version of the letter s college essay by picking a random object—like a toaster or a pair of socks—and trying to make it deep. It usually flops.
Why? Because they're focusing on the object instead of the insight.
In the original essay, the "S" wasn't just a letter; it was part of a broader narrative about her identity. If you're just writing about a spatula because you think admissions officers want "weird," you're missing the point. They want you. The real you. Not the version of you that thinks Costco is a personality trait.
✨ Don't miss: Green Emerald Day Massage: Why Your Body Actually Needs This Specific Therapy
The Anatomy of a High-Stakes Personal Statement
Admissions officers at places like Stanford or Yale—the schools that accepted the letter s college essay—are reading thousands of files. They're tired. They've read 40０ essays about winning the big game or going on a mission trip.
When they hit an essay that starts with someone's head being "craned up" at a ceiling of industrial light fixtures, they wake up. It’s a pattern interrupt.
The Hook
Stinson's hook was immediate. She didn't start with "I am a very curious person." She showed her curiosity through action.
- Action: Pushing a cart.
- Observation: The sheer scale of the store.
- Reflection: How this mirrors her brain's desire to consume information.
You can't just tell them you're smart. You have to prove it by how you perceive the world. If you can look at a 5-pound tub of Nutella and see a metaphor for the vastness of human knowledge, you're probably going to do okay in a seminar-style college class.
Common Misconceptions About the Letter S Essay
One big myth is that the essay was successful because it was "funny."
Humor is dangerous in admissions. What one person thinks is hilarious, another might find obnoxious. Stinson's essay worked because the humor was self-deprecating. She wasn't making fun of others; she was making fun of her own "voracious" appetite for experiences.
Another misconception? That you need a "gimmick."
🔗 Read more: The Recipe Marble Pound Cake Secrets Professional Bakers Don't Usually Share
I’ve talked to former admissions officers who say the "gimmick" essay is the most common mistake. They can smell the effort from a mile away. If the quirkiness feels forced, it’s a rejection. Stinson’s essay felt authentic because it tied back to her actual academic interests. It wasn't a standalone stunt.
The Complexity of Word Choice
Let's talk about the writing style. It was dense. Some critics actually thought it was too much.
She used words like "peruse," "scavenger," and "stowaway." It was a linguistic flex. But it worked because it fit the persona she was building: the "connoisseur of the mundane." If you try to use a thesaurus on every word without having the voice to back it up, your essay will read like a robot wrote it.
What We Can Learn From the Ivy League Results
Stinson was accepted to Yale, Columbia, UPenn, Dartmouth, Cornell, and Stanford. That's a "clean sweep."
But let’s be real for a second. Her essay didn't do all the work.
She was a top student. She had the grades. she had the extracurriculars. The essay is often the "tipping factor," not the sole reason for admission. If you have a 2.0 GPA, writing a brilliant essay about the letter s college essay style isn't going to get you into Harvard. It’s the bow on the gift, not the gift itself.
The "Likability" Factor
College is a community. Admissions officers are essentially asking: "Do I want to sit next to this person in a dining hall for four years?"
💡 You might also like: Why the Man Black Hair Blue Eyes Combo is So Rare (and the Genetics Behind It)
The Costco essay made her seem like a fun, intellectual, and slightly eccentric person to have a conversation with. It humanized her. That’s the goal of the personal statement. It’s the only part of the application where you aren’t a set of numbers or a list of trophies.
Actionable Strategies for Your Own Essay
If you're sitting at your laptop trying to capture that same lightning in a bottle, stop trying to be the "Costco girl." Instead, look for your own "micro-obsession."
- Identify your "Third Place." For Stinson, it was Costco. For you, it might be a specific hiking trail, a local library, or even your grandmother’s kitchen. Where does your brain feel most active?
- Focus on the "Why." Don't just describe the place. Explain what it says about how you think. If you love the library, is it because you like the smell of old paper or because you love the idea that every book is a different life you haven't lived yet?
- Vary your sentence structure. Go short. Then go long. Then go short again. It creates a rhythm. It sounds like a human speaking, not a textbook.
- Show, don't tell. This is the oldest advice in the book, but people still ignore it. Don't say you're "resilient." Describe the time you spent four hours trying to fix a broken toaster even though you had no idea what you were doing.
- Be specific. "I like food" is boring. "I have a spiritual connection to spicy ramen that makes my eyes water" is a start.
The Danger of Over-Editing
A lot of people take a great, raw essay and edit the life out of it. They show it to their parents, their English teacher, and their counselor. By the time everyone has "corrected" it, the voice is gone.
The letter s college essay succeeded because it felt like it came from a teenager's brain—a very smart teenager, but a teenager nonetheless. It didn't sound like a 45-year-old consultant wrote it. Keep your "kinda" and your "sorta" if they fit your voice.
Final Thoughts on the Legacy of the Essay
The letter s college essay remains a touchstone because it represents the "dream" of the admissions process: that a unique voice can triumph over a standardized system. It’s a reminder that while the process can feel cold and mathematical, there are still human beings on the other side of the screen looking for a spark of life.
Don't try to be Brittany Stinson. She already got into Yale. Try to find the version of you that is just as curious, just as observant, and just as willing to be a little bit weird on paper.
Next Steps for Your Writing Process:
- Audit your draft for "Admissions Speak." Delete phrases like "this experience taught me the value of teamwork." Replace them with a specific moment where teamwork actually happened.
- Read your essay out loud. If you run out of breath, the sentence is too long. If it sounds choppy, you need more flow.
- Check your opening sentence. Does it make the reader want to read the second sentence? If not, delete it and start in the middle of the action.
- Focus on one core trait. Don't try to be the athlete, the scholar, the volunteer, and the musician all in 650 words. Pick one lens and look through it deeply.
- Verify your formatting. Ensure your essay is easy to read. Use white space. Paragraph breaks are your friend.
By focusing on the intellectual energy behind your experiences rather than just the experiences themselves, you'll create something that stands out far more than a simple imitation of a viral trend.